Restricting children’s access to social media would be “very difficult” and efforts should instead be focused on making their digital experience safe, a Scrutiny panel has heard.
Dr Carmel Corrigan told the Children’s, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel that she was “not sure how effective” a ban on social media platforms would be.
Dr Corrigan’s comments in Scrutiny follow those of Children’s Minister Richard Vibert in the States Assembly, with the minister telling Members it was his personal view that there should be some restrictions on social media platforms to protect children in Jersey from online harms.
Mr Vibert said: “What’s always at the front of my mind in these things is that once a child or young person has seen a disturbing image, that can never be removed from their mind, and I think that’s particularly important when we start to consider whether there should be a block on social media for instance.”
Dr Corrigan said moves to restrict access to social media would be “very difficult” and that a balance needed to be struck which did not involve “simply blocking access”, but should focus on making the digital experience safe “and to look at the various actors within that that have responsibility”.
She said was not sure how a ban would be implemented.
“I think it will be very difficult to either monitor or police. I know that that is a route that the Australian government has gone down but I think we’re yet waiting to see exactly how that is going to be implemented, policed and controlled,” said Dr Corrigan.
Australia recently announced a ban on social media for all under-16s.
And Dr Corrigan pointed to children’s capacity to bypass “all kinds of controls and safety measures” regarding online access, which was highlighted in the latest Children’s and Young People’s Report.
The other issue, the children’s commissioner said, would be children simply being given access by adults.