Latest news with #RaniGovender
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Do young people like the internet? New UK study has the answer
We're in the era of the digital boom. From sun-up to sun-down, our lives are documented on social media, AIs have become our best friend, and the number of likes, comments, shares, and subscribers has become the marker of our happiness and success. It won't be an exaggeration to say, 'Our life is nothing but the internet's field day!' Despite all the mental health hiccups, self-esteem struggles – a large part of the young and young-adult population stay hooked to the internet, at the cost of their own emotional sanity. But do they really want to? A recent UK research has shed some light on that million-dollar question. What does the study say? According to a new survey, half of 16- to 21-year-olds support 'digital curfew' and nearly 70% feel worse after using social media. Almost half of young people would prefer to live in a world without the internet. The research shows that nearly 70% of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after using social media. Half (50%) support a 'digital curfew' that would limit access to certain apps and websites after 10 PM, while 46% would rather be young in a world without the internet altogether. The study, conducted by the British Standards Institution, surveyed 1,293 young people and found that 27% have shared their location online with strangers. Three-quarters of respondents said they spent more time online during the pandemic, and 68% felt that their online time hurt their mental health. A quarter of those surveyed spend four or more hours a day on social media. Additionally, 42% admitted to lying to their parents about their online activities. While online, 42% have lied about their age, 40% have created fake or 'burner' accounts, and 27% have pretended to be someone else. The reception of the research: These results of the study come after Technology Secretary (UK) Peter Kyle suggested that the government might make cut-off times mandatory for apps like TikTok and Instagram. Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, remarked that while digital curfews can help, they cannot protect children from harmful content unless other measures are also taken. She emphasized that children can still see risks online at other times of the day. Govender also stressed that companies and the government need to focus on creating safer and less addictive sites for kids. Excessive internet use can lead to a range of negative effects, impacting physical and mental health, social relationships, and academic or work performance. These effects can range from short-term, like neglecting responsibilities, to long-term, like physical ailments and mental health issues. Andy Burrows, the chief executive of the suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation, stated that young people recognize the risks online and want action from tech companies to protect them. He noted that algorithms can lead young people to harmful and distressing content quickly. He called for new laws to ensure that regulation prioritizes the safety needs of children and society over the interests of big tech. Early intervention extends lives of type 1 Diabetics
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Almost half of young people would prefer a world without internet, UK study finds
Almost half of young people would rather live in a world where the internet does not exist, according to a new survey. The research reveals that nearly 70% of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after spending time on social media. Half (50%) would support a 'digital curfew' that would restrict their access to certain apps and sites past 10pm, while 46% said they would rather be young in a world without the internet altogether. A quarter of respondents spent four or more hours a day on social media, while 42% of those surveyed admitted to lying to their parents and guardians about what they do online. While online, 42% said they had lied about their age, 40% admitted to having a decoy or 'burner' account, and 27% said they pretended to be a different person completely. The results came after the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, hinted that the government was weighing up the possibility of making cut-off times mandatory for certain apps such as TikTok and Instagram. Rani Govender, the policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, said that digital curfews, while helpful, could not stop children being exposed to harmful materials online without other measures being put in place. 'We need to make clear that a digital curfew alone is not going to protect children from the risks they face online. They will be able to see all these risks at other points of the day and they will still have the same impact,' she said. Govender added that the primary focus for companies and the government was to ensure kids are using 'much safer and less addictive sites'. The study, conducted by the British Standards Institution, surveyed 1,293 young people and found that 27% of respondents have shared their location online with strangers. In the same survey, three-quarters said they had spent more time online as a result of the pandemic, while 68% said they felt the time they spent online was detrimental to their mental health. Andy Burrows, the chief executive of the suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation, said it was 'clear that young people are aware of the risks online and, what's more, they want action from tech companies to protect them'. He added that algorithms can provide content that 'can quickly spiral and take young people down rabbit holes of harmful and distressing material through no fault of their own'. New laws were 'urgently required to finally embed a safe by design approach to regulation that puts the needs of children and society ahead of those of big tech', he said.
Scottish Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside Roblox settings EVERY parent must activate if it's on your kid's phone – don't risk £1,000 bills & sicko groomers
There are three other apps all parents should check for too BLOX CLEVER Inside Roblox settings EVERY parent must activate if it's on your kid's phone – don't risk £1,000 bills & sicko groomers Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S the hit game loved by 380MILLION players - and there's a good chance that your child is one of them. But parents beware. Roblox may seem like a wonderful fantasy game, but it has a dark side that could turn your child's world into a virtual nightmare with racists, sex pests, and online predators trying to groom them. 12 Hundreds of millions of children play Roblox all around the world – letting them interact with strangers online Credit: Roblox 12 Some virtual Roblox experiences are more mature than others Credit: Roblox If that wasn't bad enough, you might even be hit with a shock £1,000 bill. The hit online game first launched back in 2006, and is now a global sensation available on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, iPhone and Android phones, computers and even virtual reality headsets. It's a feature-packed free download that lets creative kids invent magical worlds and hang out with their pals online. But over the years, The Sun has revealed how Roblox has been plagued by sicko predators threatening children with sexual violence, twisted racist roleplay, and kids being allowed to spend £1,000 on the game's virtual Robux currency. Now The Sun, child safety experts and security professionals are urging parents to make sure the safest Roblox settings are active on their child's gadgets – to protect them online, and to keep your bank account safe. TO DELETE OR NOT TO DELETE? Firstly, it's important to note that experts aren't saying that you must delete the game. It might be the safest option, but it also means your kid being left out from socialising with pals and expressing their creativity. It could even be a lucrative side-hustle for them one day too. "Games and apps are an excellent space for children to have fun and communicate with friends, yet they can come with dangers," NSPCC's Rani Govender tells the The Sun. "Unknown players asking to connect might not have good intentions - and there's a risk your kids might see difficult content. 'Some parents decide that it's safer for their child not to play online, while others actively encourage the use of them. 'Whatever your position, it's important to have conversations with young people about your stance. If you are happy for them to play online games, then spend time together exploring the settings that will keep them safe. 'Children and young people should talk to a trusted adult if they have any questions or concerns when playing online, this could include a parent, carer or one of our trained counsellors at Childline.' Roblox rolls out huge update for parents to keep kids safe online If you do decide to let your kids keep the game, you'll want to make sure the game is set up for four things: content maturity, privacy, security, and protecting your own finances. FIRST STEP: LINK YOUR CHILD'S ROBLOX ACCOUNT Before you do anything else, you'll want to make your own Roblox account. That way, you can set it up as a parent to manage your child's profile. If you do nothing else, do this. 12 You'll find most of the features you need inside the Settings menu Credit: The Sun / Roblox It'll let you control their settings – and you can explore Roblox with them, if you want to. To create a parent account, you'll need to enter your birthday, verify your age with an ID or credit card, and then link your child's account. Here's what to do: Go to your child's Roblox account, click the gear icon, then choose Settings > Parental Controls > Add Parent Now type in your own email – the same one you yourself used to create a Roblox account Next, go to your email inbox and click the link in the email from Roblox Choose Use Existing Account and then log in Follow the steps to verify your age with a government-issued ID or credit card Wait for the page to automatically refresh, choose Agree to the account linking, and then you're good to go Once that's done, you can control your child's Roblox settings, see how much time they're spending on the game, and probe their online pals. SAFEST ROBLOX SETTINGS #1 – CONTENT SAFETY Why it's important: Roblox has a wide range of content – some totally safe, and some very disturbing. With the right settings, you can easily limit and even block dodgy experiences for your child. 12 Parental Controls is where you'll be able to manage your child's account Credit: The Sun / Roblox First, you'll want to limit the maturity of the content your child can access: Go to Settings > Parental Controls Choose Settings Your Manage > Content Maturiy Then choose Content Maturity > Concent Restrictions Slide the bar for where you're comfortable – and choose the lowest maturity level for the safest experience You can also invade your child's privacy by checking what they've been up to: Go to Settings Then choose Parental Controls Now go to Screen Time > Manage Finally, select Top Experiences This will show the top 20 Roblox experiences that they've played in the past week. WHAT DO ROBLOX CONTENT LABELS MEAN? Here's how Roblox experiences are labelled... Minimal: May contain occasional mild violence, light unrealistic blood, and/or occasional mild fear. Mild: May contain repeated mild violence, heavy unrealistic blood, mild crude humour, and/or repeated mild fear. Moderate: May contain moderate violence, light realistic blood, moderate crude humour, unplayable gambling content, and/or moderate fear. Restricted: May contain strong violence, heavy realistic blood, moderate crude humour, romantic themes, unplayable gambling content, the presence of alcohol, strong language, and/or moderate fear. We allow access to Restricted content only for users who are 17+ age-verified. Picture Credit: Roblox If you see one you don't like, you can block your child from accessing it ever again – regardless of how "mature" it's listed as. To do that: Go to Settings > Parental Controls Select Settings You Manage > Content Restrictions Choose Blocked Experiences then tap the plus icon Search the name of the experience you're trying to block Now choose Block and then hit confirm A word of warning: this won't kick your child out of an experience they're playing right now. The block will only activate the next time they try to get into it. 12 You can use a slider to choose a content maturity setting for any Roblox account Credit: The Sun / Roblox 12 There are plenty of safe experiences on Roblox – but your child might be exposed to very dangerous content without the right settings Credit: Roblox SAFEST ROBLOX SETTINGS #2 – PRIVACY Why it's important: Privacy settings keep strangers and online weirdos from getting too close to your child – or finding out info about them. The more private you set Roblox to be, the less chance a predator can contact them. Next, make sure they're not talking to anyone dodgy by limiting who they can interact with. For Experience chat: Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Settings You Manage > Communication > Communication Then choose Experience Chat For the safest option, choose No One for both Experience Chat and Experience Direct Chat – preventing them from talking to anyone in a Roblox Experience 12 Experience Chat is where you chat to other people inside an Experience or 'mini-game' Credit: The Sun / Roblox For Party chat: Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Settings You Manage > Communication > Communication Then choose Party This will be set to Friends by default, but you can change it to No One for an even safer experience You can limit who can join their private experience server too: Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Settings You Manage > Visibility & Private Servers > Private Servers Then choose either Friends, or switch it to Off for the safest experience 12 A Party is a private group where pals can chat – you can lock that down separately from Experience Chats Credit: The Sun / Roblox You can see and manage your child's Roblox friends list (and report people too) easily: Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Friends > Manage You'll see a list of your child's friends with all of their usernames and profile pictures – tap one to see their profile Then you can block or report them by choosing the three-dot menu next to that friend If you block someone, they won't be able to chat with your child or add them as a friend again without your permission. Report them if you're worried they might be sinister. 12 You can block users on your own account as well as on your child's profile too Credit: The Sun / Roblox SAFEST ROBLOX SETTINGS #3 – SECURITY Why it's important: Security settings are what keep your child's Roblox account safe from hackers. If someone breaks in, they could change their settings, steal private info, spend your money, and ruin their account. You'll want to make sure that you have two-step verification set up on your child's account. This means that even if your child gives away their password or someone guesses it, they still can't log in. Instead, they'll also need to enter a temporary code – which can come via email or an authenticator app (like the Google Authenticator). 12 Make sure you set up two-factor verification on your own account and your child's profile too Credit: The Sun / Roblox Here's what to do: Log into Roblox then go to Account Settings Choose Security Toggle on 2-Step Verification with a method of your choice Email is the easiest option Make sure you set it up for your own Roblox account too. Otherwise a hacker could break into your account to target your child. Expert's top safety tips Here's advice from cybersecurity expert Anne Cutler, of Keeper Security… 'The internet can present significant risks to children, particularly when they're using collaborative online gaming platforms,' Anna told The Sun. 'Sites like Roblox have the option to set up parental controls, which can limit chat features, block certain content and monitor usage. 'Children should be encouraged to report bullying, be sceptical about friends they meet online, limit exposure to content that is not age-appropriate and keep tabs on daily screen time. 'Educating children on cybersecurity may feel daunting for adults. 'Parents should familiarise themselves with their children's devices and online activities. 'Emphasising the use of strong and unique passwords, and the importance of never sharing them, as well as caution regarding online acquaintances are vital preventative measures.' Picture Credit: Anne Cutler / Keeper Security SAFEST ROBLOX SETTINGS #4 – FINANCES Why it's important: Roblox is a free game, but it has ways of spending money. Chances are that your child doesn't have their own store of cash – so they'll be using your bank account instead. You need to make sure they can't accidentally (or secretly) empty the coffers. Once you're set up as a parent on Roblox, you can also manage your child's spending. You can set specific monthly spending restrictions. And you can even get spending notifications beamed straight to your phone. 12 Kids can splash out on Robux with your card – so set up spending limits right now Credit: The Sun / Roblox That way, you can limited how much cash they're splashing on Robux as well as on experience subscriptions. Here's what to do: Go to Settings Now go to Parental Controls Next choose Settings You Manage Scroll down and choose Spending Restrictions Set a monthly spending limit (this won't roll over!) Enable spending notifications and choose how often you want to be notified. The safest option is for every transaction The only catch is that these settings won't stop your child from using your card outside of the game to buy gift cards for Roblox. That's on you to watch out for. Also, it's possible for children with an Xbox to spend money on Roblox even if you've set up limits through the game's parental controls. So in that case, you'd need to go into your own Microsoft account, choose Settings > Account > Family Settings > Manage Family Members > Privacy & Online Safety > Xbox Live Privacy > View Details & Customise > Buy & Download and then choose Ask A Parent. This will force the child to ask your permission before they can make a Roblox purchase on Xbox. BONUS SETTING – SCREEN TIME You might also feel like your child is spending way too much time on Roblox. You can restrict that too... This lets you limit how much time your child can spend on Roblox every day. Once they hit their limit, they'll get a message explaining what's happened – and they won't be able to play any more. Here's what to do: Go to Settings Choose Parental Controls Scroll to Screen time > Manage > Screen Time Limit Then just choose a time limit from the Daily Limit dropdown menu Picture Credit: Roblox "We take our responsibility for safety seriously, and have spent nearly two decades building strong safety systems as our platform and our community has grown," a Roblox spokesperson told The Sun. "In the past year, we've introduced more than 40 safety updates. "Including new parental control features to give parents and caregivers greater control and visibility over their child's experience on Roblox, alongside enhanced default protections for our youngest users. "We're not stopping there, and we'll continue to innovate to make Roblox a safe and civil space for play, learning and creativity."
The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
Social media sites failing to protect girls from harm at every stage, NSPCC says
Social media platforms are failing to protect women and girls from harm at every stage, according to new research from the NSPCC. The children's charity created fake profiles of a teenage girl across different sites, and found it was exposed to grooming, harassment and abuse across various platforms. The research said many of the features used by platforms to encourage users to expand their online networks, as well as to be online and active for longer, were at the detriment of the user's safety. The study said it was often too easy for adult strangers to pick out girls online and send them unsolicited messages. Alongside the report, the NSPCC has published polling carried out on its behalf by YouGov which found 86% of UK adults believe tech companies are not doing enough to protect women and girls online. The survey of just over 3,500 adults found parents with daughters listed contact from strangers, online grooming, bullying and sexual abuse or harassment as their biggest concerns about their children being online. More than half of the parents surveyed (52%) expressed concern over their daughter's online experiences. Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, said: 'Parents are absolutely right to be concerned about the risks their daughters are being exposed to online, with this research making it crystal clear that tech companies are not doing nearly enough to create age-appropriate experiences for girls. 'We know both on and offline, girls face disproportionate risks of harassment, sexual abuse, and exploitation. That's why it's so worrying that these platforms are fundamentally unsafe by design – employing features and dark patterns that are putting girls in potentially dangerous situations. 'There needs to be a complete overhaul of how these platforms are built. This requires tech companies and Ofcom to step up and address how poor design can lead to unsafe spaces for girls. 'At the same time Government must lay out in their upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls strategy steps to help prevent child sexual offences and tackle the design failures of social media companies that put girls in harm's way.' The children's charity said social media sites should introduce 'abusability studies' to identify risky features that included an analysis based on gender, as well as integrate screenshot capabilities into reporting tools, introduce 'cooling off' periods when two users first connect to restrict contact, and place stricter measures on non-trusted adults from being able to video-call younger users. Under the Online Safety Act, platforms are required to carry out risk assessments to establish how and if their sites could pose a risk to children. Firms which breach the new online safety rules, which also include duties to protect children from encountering harm on their sites, can be fined up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover, whichever is higher, and in the most serious cases face being blocked in the UK. A Government spokesperson said: 'Every child deserves to grow up in a safe online world so they can have the best start in life. For too long, harmful content has been just a click away and, as this research shows, girls are often disproportionately exposed to harassment and abuse. 'In order to halve violence against women and girls within a decade we must also tackle it online as well as offline, and this will be a key component of our upcoming cross-Government strategy. 'The Online Safety Act already requires platforms to prevent illegal material appearing on their sites. From this summer they must also introduce robust age checks and redesign platform features – including algorithms – to stop children being served harmful content they often aren't even seeking. 'We expect these new laws to create a safer digital world, but we won't hesitate to go further and have already commissioned research into the impact of social media and smartphones on children's well-being to help inform next steps in this space.'
South Wales Argus
14-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
NSPCC warns social media platforms are failing to protect girls
Social media platforms, messaging apps and gaming platforms are failing to protect girls at every stage, according to new research from the NSPCC. The children's charity commissioned PA Consulting to conduct a new report, Targeting of Girls Online, which identified a wide range of risks girls face across ten popular online platforms including grooming, harassment and abuse. As part of the research, fake profiles of a teenage girl were created on these sites. (Image: Getty Images) The report found that the detailed nature of the profiles made it too easy for adult strangers to pick out girls and send unsolicited messages to their accounts. Findings also highlighted how many of the features and functionalities employed by tech companies subliminally encourage young girls to increase their online networks, online consumption, and online activity - often at the expense of their own safety. In response the NSPCC is urging Ofcom to address the significant gaps in its Illegal Harms Codes which fail to take into account specific risks which would be mitigated by solutions found in the report. The Targeting of Girls Online report analysed features and design choices of these platforms which expose girls to harm online - including abuse, harassment and exploitation from strangers. Proposed solutions include: all services conducting their own 'abusability studies' to identify risky features and functionalities, as well as testing any new feature before rolling it out. These tests must include a gendered analysis of likely risk social media apps should integrate screenshot capabilities into a reporting function, along with automatically detecting identifiable information in bios. social media apps should implement a 'cooling off' period once a connection is made between users, resulting in increased restrictions on interactions. increased measures to prevent non trusted adults from being able to video call young users. Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday. Adults who are concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, or email: help@ Rani Govender, Policy Manager for Child Safety Online, said: "Parents are absolutely right to be concerned about the risks their daughters' are being exposed to online, with this research making it crystal clear that tech companies are not doing nearly enough to create age-appropriate experiences for girls. 'We know both on and offline girls face disproportionate risks of harassment, sexual abuse, and exploitation. That's why it's so worrying that these platforms are fundamentally unsafe by design – employing features and dark patterns that are putting girls in potentially dangerous situations. 'There needs to be a complete overhaul of how these platforms are built. This requires tech companies and Ofcom to step up and address how poor design can lead to unsafe spaces for girls. 'At the same time Government must layout in their upcoming Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy steps to help prevent child sexual offences and tackle the design failures of social media companies that put girls in harm's way.'
