logo
Children in Wales using screens for more than seven hours a day

Children in Wales using screens for more than seven hours a day

BBC News5 days ago
One in five children spend at least seven hours a day using phones and tablets, initial findings of a survey have found. Two children aged 10 and 11 said they spent at least nine hours a day using screens during the weekend, according to the survey by the children's commissioner for Wales. Thirteen-year-old Kiishi is part of a digital guardians project to help protect children online and said some technologies were "almost controlling".New rules under the Online Safety Act, including age verification on certain sites and apps, will be enforced from Friday.
The survey asked children and young people aged between seven and 18 in Wales about their use of devices such as phones, tablets and computers. More than half of the 340 respondents to date said they had rules at home to limit screen time and what apps they use, amid concerns time spent online will increase during the school holidays. A third of respondents said they had to leave their device downstairs at bedtime, and 47% said they were only allowed on certain apps.About three quarters who said they used TikTok admitted to switching off its one-hour limit function for under 18s.The children's commisioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, said: "The [Online Safety] Act must deliver on its promise of protecting children and improving their online experiences. And in such a quickly developing space, this means keeping pace with new challenges and responding to them effectively."Mechanisms protecting children from too much time on screens must be stronger."
The UK government is reportedly looking at how it might be able to limit how much time children spend on social media.Rufus, 15, from Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, is part of a digital guardians project run by Platfform, a mental health charity and the NSPCC, to give young people a voice in the debate around online safety."I think there needs to be more restrictions," he said. "Not in the way of restricting time because most young people believe adults that restrict time are restricting their fun and enjoyment."Kiishi, 13, from Swansea, said she wanted to share her experiences of being online as a young person to help improve protections for other children.She said: "Technologies are advancing and becoming more complex and almost controlling. Some people could be brainwashed into thinking some things that are not real."Ada, 12, from Cardiff said: "I wanted to become a digital guardian so I can help keep children like me, older or younger, safe given the rise of things like AI to steel data, to spread misinformation because it's so common these days to take information from things like AI that may be inaccurate which may be dangerous to our physical and mental health."While the internet can be bad, there are also lot of positives that help you grow and understand things. "It can be educational but there needs to be more restrictions on the negatives like on social media and disinformation."
The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, will enforce new rules which will require social media platforms to check a user's age and change their algorithms affecting what is shown in order to filter certain types of content.Under the Online Safety Act, firms are also required to remove illegal content and new laws have been introduced around sending unsolicited sexual imagery online.Matthew Sowemimo, NSPCC associate head of public affairs for child safety online, said: "Young people bring unique perspectives that help us understand the true impact of online harm, enabling us to identify the support needed to keep them safe."That's why it is crucial that children's voices are included in conversations about child safety online."But the onus for protecting children from the harm they face online, including on social media platforms, should not be put on young people themselves, but rather tech companies need to design and put in place safety features on their sites to tackle the risks."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dated? CS Lewis's Christian clarity is as relevant as ever
Dated? CS Lewis's Christian clarity is as relevant as ever

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Dated? CS Lewis's Christian clarity is as relevant as ever

A hundred years ago Clive Staples Lewis, known to his friends as Jack, was elected a fellow and tutor in English language and literature at Magdalen College, Oxford. It would be his academic home for the next 29 years, a period when he became a Christian and produced most of his best-known works. The author of the Narnia stories, Miracles, Till We have Faces, Surprised by Joy and so many others lived close by his college, attended its chapel, made Oxford and its pubs and walks his home, but was never fully embraced by the university. It's one of the reasons he'd leave for Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1954 and be extremely happy there. Part of the cause for Oxford's qualified reception, then and now, was Lewis's Christian faith, and also the fact that he was commercially and publicly successful. There were far more Christians on the teaching staff at Cambridge and they were excited rather than embarrassed by Lewis, the popular apologist.

Births, marriages and deaths: July 28, 2025
Births, marriages and deaths: July 28, 2025

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Births, marriages and deaths: July 28, 2025

THOU wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16.11 (AV) Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society. DAWBER on 17th July 2025 to Pavan Amara and Alistair Dawber, a son, Nikhil Singh Joseph. HYDE on 14th July 2025 to Amy (née Parrish) and Edward, a daughter, Susannah Monica Lullu, sister to Marianne and Robert. Granddaughter to John, Marisa, Mark and Emma. BARTON Lt Cdr Paul MBE RN (Rtd) passed away peacefully on 6th July 2025, aged 85. Dearly loved and greatly missed by all his family and friends. Funeral service to take place at Stourbridge Crematorium on Thursday 7th August at 2.50pm. All welcome to attend. Donations gratefully accepted for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. All inquiries to H Porter & Sons Funeral Directors, 01384 395048. FARTHING Deirdre Moira (née McIlroy) on 17th July 2025, aged 94. Died peacefully in Winchester. Survived by Jonathan, Matthew, Philip and Cally. Funeral on Thursday 14th August at Basingstoke Crematorium at 2pm. Family flowers only please. Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to St Michael's Hospice via CALMAN Professor Sir Kenneth KCB MD FRSE peacefully at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow, on 21st July, aged 83. He will be forever missed by his wife, Ann, his children, Andrew, Lynn and Susan, and his grandchildren, Grace and Brodie. The funeral service of thanksgiving for his fulfilling life as a friend, doctor, academic, poet and public servant will be held at Boclair Community Church, Rannoch Drive, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 2LD, on Friday 8th August at noon. No flowers. Donations to Parkinson's UK if desired. HAYS Mark Stormont on July 15th 2025 at home. Beloved husband of Charlotte and the late Ann Kelynack. Dear father, grandfather, brother and friend. Thanksgiving service at St Mary's Church, Linton, on Saturday September 20th at 2.30pm. Donations in lieu of flowers for Lewy Body Society c/o HJ Paintin, 43 High Street, Linton, Cambridge, CB21 4HS. DE VOISEY Peter Dennis Charles died on 8th July 2025, aged 59. Peter, beloved husband, brother and uncle, will be greatly missed. Funeral will take place on 6th August at Amersham Crematorium at 1pm. Donations may be made to Headway Luton. LIPWORTH Bertrand Ivan. In cherished memory of Bertrand who died ten years ago today: 'You trod the golden path of youth then left the world and youth behind.' (John Buchan) *** Births, Marriages and DeathsTo book an announcement,please visit: help, please call 020 7782 7553)

Couple finally win battle over neighbours' huge untrimmed hedge that left them suffering 'five years without sunshine'
Couple finally win battle over neighbours' huge untrimmed hedge that left them suffering 'five years without sunshine'

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Couple finally win battle over neighbours' huge untrimmed hedge that left them suffering 'five years without sunshine'

A couple who have been embroiled in a long-running battle over a huge hedge overlooking their garden say they've suffered 'five years of misery and five years without sunshine' as a result. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, told MailOnline that the matter has been a 'thorn in their side' that has taken a massive toll on their mental health. The couple have lived in their detached house, in the Prestonfield area of Edinburgh, for more than four decades. However, they say things changed after their neighbours moved in and planted cypress trees that grew several metres high. Mr Smith said the trees created a 'green wall' that went all the way along a fence dividing their gardens, preventing sunlight from getting into both the Smiths's garden and through the windows of their home - in what he brands a 'huge intrusion' and not suitable for adjoining gardens. This prompted an official row with the owners of the cypress trees, David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, that has rumbled on for five years and seen the gardens inspected several times by various officials. Police have also attended over disputes between the neighbours. Edinburgh City Council initially knocked back the Smiths's bid to have the trees chopped down, but the couple later successfully appealed to the Scottish Government, which said the cypresses had to be cut down to 8.5 feet. The Hunters asked for one tree to be kept as it is, but that has also been ordered to be cut back to 8.5ft - and the Smiths say they are looking forward to this happening later this year. According to Edinburgh City Council's website, a hedge must be over 6.6ft from ground level before being considered a 'high hedge' potentially having a negative effect on people living nearby. Mr Smith, previously an employee of the local authority for 38 years, has now said that while the couple are hopeful the matter is dealt with, it has been 'a thorn in their side' and has caused them considerable stress and inconvenience, with many 'false dawns' along the way. In a document to the government, the couple previously said: 'The cost to the public purse must be considerable in terms of government, council and police resources. 'We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution.' The Hunters were unavailable for comment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store