Ensuring our pupils stay safe in the digital world is a partnership between school and home. While the internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, most popular social media platforms are not designed for primary-aged children.
Age Restrictions: Know the Limits
In the UK, the “digital age of consent” is 13. This means that for the majority of apps, children under this age should not have their own accounts.
| App / Network | Minimum Age |
| 13+ | |
| YouTube | 13+ (Use YouTube Kids or Supervised Accounts for younger children) |
| TikTok | 13+ |
| 13+ | |
| Snapchat | 13+ |
| Roblox | No minimum age, but contains user-generated content and chat. |
Why Monitoring Matters
It is vital for parents to regularly monitor phone and tablet usage. Primary-aged children are vulnerable to the potential dangers online and may struggle to navigate complex online situations, such as:
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Privacy Risks: Accidentally sharing locations or personal details with strangers.
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Content Exposure: Stumbling upon age-inappropriate videos or “challenges” through unpredictable algorithms.
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Social Pressure: The impact of “likes,” “streaks,” and group chat dynamics on mental wellbeing and sleep.
By keeping devices in family spaces and having open conversations about what they see online, you can help your child build the resilience they need to stay safe.
Please find the link to the DfE guidance on keeping children safe online.
Other links:
- Parental Controls
- Be Internet Awesome – Online Safety Game (Google)
- SaferInternet.org – resources for 3-11s
