Teens aged 12 to 15 now spend a DAY online a week and should be given ‘digital citizenship’ classes
Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield recommends schools give kids 'digital citizenship' classes so they know how to use the net safely
ALL children should be given “digital citizenship” classes as it emerges young teens now spend three hours a day online, says Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield.
The recommendation comes as Ms Longfield releases a major new study into young people’s use of the internet today.
Children are being left to “fend for themselves” against dangers such as bullying and grooming.
Kids are also unaware that vast amount of data that they post on social media is not owned by them and could even be put up for sale, the report also found.
The commissioner also blasts platforms such as Instagram and Facebook’s “impenetrable” terms and conditions, as she issues a demand for them to be rewritten in a simpler form.
The year-long study — titled Growing Up Digital — also shows internet usage has spiralled over the last 12 months, with children now spending half of all their leisure time online.
Even three- to four-year-olds use the internet an average of eight hours and 18 minutes a week – up from six hours, 48 minutes.
And 12- to 15-year-old spend over 20 hours a week online.
Ms Longfield said: “The internet is an incredible force for good but it is wholly irresponsible to let them roam in a world for which they are ill-prepared, which is subject to limited regulation and which is controlled by a small number of powerful organisations.
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“It is critical that children are educated better so that they can enjoy the opportunities provided by the internet whilst minimising the well-known risks."
Every school must teach a digital programme to all pupils from the age of four to 14, the commissioner recommends.
Ms Longfield has also urged the Government to appoint a children’s digital ombudsman to act as a go-between for children and social media companies.
As part of the study, 900 Mumsnet users were asked about their worries with children using the internet.
It found that 73% of parents were concerned about their children accessing inappropriate material online and 54% were afraid of unwanted contact by strangers.