Sheffield academics develop new guidelines after children’s ‘avid’ social media use revealed

A study by researchers at the University of Sheffield, working with BBC Children’s and Dubit, found that children are “avid” social media users.

Researchers found that among children aged from eight to 16, 87 per cent used YouTube, 57 per cent WhatsApp, 51 per cent Facebook, 49 per cent Instagram and 47 per cent Snapchat, with many children accessing social media sites despite not being old enough to meet the sites’ age policies. For younger children aged under eight, this use appeared to be through parents’ accounts.

Beyond the parents’ concerns, more than one in seven young people surveyed said they had accessed content that made them feel uncomfortable. In response, the team have developed guidelines to help policymakers, the media, schools and parents.

Study leader Professor Jackie Marsh, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Education, said: “Our report illustrates that children benefit from having parents engage in positive ways with them with regard to their use of screens. However, not all parents feel confident in this area, and there is a need for guidance and support. Targeted programmes that develop the digital literacy of parents at the same time as offering them tips on how to help their child to manage their digital lives would be particularly welcome.”

The study also indicated the growing presence of emergent technologies in children’s lives, with 26 per cent of children have access to Virtual Reality equipment.

Professor Marsh added: “Children are immersed in technology and social media from a very young age and its common for people to assume this is a bad thing, but when carefully managed with the right tools and techniques, they can be extremely useful tools to teach important life and social skills.”