Children moving from primary to secondary school are ill-equipped to deal with the impact of social media, which is playing an increasingly important role in their lives and exposing them to significant emotional risk, according to a report by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England.
The report shows that many children in Grade 7—the first year of secondary school, when almost all students will have a phone and be active on social media—feel under pressure to be constantly connected.
They worry about their online image, particularly when they start to follow celebrities on Instagram and other platforms. They are also concerned about "sharenting"—when parents post pictures of them on social media without their permission—and worry that their parents won't listen if they ask them to take pictures down.
The report, which was created with data from focus group interviews with 8- to 12-year-olds, says that though most social media sites have an official limit of 13, an estimated 75 percent of 10- to 12-year-olds have a social media account.
"Some children are almost addicted to likes", the report says. Aaron, an 11-year- old in Grade 7, told researchers, "If I got 150 likes, I'd be like, that's pretty cool, and it means they like you." Some children described feeling inferior to those they follow on social media. Aimee, also 11, said, "You might compare yourself because you're not very pretty compared to them."
Anne Longfield from Children's Commissioner for England is calling on parents and teachers to do more to prepare children for the emotional impact of social media as they get older. She wants to see the introduction of compulsory digital literacy and online resilience (适应力) lessons for students in Grades 6 and 7.
**It is also clear that social media companies are still not doing enough to stop under-13s using their platforms in the first place." Longfield said.
"Just because a child who has learned the safety messages at primary school does not mean they are prepared for all the challenges that social media will present, Longfield said.
It means a bigger role for schools in making sure children are prepared for emotional demands of social media. And it means social media companies need to take more responsibility, Longfield said.