Ofcom says that almost a quarter of kids ages 5 to 7 have smartphones.

Nearly 25% of UK five-to-seven-year-olds have smartphones, according to Ofcom. WhatsApp use increased over the previous year, with nearly two in five using it despite its minimum age of 13. The telecom regulator said parental rule enforcement “appeared to be diminishing.” The numbers should be a “wake-up call” for the sector to protect youngsters, it added.

In its annual assessment of children’s media and online use, Ofcom found that 59% of five- to seven-year-olds used messaging services, rising to 65%.

Social media rose from 30% to 38% and livestreams from 39% to 50%. Just over 40% play online, up from 34% last year.

Over half of the children under 13 accessed social media, breaking most of the large companies’ regulations, and many lied to get additional applications and services.

“I think the industry needs to wake up. “They must consider their users, not their terms and conditions,” Ofcom’s Online Safety Group’s Mark Bunting told BBC News.

“We’ve understood for a long time that children, under the age limitation, are on a lot of the most downloaded apps, are widely using those applications, and companies are now beneath a legal duty to take actions to keep those children secure,” he said.

Some advocates seek smartphone and social media age limitations.

However, most children’s phones are likely to have been given by their parents because under-18s cannot sign contracts and most large carriers don’t sell pay-as-you-go phones to under-16s.

Many parents give their kids phones so they can call or track them.

How can kids be safe online?

Parents told the BBC that peer pressure made it hard to keep kids off social media when all their friends used apps. The parent claimed she felt “pushed into a corner“.

Heather Bryson, 11, gained attention for her internet fitness videos aimed at aiding dementia patients in care homes during the epidemic.

She’s had a smartphone since age 8.

Her parents say she’s benefited socially from being online, but they monitor her activities and contacts.

Her father, Gary Bryson, adds, “I think it’s become an important tool for anyone growing up these days“.

“Being able to track exactly what she’s doing is essential“.

Heather says she can chat with pals on social media and messaging applications, but there are drawbacks.

“Sometimes I get boys yelling at me online in chats which is not pleasant, but the good thing is there are loads of lovely individuals out there too“.

“It’s a pattern that you get used to after some period but you shouldn’t have to”, adds.

‘Resigned’ parents

About a third of parents know the minimum age for most social media services. Ofcom proposes

Parents were also less likely to enforce the regulations they understood, the agency added.

Three in 10 parents were ready to allow a 5-7-year-old to have a social media presence even if they were under the app’s minimum age, up from last year.

A new survey says parents may be “resigned” to not controlling kids’ internet activities.

Mr. Bunting expressed “a lot of sympathy” for parents:

It may not be about banning usage for children under 13, which is problematic in today’s culture. However, parents may discuss the safe use of those programs with their kids. “We’d encourage that,” he added.

Free phone

Some argue studies like the BBC’s this month, which identified nine-year-olds in a malicious WhatsApp group, require more action.

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who controls WhatsApp and Instagram, has supported app stores checking users’ ages.

After the Ofcom study, Smartphone Free Childhood campaigner Clare Fernyhough told the BBC the public had sleep-walked into “just assuming that we all need a smartphone – and now we’re starting to see the huge impact that that’s having”

However, Professor Sonia Livingstone, Director of Digital Futures for Children, said restricting children’s digital access was inappropriate.

“This is the first group with access to a fast personal computer, it could be so wonderful for them, and that’s what children desire too,” she said.

“But the companies are risked by design, and what is required is child rights by design“, added.

Ofcom said smartphone age limitations should be decided by the government.

It will consult in May on how tech companies can make online experiences safer for children and subsequently on how AI can battle bad material.

Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Technology, and Innovation, said safeguarding children online was the government’s top concern.

“Children as young as five should not be using social media and these harsh findings show why our Privacy Act is essential,” stated.

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