Parents should ban kids from using iPads in their bedrooms, culture secretary warns

KIDS should be banned from using computers, phones and iPads in their bedrooms because the internet is so dangerous, the culture secretary has warned.

Jeremy Wright insisted that parents shouldn’t use the internet as a “babysitter” and it was too risky to leave kids to roam the internet on their own.

He told an audience today that most parents “don’t know as much about technology as they should” or as their kids do.

More education is needed to help kids keep their children safe, he said.
“Unsupervised access to the internet is simply dangerous,” the new culture secretary warned. “We need parents to understand that.”

And he said that lots of parents were guilty of just sticking their kids down in front of an iPad, computer or a phone to keep them occupied.

Ministers are set to ask health professionals to draw up guidelines on how much time kids should be allowed in front of screens – it was revealed last weekend.

TV star Kirstie Allsopp revealed she smashed up her kids’ iPad over the summer after they repeatedly ignored her rules on screen time.

Mr Wright, who took over from Matt Hancock in the role after a cabinet reshuffle earlier this year, said it was encouraging that internet giants like Google were delivering training to kids about how to use the internet safely.

He said he was interested to hear the arguments for having an “online watershed” of 9pm to mirror that on TV too.

“I don’t accept you can’t do anything online, we’re going to have to think about what messages they use.”

Today Mr Wright revealed that he had no idea kids could talk to each other online through games until he walked in on his 13-year-old nattering to his friends.

“I expect other parents don’t know that either,” he said. “That’s the kind of information that parents require.”

Kids under 13 are not allowed on Facebook or other social media sites, but it’s easy for them to fake their date of birth if they want to create a profile.

Ministers are planning to set up a regulator like Ofcom to tackle “wild west” web giants, it was revealed last month.

The watchdog will have powers to fine firms that do not take down terror content and child porn quickly.

Culture boss Mr Wright and Home Secretary Sajid Javid are looking at German laws that require firms to take down content with 24 hours or face eye-watering financial penalties. .

And they are reportedly considering a mandatory code of practice for social media firms – making their pledges to clampdown on online filth enforceable by law.

He announced today ministers would consult on ways to regulate the internet later this year, and would bring forward a new bill next year.

“For Game of Thrones fans you will know – winter is coming,” he joked.

Mr Wright also warned parents that kids were unable to escape from bullying hell because of social media.

“If you were bullied at school back in the day, at least you could go home,” he said.

“Now, they take the bullying home with them.

“Social media is having a massive effect on the health of our young people.”

Fellow panelist and Tory MP Kemi Badenoch called out social media site Snapchat for encouraging kids to behave in ways that are “not normal”.

And she even noted examples of kids who were so distressed from not getting enough likes on Instagram that they had to delete their accounts and get therapy.

She also suggested that people using anonymous accounts online should be unmasked if they are abusing others.

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