๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Iโm really pleased that my previous posts on this topic were so well received. I had a whole series planned, but Iโm starting to get LinkedIn fatigue at the sound of my own voice. So Iโve combined the other parallels into this one, final (hopefully!) missive on the subject.
Across food, play and safeguarding, we already design environments to reduce harm. Digital spaces remain the outlier.
A simple thread keeps coming back to me:
We already regulate many products and environments that affect childrenโs health, safety and wellbeing and often apply additional protections specifically because children are involved.
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ
Food must meet safety standards before sale. Products aimed at children face extra rules around ingredients, labelling and marketing.
We donโt expect parents to inspect farms or food production facilities.
We regulate the environment.
๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
Playgrounds, soft play centres, theme parks, all must meet safety standards before opening.
We donโt expect parents or children to assess structural risk.
We regulate the environment.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Adults who work with children typically require vetting and safeguarding checks.
Not because we assume bad intent, but because children are vulnerable.
Now compare this with the digital environments millions of children inhabit daily.
Platforms and apps that shape attention, behaviour and wellbeing still arenโt required to meet clear, visible, product-style child-safety design standards in the way physical products and environments are.
This isnโt about banning the internet.
It isnโt about banning smartphones.
It isnโt about removing parents from the picture.
Itโs about combining personal responsibility with safer systems.
Perhaps the better question isnโt:
โShould we ban social media for under-16s?โ
But:
โWhat minimum child-safety design standards should digital environments have to meet before we consider them acceptable places for children at all?โ
Thank you all for the thoughtful, constructive discussion about something we clearly care so deeply about.
