Children in the UK aged 8 to 17 spend an average of 2 to 5 hours online daily, with time increasing as they grow older. Teenagers aged 15 to 17 typically spend around 4 hours and 35 minutes online per day, while younger children aged 8 to 10 average about 2 hours and 23 minutes. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and AI tools such as ChatGPT are particularly popular among this demographic.
The Online Safety Act, set to take effect in 2025, aims to protect children from harmful online content. It mandates tech companies to remove illegal material such as child sexual abuse and extreme violence while also addressing issues like cyber-flashing and deepfake pornography. However, critics argue the legislation does not go far enough in safeguarding children or addressing misinformation.
Parental controls are widely used, with two-thirds of parents implementing measures to limit what their children see online. Tools include supervised accounts on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, time limits on apps, and content filters provided by broadband services and mobile networks. Despite these efforts, some children bypass restrictions using workarounds