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Topics: Celebrity, Social Media, Phones, Technology
Lucy Devine
Topics: Celebrity, Social Media, Phones, Technology
Keira Knightley has revealed why her two children don't use social media.
Allowing your kids to have phones, devices and social media accounts is a big source of debate for many parents.
With increasing concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence - and the rapid rate at which it is expanding - as well as bullying, exposure to inappropriate content, negative effects on mental health, and the impact of excessive screen time, it makes sense for parents to be wary.
In the US, around 70 per cent of teenagers visit YouTube every day, followed by TikTok at 57 per cent, as per the Pew Research Centre.
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Meanwhile, recent research reveals that 95 per cent of 13-17-year-olds report using social media in general and 40 per cent of children between the ages of eight and 12 are ignoring age restrictions on social media platforms.
Knightley is mum to two children - Edie, 10 and Delilah, six - who she shares with husband James Righton, and recently opened up to BBC Radio Four about her children and whether they are allowed to use social media.
“I find it very terrifying because they’re unregulated spaces,” Knightley said. “And I think for children, unregulated spaces are ones I want to protect them from.
“So in our house, we’ve got a no social media thing. They’re not allowed on devices if we can’t see what they’re looking at.”
Knightley went on to explain that her children are at a 'no social media' school, in which the parents get involved, too.
“We’re at one of the schools that is doing that 'social media-free' childhood where the parents mostly all do the same thing,” she added.
“So I think most of the parents at the school, there was a big push, and I think most of us are in agreement that that’s the way forward that we want to go.
“But obviously not everybody, because it is an issue that divides a lot of people.”
The Pirates of the Caribbean star isn't the only celebrity to have spoken about their social media rules for their children; model Miranda Kerr also opened up about the screentime rule she and Evan Spiegel set for their three sons.
The video of Knightley discussing social media was shared online, where people also posted their own feelings on the matter.
Many agreed with the Pride and Prejudice star's stance, with one parent writing: "I don’t allow my 15-year-old any social media apps. Am I a popular parent? No. Do I care, given the risks? Also no.
"The damage these devices are doing is devastatingly obvious - giving in to this because of peer pressure just isn’t something I’m concerned about."
While another said: "It’s definitely right. This needs to be fixed."
However, a third added: "I am discovering that you think it's really easy to keep them off phones and social media when they are seven, it's a whole different ball game when they are twelve and all their peer group have phones.
"I am holding fast for now, but it's getting harder."