Guidance for parents of 11-13-year-olds
As children start secondary school, they’ll use their devices for more. From socialising to completing homework, balancing screen time becomes a lot more difficult.
See digital safety tips for 11-13-year-olds below.
Research from Ofcom shows that most children starting secondary school use social media. However, some children might use apps and platforms before they reach the 13-year-old age minimum.
Over 3/4 of 11-13-year-olds watch live streaming apps or websites. This could include sites like Twitch or YouTube where influencers or streamers show content in real time.
Along with Minecraft and Roblox, which remain popular, pre-teens also enjoy Fortnite. Over 3/4 11-13-year-olds play video games online. They might do this through games consoles or smartphones.
When asked about their online experiences, 11-13-year-olds reported too much screen time as something they felt they experienced most. 69% of parents worry about it as well. While it’s important to take regular breaks, it’s also important to make sure time spent online is balanced.
Work together to come up with time limits appropriate for their digital use. Then, help them find a range of apps or games that can help them create, learn and support their wellbeing.
This online harm is second-most common at this age. The number of children affected also increase with age. However, as children get older, the number of parents worrying about this harm decreases. For instance, 59% of parents of 5-7s worry about this compared to 49% of parents of 11-13s.
With your child, decide what spending limits look like for them. Discuss what process they need to follow when they want to make a purchase (such as asking you). You can set parental controls to make sure a PIN or password is entered before purchases.
Viewing violent content is the online harm third-most experienced by 11-13-year-olds. It can include content they find themselves or that others send to them.
Talk to your child about why some content is not appropriate and what to do if they see or are sent something violent online. Decide together what controls to put in place to protect them.
Nearly half of 11-13-year-olds use TikTok, though the age minimum is 13. TikTok has the option to set up Family Pairing to ensure their online experiences are safe. You can also set up Restricted Mode and use a range of in-app tools such as screen time limits.
While YouTube Kids is appropriate for children under 13, most will likely want to explore the regular platform before then. On the YouTube app or site, you can create a Supervised Account that helps ease them into this experience. It’s suitable for ages 9+.
56% of 11-13s use WhatsApp despite the age requirement of 16. Review their privacy settings, disable live location and restrict who can contact your child. Together, go over the report/block features to make sure they know what actions to take when things go wrong.
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See related advice and practical tips to support children online.