Children exposed to guns, self-harm and misogyny within minutes on social media'

"British children are potentially being exposed to guns, self-harm, misogyny and sex within minutes of creating social media profiles, a new study has revealed. Researchers found that a profile designed to be similar to that of a young teenager was shown an extremely distressed woman being rescued from a torture scene within seconds of signing up to TikTok, while another was shown graphic gun content on YouTube."

"Technology firms have been accused of designing systems that can expose young people to deeply harmful content on social media, with powerful, unregulated algorithms built to maximise engagement at any cost. Campaigners are reiterating calls for the government to raise the age of social media access to 16, warning that every day of delay leaves thousands more children exposed to harm and exploitation."

A study by the Big Tech's Little Victims campaign reveals that children creating social media profiles at age 13 are rapidly exposed to harmful content including graphic violence, torture scenes, guns, self-harm, and misogyny. Researchers created test profiles mimicking young teenagers and documented disturbing content appearing within seconds on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Technology companies are criticized for designing algorithms that maximize engagement without adequate safeguards for minors. Campaigners are intensifying calls for the government to raise the minimum social media access age to 16, arguing that current delays leave thousands of children vulnerable to exploitation and harm daily.

Read at www.independent.co.uk