The Reader: Young children need protection now from social media dangers

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New laws needed: a young fan takes a photo with Jose Mourinho - but comparing on social media can be corrosive
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4 June 2018
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The suggestion school pupils may be experiencing “comparison burn out” (Schoolchildren “burned out” by comparing lives on social media, May 30) indicates again the enormous influence social media now has on young children.

New research for Barnardo’s has revealed that more than two thirds of 12-year-olds in London, and a quarter of 10-year-olds, have posted live videos on apps and websites meant for older children and adults.

Thousands of younger children may be putting themselves at risk across the UK by sharing content on sites with a minimum age limit of 13.

Almost one third of young Londoners say they or a friend have regretted posting live content on platforms including SnapChat, YouTube, Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, Musical.ly and Live.ly, which have inadequate safety controls and settings. We know from our specialist services that children are at risk of “live grooming” on online platforms.

Theresa May vowed to make the UK the world’s safest place to be online. But new laws are not expected for at least two years, which is not good enough for children who need protecting. Social media giants must put robust age-verification rules in place. Any delay could put another generation of children in danger.
Lynn Gradwell
Director, Barnardo’s London

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Lynn

You are right that social media has an enormous influence on young children. That is not surprising. New technology often leads to huge changes in the way we interact, and new risks. Think of how the printing press transformed the way ideas could be shared, but also led to a century of bloody rebellion; or how radio and TV created collective national experiences, but created a national angst about kids spending too much time indoors.

The internet and social platforms built on it have put unprecedented access to information into the hands of everyone with a mobile phone. It’s created new forms of friendship, and ways of coming together. I find that very exciting — but it also brings new dangers, and that, as you say, requires new regulation. Age verification is simple to do, and now easy to make secure. But if we want to make it universal, then we should stop imploring companies to comply and instead make it compulsory. That’s what laws are for.

George Osborne, Editor

Make royal parks more affordable

I had the pleasure of taking my children to the Regent’s Park boating lake over the last bank holiday weekend. Fortunately, the cost of £20.50 (one adult, two children) for half an hour is within my reach but I couldn’t help but wonder whether the Royal Parks doesn’t have a wider duty to provide municipal activities at a cost which makes them available to all. The “family” ticket for two adults and three children for an hour is £30. Throw in an ice cream and any travel costs and you have a costly afternoon out at what is supposed to be a “freely accessible open space”.

Perhaps the Crown could look at how it charges local residents for using its parks. Otherwise they will continue the trend of moving what used to be accessible activities out of the reach of all but the wealthy.
Richard Album

NHS should not be open to all comers

I must take issue with your editorial [“Don’t turn the NHS into border control,” May 29].

Surely it is correct that the NHS should not be accessed by tourists or others who come purposely with the intention of using it for free.

No other advanced countries let their health services be used for free if people are not eligible. In France, the state health service covers only 70 per cent of costs and you need a top-up insurance for the other 30 per cent.

The controls on use of the NHS should not only continue for more than two months but be extended to other trusts.

I am sure most taxpayers would support whatever money is saved or repaid to be used towards expensive medicines that are sometimes denied because of cost.
Linda Green

Don’t knock players on racial grounds

When Tottenham played Manchester City at Wembley last season, a Spurs fan behind me shouted some violent wish when City’s Raheem Sterling was tackled that I can’t believe he’d have said to a white player. Now, as the build-up to the World Cup in Russia progresses, we see some fans starting to have a go at England’s black players (Sterling and Dele Alli so far).

You can criticise but don’t mention colour. If England struggle, the black players will doubtless get coded blaming (“didn’t show enough commitment, passion, pride in their country” or whatever).

Sterling and Alli can, and do, bring something special to England’s play. So do Harry Kane and Eric Dier. Some of the country’s best players are black. And some are white. Deal with it.
Peter Stockton

Sainsbury’s staff are earning more

I welcome the opportunity to respond to the letter from Siobhain McDonagh MP [“Sainsbury’s shows staff little respect,” May 31] and explain the changes that we’re making at Sainsbury’s.

We currently have colleagues working side-by-side in store, doing the same job but being paid different amounts. That clearly isn’t fair so we’re planning to move everyone onto the same contract.

We’ll be investing more than £100 million in our store colleagues. This will make Sainsbury’s the highest-paying major retailer in the country. We must remember that we’re operating in a tough economic climate. Against this backdrop, I’m proud that we’re boosting pay for more than 120,000 store colleagues.
Simon Roberts
Retail & operations director, Sainsbury’s

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