Children's safety on social media: a parent's perspective
How can we keep children safe today while simultaneously embracing the future? How can we as parents prepare our children for the future?
27 November 2024
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The Shaping Tomorrow platform can help provide via a single horizon scan: answers to these questions the Shaping Tomorrow platform provides you with both services and insight from just a single horizon scan: children's safety on social media a parent's perspective in 2035
Take a look at the following services and insights provided to you by only a few mouse clicks:
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some warmup Questions & Answers
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a Narrative focused on what we can do today as parents
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a 2035 Scenario - What may we be aiming for through today's initiatives
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twelve emerging trends that provide inspiration and overview
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a Shaping Tomorrow Futures Card
Each of which has been created in less than a minute.
Some Warmup Questions & Answers
The following two questions are simply selected by the user from a list of 25 questions. A mouse-click on each of the questions will instantly create the answers based on the validated, continuously updated sources on the Shaping Tomorrow platform.
Q1: What can the adults of today do to create a better digital future for their kids?
To create a better digital future for their children, adults can take several proactive steps:
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Promote Digital Literacy: Educate children and youths about safe and responsible online behavior. Schools and parents should collaborate to provide comprehensive digital literacy programs (Privacy World).
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Advocate for Stronger Regulations: Support legislation that enhances online safety for children, such as stricter data privacy rules and higher age limits for social media accounts (GMFUS).
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Use Parental Controls: Utilize advanced parental control tools and settings provided by tech companies to monitor and manage children's online activities effectively (McAfee).
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Foster Open Communication: Maintain an open line of communication with children about their digital experiences and concerns. This helps build trust and allows parents to guide their children in navigating online risks (Wired).
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Support Ethical Technology Development: Encourage and support the development of ethical technologies that prioritize users' privacy, security, and mental health, focusing on child protection as a core principle (Reason.com).
Q2: How can tech companies be incentivized to prioritize child safety?
Tech companies can be incentivized to prioritize child safety through a combination of regulatory, economic, and reputational measures:
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Regulatory Incentives: Governments can implement stringent regulations with penalties for non-compliance, alongside offering benefits such as tax deductions or grants for companies that adhere to high child safety standards (IBM).
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Market Demand: Increased demand from parents and schools for safer digital products can drive companies to prioritize child safety. Consumer preferences can significantly influence corporate policies and product development (Reason.com).
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Partnerships and Coalitions: Collaborations between tech companies, NGOs, and educational institutions can foster innovation in child safety technologies and create industry standards for digital security (GMFUS).
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Reputational Benefits: Brands can leverage their commitment to child safety as a competitive advantage, gaining trust and loyalty from customers through transparency and proactive measures (Amberstudent).
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Technological Innovation: Incentives can be provided for the development of new tools and solutions that enhance online safety for children, such as grants, awards, and public recognition programs (Privacy World).
A Narrative focused on what we can do today as parents
The following narrative is presented to you through a single click on our Narative Service.
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Efforts to improve online safety for children are gaining momentum worldwide.
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The UK aims to enforce new online safety rules fully by 2025, focusing on child protection. (The Guardian)
In 2024, there is a substantial focus on improving online safety, especially for children. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has urged social media platforms to enhance privacy and protection measures for younger users as part of their children's code strategy for 2024-2025. These improvements are essential for safeguarding children's online privacy on social media and video-sharing platforms. For more details, read the full article on Hot for Security. Additionally, Clifford Chance reports that online safety will continue to take center stage throughout the year, drawing attention from global regulators.
Regulatory actions are on the rise, with Ofcom warning tech firms about content imitating tragic cases like Brianna Ghey and Molly Russell. New online safety rules that will be fully enforced in 2025 aim to protect all users, particularly children, from harmful material on platforms hosting user-generated content. Find out more about these warnings in The Guardian. Similarly, the Online Safety Act passed in the UK is designed to make the country the safest place for children to be online by 2025.
Globally, countries are taking varying approaches to children's use of digital platforms. Australia plans to prohibit children under 16 from using social media, a move that raises questions about the feasibility of enforcing age restrictions, as discussed in The Guardian. South Australia has also proposed laws to ban children under 14 from accessing social media, positioning social media companies as responsible for enforcement. For more insights, read ABC News. These efforts underscore a global commitment to enhancing online safety for minors, adapting regulations to the dynamic digital environment.
A 2025 Scenario - What may we be aiming for through todays initiatives
The following scenario is created using our Scenario Service and selecting a 'Confident' / '2035' scenario.
As we approach 2035, the global digital landscape has fundamentally shifted, driven by the stringent regulatory measures initiated in the mid-2020s. By 2035, these regulations have been harmonized across many nations, forming a cohesive international framework focused on protecting vulnerable users, like children, from harmful online content and interactions. Building on the precedents set by countries like the UK and Australia, global standards now mandate robust verification systems for users under 16, requiring parental consent to ensure their digital safety.
Children's privacy has been at the forefront of these regulations, with technology companies adopting advanced privacy-preserving technologies. These companies have not only complied with but also advocated for stronger safety protocols, reflecting their evolving role as custodians of virtual environments. Furthermore, the implementation of AI-driven moderation tools has become standard, enabling real-time content monitoring and removal of inappropriate materials before they reach young audiences.
Moreover, the economic landscape for digital platform operators has been reshaped by fines and punitive measures for non-compliance, incentivizing them to innovate continuously to uphold user safety standards. Consequently, businesses have invested significantly in protective measures, fostering public trust and enhancing user engagement worldwide. The ubiquitous utilization of AI chatbots poses specific challenges, compelling platforms to refine their algorithms regularly to avoid breaches that could compromise user safety, as witnessed in past incidents involving mimicked harmful personas.
A Trends' Overview
With a mouse-click the following information and inspirational Trends Table is created and presented.
A Deck of Futures Cards
With a click on the Trends overview you can generate a Deck of the Shaping Tomorrow Future Cards - One card for each of the listed trends.
We've shared each of these elements from the Shaping Tomorrow Platform to keep you updated about the variety of formats now available to you and your organization and the insights they provide individually and collectively.
Stay curious,
Matthew Richardson
CEO, Shaping Tomorrow