Are children safe online?
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00:00Back in May, the House of Commons discussed the impact of social media and smartphones
00:05on children.
00:06But, Mr Chairman, this is not a horror movie. This is not some imaginary Wild West. This
00:11is the digital world that our children occupy, often for hours a day.
00:16Mr Chairman, our kids are not okay. Since 2012, suicide rates for teenage boys in the
00:22UK have doubled. They have trebled for girls. Incidences of self-harm for 10 to 12-year-old
00:28girls have increased by 364%. Anxiety rates for the under 25s have trebled. Feelings of
00:35hopelessness, worthlessness, loneliness and despair are growing amongst our youngest citizens.
00:43When it comes to your child's online safety, the NSPCC recommends to talk regularly to
00:48your child to keep them safe online. They suggest having age-appropriate conversations
00:52and making a part of a relaxed daily conversation so that if they do have any worries, they're
00:57more likely to come to you.