Discovering digital at Primary

As children start primary school, they also start to use more technology.

Prepare for the new school year with insight into the online safety issues primary children might face.

Learn about the risks

More back to school guides

A group of children at primary school wearing headphones smile as they use tablets while their teacher watches.

Inside the guide

What are kids doing online?

What are the digital risks and challenges?

Learn about inappropriate content

Understand oversharing

Learn about screen time

Cyberbullying at primary

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From reception to the end of primary school, children’s digital journey changes a lot.

At a younger age, they might engage more with videos and tablet games. However, at the primary school age, children might talk more with family and friends or play online games. With more online interactions, they experience more risks and opportunities.

Create your toolkit for relevant advice and easy actions designed just for your child’s digital life.

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What are kids doing online?

As they start primary school, their digital lives expand. They learn the online world is a place of endless possibilities. And before they’ve even learned to read, most can navigate through devices to play games and watch content.

What the research says

Time online impacts digital wellbeing

Our 2023 Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World Index report found more negative impacts in children from time online.

Young girls aged 9-10 feel the most negative effects compared to other groups. This is particularly true when talking about FOMO, body image and screen time. See our guide to support them here.

Watching content is the most popular activity

Across all age groups, children regularly watch online content. Platforms such as YouTube, Netflix and Disney+ are among the most popular for children in primary school.

This kind of screen time is passive. Generally, it isn’t an activity that builds skills or encourages creativity. As such, it should be a small part of children’s time online. Learn how to help children balance screen time here.

Tablets are widely used

Research from Ofcom shows that up until about age 12, children use both tablets and smartphones. As children grow, they are more likely to favour smartphones. However, tablets are still widely used in primary school.

See how to get smartphones and tablets set up safely here.

Creating and building take the lead

When it comes to video games, both boys and girls prefer those that let them build and create. Some popular examples are Roblox and Minecraft where players can create worlds, clothes, games and more.

So, it’s important to think about how they use the apps they enjoy rather than just how much time they spend on them.

Children are curious about the online world. However, their understanding of what ‘online’ means is limited. They may not recognise who created the content or the reasons behind it. As such, they’re also not yet equipped to consider whether something is appropriate for them. Therefore, guidance from parents and carers is key.

Get quick digital safety insights into the latest research for children starting primary school with this printable and shareable guide.

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Printable guide

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Popular platforms in primary school

Charts showing that YouTube, Netflix and Disney+ are most popular among ages 4-12.

We surveyed 2000 parents of children aged 4-16. These charts show the percentage of children using each platform as told by parents.

Although platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook requires users to be 13 or older, children under this age still use them. The age restrictions limit harm of content such as sexualised images as well as contact from groomers. So, it’s important for your child to follow these restrictions and stick with age-appropriate apps and platforms. See our list of social media platforms appropriate for those in primary school.

Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos shares advice to support primary school children online

Display video transcript

0:00
I think during the preschool years one
0:06
of the worries is how much time kids
0:09
spend online there's some great
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technologies out there that kind of you
0:13
know help children learn some are great
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for kind of maybe helping with reading
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or arithmetic some will be fun so that
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they're playing some might help with
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kind of their motor skills and yet
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others could potentially really help in
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doing sort of the opposite of what we
0:26
expect tech to do which is get kids
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moving make sure they're age-appropriate
0:30
make sure that they're safe online and
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also ensure that when they are using
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this technology that it's time limited
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young children begin to to want to bond
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with their little peer group right and
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part of that bonding means looking at
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what they're playing with and copying
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that when your child comes home and says
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you know my my friends at school are
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talking about this game I think the
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sooner you can start getting them to
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think about why they want to engage in
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certain behaviors online as opposed to
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feeling that they have to because
1:00
everyone else's is probably a good idea
1:03
children at this age very much look to
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their surroundings and they model their
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behavior against them so if you're
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constantly on your phone but telling
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your child not to be on theirs it's
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sending a mixed message set a good
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example the more you can set up a
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healthy precedent for how you deal with
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you know your technology the better it
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is for your child and in those cases
1:25
where you need to use your tech
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explaining what you're using it for is
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useful as well
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my top three tips for this age group
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would be number one monitor how much
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time the kids spend online don't forget
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that you need to at this age be kind of
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helping them sort of curate you know
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what they what they spend their time
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doing
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and while the online world is gonna be a
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part of it you need to ensure that it's
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not the biggest part of it by any means
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secondly make sure that kids at this age
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we use appropriate controls and that
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means make sure you've put appropriate
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controls on the games that they use
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finally and really importantly make sure
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that your child has a wide variety when
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it comes to what they're consuming in
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terms of play and entertainment make
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sure that that
2:11
isn't just about staring at a screen
2:13
there's a lot of great stuff out there
2:14
that gets them to move to think and to
2:17
learn
2:24
you

Real-life experiences

See what others have experienced to get a true picture of the online challenges children face as they start primary school.

A parent’s experience

Adele Jennings shares her experience managing her child’s digital world.

A child’s experience

Jacob Jennings shares his experience of learning about online safety at school.

A teacher’s experience

Jenny Burret shares what kids learn about the online world at primary school.

What are the digital risks and challenges?

While there are plenty of benefits of the online space, the internet can expose children to some things before they’re ready. This could include inappropriate content, extreme ideas and privacy or security issues either by accident or through an intentional search.

From our own research, parents say children age 6-10-years-old are naive. Their curiosity can unintentionally put them in harm’s way. Parents worry their children might find inappropriate sexual or violent content online, particularly at the age they start primary school.

Choose which issue you’d like to learn more about:

Inappropriate content

Oversharing

Screen time

Cyberbullying

What parents say

Ofcom research identified the following key points:

On screen time: 34% of parents of 8-11-year-olds said that they found it hard to control their child’s screen time. As children start primary school, parents will need to work with schools to find a balance.

On benefits and risks: Around half of parents of 5-11-year-olds think that the benefits of being online outweigh the risks. Roughly ¾ of parents think they know enough to help keep their children safe online.

On harmful content: Just over ¼ of parents of 3 and 4-year-olds, rising to almost half of the parents of 8-11-year-olds, were concerned about their children seeing content that encourages them to harm themselves.

On being bullied: 43% of parents of 8-11-year-olds said that they were worried about their child being bullied when playing online games.

On managing data and information: 49% of parents were very/fairly concerned about companies collecting information about what their children are doing online.

On managing their online reputation: 40% of parents of 5-15-year-olds were very/fairly concerned about their children damaging their reputation either now or in the future.

Inappropriate content

Like looking up rude words in the dictionary before the internet, children remain curious creatures. They continue to push boundaries and repeat things they hear on the playground. However, where the dictionary would only provide text results, an online search will offer images and video as well.

Even if you set content filters at home, they might not have filters everywhere. Their friends’ parents, for example, may not use filters or, if they do, might set different levels.

Whether it’s inappropriate pop-up ads, videos showcasing cartoon characters in adult contexts or forums promoting self-harm and extreme ideas, children can stumble across upsetting and confusing content, whether intentional or not.

Resource

See our Inappropriate content advice hub to learn more about the issue and find practical ways to protect your child.

Visit advice hub

Increased risks of exposure

The risk of exposure to these things increases with different activities. When children starting primary school take part in the following, the possibility and probability they will see inappropriate content increases:

Joining social networks before reaching the minimum age
Playing games and using apps which are not age-appropriate
Watching live streams with inappropriate content or taking part in them and being exploited

Our research found that 56% of 9-10-year-olds use social media and messaging apps, including those intended for users aged 13+.

Using apps and platforms inappropriate for a primary child’s age or development can expose them to things before they’re ready.

Whatever age your child is, it’s important to prepare them for what they might see and where to find support.

If it does happen, stay calm and use it as an opportunity to help them understand difficult topics. Praise them for coming to you. Overreacting could mean they avoid coming to you in the future.

Use our parental controls guides to set controls on children’s devices

FAQ: What is the impact on children?

Seeing inappropriate content at a young age can confuse children starting primary school. They may struggle to process what they see or experience.

At times, children might feel unable to share it with trusted adults. Reasons for this could include feeling ashamed or embarrassed; they might worry about getting in trouble.

Research from LGfL found that 1 in 5 children never told anyone the worst thing that happened to them. Furthermore, research from Roblox found that 91% of parents thought their children would ask them for help. However, only 26% of children said the same. But 53% did say they would report a problem directly to the platform.

The emotional impact of such material can cause anxiety and stress in some cases. A UK study found that children experience a range of negative emotions after watching pornography, including shock, confusion and feeling upset. Worryingly, young people report becoming desensitised to the content over time.

FAQ: What do schools do to help support children on this issue?

Schools create a safe space for children to explore digital opportunities. Filters and monitored internet access help with this.

Children also learn the basics of online safety like keeping things private, where to go for support and how to recognise negative behaviour online. Curriculum guidance around computing, relationships and wellbeing include guidance on online safety. Relationships Education in England and Digital Literacy within Technologies in Scotland are examples of this.

This means schools are required to teach online safety topics to all children starting in primary school. See the Digital Matters learning platform created to support schools and parents in the UK with online safety education.

Practical tips to support children

Learn how to set safety features on devices you share with your child to give them safer online experience.

Conversations to have

Use storybooks to start conversations

Talk about online safety as soon as they get online. Using stories to introduce the topic can make it easier to spark a conversation. Ask them what they know about technology as well. It’s amazing how much they know and what they pick up from watching others!

Talk about what is appropriate at different ages

Discuss what type of content is appropriate for children of different ages to see online and why. Explain that anyone can upload content to the internet, so not all of it is suitable for children.

Agree together what is appropriate for them

Involve them so they feel part of the decision-making process. Doing this helps them take ownership of their individual online safety.

Encourage critical thinking

Help them think about why they like doing certain activities and what risks are involved online to start building their critical thinking skills.

Create a safe place for them to talk

As they start primary school, help them feel comfortable talking to you or a trusted adult if they run into issues online.

Talk about what is fake and what is real

Show them that not everything they see online is true. Teach them to check other sources. CBBC have videos and articles you can share with your child. Use our Find the Fake quiz to see who knows most about what they see online too.

Stand your ground on rules

Be prepared to push back if children ask to use unsuitable apps their friends use.

Talk about positive ways to use tech

Show that you understand the important role technology and the internet play in their life. Discuss other ways they can use tech to keep their online experiences positive.

Things you can do

Explore sites and apps together

Review sites together to check your child uses age-appropriate platforms. As they get older, review these to help them discover new interests.

Set controls to block inappropriate content

Use parental controls to block access to adult sites such as pornography and those promoting self-harm or violence. Review these as they get older to ensure they give your child the right protection.

Set digital boundaries

Put a family agreement in place to identify and set boundaries. Every family member should agree to abide by some of these rules as well. For example, if your child cannot use their device at dinner, this should apply to you and anyone else in your family. Your child is more likely to follow suit if they’re not singled out.

Sharing too much information

Increasingly, platforms incorporate different ways to share and connect with friends. Examples of popular past times include live streaming on TikTok, chatting on Roblox or Facetiming friends and family. As children start primary school and grow, the social element is a priority for them and their digital diet.

Ofcom research found 30% of 5-7-year-olds and 63% of 8-11s use social media. However, the platforms they use often have a 13+ age requirement. Unfortunately, this leaves underage users open to potential harms due. This is due to their stage of development and understanding of the digital space.

Changed interests and influences

As with anything, young children copy what they see online. Like Vloggers or YouTubers, they want to share their world with wider audiences. Children at this age value subscriber numbers, likes, views and comments. Increasingly, more children share content that could put them at risk of online harms. Comments, jokes and pictures funny to them and their friends now could affect and influence future opportunities. Learn more about online reputation here.

Ofcom found that although high-profile YouTube stars remain popular, children increasingly follow influencers local to their area or with a particular shared interest. Children starting primary school tend to try and model themselves on these particular influencers.

Although children learn phrases like ‘think before you post‘ and ‘be share aware’ early, the temptation to share content publicly for the most likes might encourage them to take risks that could lead to harm.

What parents and children say

Research from PEW found that 4 in 10 parents feel concern about data that voice-activated assistants collect about their child.

According to research from the UK Safer Internet Centre, 42% of children said their parent(s) shared something about them online without their permission. Of this number, 16% of young people felt angry and 25% felt anxious or not in control.

The same research found that over 80% of children would tell their parents not to share something about them they didn’t want online. They said they would also ask them to take down something already posted.

Ofcom research found that 34% of parents of 3-17-year-olds check the browser/device history after their children’s online time.

70% of parents use content level filtering on their home networks. As children start primary school and continue their education, these controls offer important safety nets.

Resource

Tips from parents on how to prevent kids from oversharing online.

Read parent story

Help your children share safely with tips from our experts