Social media companies have come under attack for failing to do enough to properly safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people who use their services.
A damning inquiry report accuses companies of not showing the “leadership or the appetite” to tackle cyber-bullying effectively.
The inquiry, led by Alex Chalk MP, the Children’s Society and YoungMinds, reveals evidence of the 24/7 nature of the cyber-bullying risk that young people face.
The research involved oral and written evidence from social media companies, mental health experts, children’s charities and young people themselves, including a survey of more than 1,000 young people aged 11 to 25.
It finds that under-age use of social media is “commonplace”. Despite most major companies saying that users must be 13 or older, 61 per cent of young people in the research survey said they had their first account at age 12.
It warns that half of children are spending more than three hours a day on social media and that 47 per cent of the young people surveyed had experienced threatening, intimidating or nasty messages via social media, email or text. But despite this, 63 per cent admit they would not tell their parents if they experienced something upsetting online.
One 15-year-old girl told the inquiry: “You kind of expect to experience it: nasty comments on the selfie, Facebook posts and Twitter posts, people screen-grabbing your Snapchat story to laugh about it. I feel like it’s something people don’t take seriously.
“Social media companies should take complaints more seriously. If someone reports something, they shouldn’t take days to review it, they should literally just remove it straight away.”
The inquiry report – entitled Safety Net – finds that young people feel let down by social media companies. Many said they wanted sites to take tougher and swifter action on online bullies, including banning them from platforms.
However, the reality – according to the inquiry – is one of unclear reporting processes, delayed responses and a lack of support when cyber-bullying is reported, and unclear communication of rights, responsibilities, guidelines or safety features.
The report states: “The clear overall picture which emerged from the evidence is that the collective response to cyber-bullying from social media platforms is inconsistent and insufficiently robust.
“To date, social media companies have largely been ‘marking their own homework’, operating in an ungoverned digital landscape through a system of self-regulation.
“The inquiry heard from expert stakeholders that the industry has not shown the leadership, appetite or innovation to tackle cyber-bullying or harassment on their platforms.”
There are currently no rules requiring social media companies to protect children and young people from cyber-bullying. This is something that the inquiry says “urgently needs to change”.
The report has been published ahead of the government’s response to its consultation on the planned Internet Safety Strategy, which is expected soon.
The inquiry is calling on social media companies and the government to act. Recommendations include for social media companies to be clearer with young users about how they should behave online, faster in responding to reports of bullying – within 24 hours – and to take tougher action on those who break platform guidelines. It wants to see social media companies required to report data on cyber-bullying too.
It also wants to see online safety lessons embedded into the school curriculum.
Elsewhere, the report highlights the addictive nature of social media, with many young people describing feeling judged and inadequate if they didn’t have enough likes or followers. It warns that those young people who are the heaviest users of social media are most likely to have low wellbeing and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The report states: “Young people report that social media can come with constant pressures to respond, update, be available and live in the public eye. The instant gratification young people feel when they receive ‘likes’ and new followers can act as a form of social currency.
“It can also be hard not to compare your life to others when newsfeeds are constantly full of pictures of ‘perfect’ lives. What young people see on social media often doesn’t reflect real life. There is clear evidence that excessive use of social media is associated with low wellbeing and depression.”
Mr Chalk said: “Cyber-bullying can devastate young lives, but to date the response from social media companies has been tokenistic and inadequate. It has failed to grip the true scale of the problem. It’s time they become far more transparent, robust and accountable.”
Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, added: “Most of all, this inquiry has shown loud and clear that it’s time social media companies sit up and take action to tackle cyber-bullying and promote good mental health on their platforms.”
- For more discussion on the report’s recommendations and findings, visit http://bit.ly/2Ckt01d
- To download the full report – Safety Net: The impact of cyberbullying on children and young people’s mental health (February 2018) – go to http://bit.ly/2EVUd7T