Cybersecurity awareness and training organisation KnowBe4, in collaboration with online parenting and safety group Be In Touch, is raising awareness among academic institutions about the need for stricter regulation of children's access to mobile devices, the internet, and online content.
A 2022 Be In Touch survey on digital wellbeing revealed that:
- over 95% of South African children in grades 4 to 11 have regular internet access, often with minimal parental supervision;
- 77% of learners had no parental controls or filters enabled;
- 62% of learners owned a phone or a tablet by age 10;
- 83% had a social media account by the time they are 12;
- 65% used their devices at night;
- 67% had been cyber bullied or contacted by a stranger on social media;
Asked about the extent to which these figures may have changed since the survey, Be In Touch founder Kate Farina said, “We add data to the pool as we work with schools that are keen to run the survey. It is reasonable to assume that with the continued rise in technology usage, these numbers may have worsened slightly. For instance, the percentage of children owning devices or encountering risks online could have increased due to broader digital adoption and post-pandemic reliance on technology for education and social interaction. Be In Touch would likely recommend further studies to validate any changes in trends. These trends show post-Covid effects, but we expect the age of first access to smartphones and tablets as well as to social media to have been trending slowly downwards.”
Social media and big tech remains unregulated
Anna Collard, SVP of content strategy and evangelist at cyber security firm KnowBe4 Africa, warns that unfiltered internet access exposes children to cyber bullying and inappropriate interactions.
“Children experience disturbing and sometimes shocking content on supposedly child-friendly platforms. They receive unwanted contact from strangers, including scammers, sextortionists, drug-dealers or predators. They experience anguish about the cyber bullying torment they routinely experience online; and most worryingly, they often don’t know what to do or are afraid to speak up or seek support when bad things happen to them online.”
With young users representing a major profit source for social media platforms, these age limits serve commercial interests rather than child well-being.
Anna Collard, KnowBe4 Africa.
Unlike the film industry, social media and big tech remain largely unregulated despite safety measures and age restrictions for products affecting children, she notes.
“While app stores attempt to enforce a 13-year age limit, this threshold isn’t grounded in child psychology or neuroscience. Instead, it’s driven by US privacy laws, which permit data collection on children aged 13 and up. With young users representing a major profit source for social media platforms, these age limits serve commercial interests rather than child well-being, underscoring social media’s role as a revenue-driven industry.
“Furthermore, despite being technically able to do so easily, social media firms don’t enforce the 13-year old rule, evidenced for example by a recent study by Cybersafe Kids that shows 82% of kids aged 8-12 have their own social media and IM accounts.”
Australia ban
The issue of child online safety has come under the spotlight after Australia recently announced a social media ban on children under 16, which has been met with mixed reaction in the country.
According to a Reuters report, the law mandates social media platforms to stop children from being able to log into these platforms or risk a fine of up to AUS$49.5 million ($32 million).
The Social Media Minimum Age Bill is touted as a global first and media reports state that several methods to enforce it will be tested and it is likely to take a year before the law is fully enforced.
The law has been met with mixed response. While human rights organisations, including the Australian Human Rights Commission, privacy and youth advocacy groups have expressed concern over the collection and potential exposure of data, parent groups and education authorities believe it is a good starting point.
Dean McCoubrey, founder of MySociaLife, a platform used to teach online safety in SA schools, believes prohibiting social media use for youngsters is long overdue but underscores a deeper issue.
“It highlights the systemic failure of education to equip children with the necessary skills to navigate an increasingly digital world. Having taught online safety, social media and media literacy, [I welcome the] news for the health and wellbeing of pre-teens. However, we need to grasp that it's unlikely much will happen here in the next few years."
McCoubrey adds that a new movement called Smartphone Free Childhood has gained momentum, but, while valuable, it's not helping move educators into action to integrate digital skills and modern life orientation into the curriculum.
"We can't just ban, we need to educate as a part of daily school life, not just to attend to the challenges, but also the reality that tech now fills hours of daily life for adults and children alike. Even if there is a ban, how do we prepare kids for a future online? This is a complicated and layered debate," he says.
Be In Touch’s Farina points out that South Africa's common law imposes a duty of care on schools acting in loco parentis ("in place of a parent") to safeguard learners.
“This includes digital safeguarding. Teachers can play a significant role beyond restricting mobile device usage at school. They are in a position to promote responsible digital habits by educating students about digital risks and safe online behaviours, incorporating digital literacy programmes into the curriculum, and acting as role models in demonstrating appropriate technology use.”
However, Farina adds that the power of educators is limited without systemic support, such as collaboration with parents, access to training, and integration of digital wellness topics into broader educational policies.
Share