Kate Winslet has stated that the government should require social media companies to set age restrictions to mitigate its impact on children’s mental health.
In an interview with BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she stated that parents feel “completely helpless” when it comes to guiding their children through social media.
Winslet stated that security measures could be strengthened and that individuals in authority should “stand up” to protect children.
She spoke before the premiere of her new Channel 4 feature I Am Ruth.
Winslet co-stars with her real-life daughter Mia Threapleton in the feature-length drama as the mother of an adolescent whose mental health begins to deteriorate as she gets increasingly absorbed by the strains of social media.
Winslet explained that the idea to focus on children’s mental health resulted from a discussion with the film’s director, Dominic Savage, about how parents might assist “when they can see there is a problem.
She stated, however, that the drama must involve more than a child’s smartphone obsession.
It had to address “what’s happening with that phone, how it affects their self-esteem, eating habits, and mental state in terms of considering self-harm,” Winslet explained.
In the two-hour drama, which will air on Channel 4 on Thursday, December 8, Winslet portrays Ruth, a single mother of two, including Freya, who is 17 years old.
Freya becomes less communicative and falls more behind in school as her engagement with social media becomes increasingly detrimental, as depicted in the film.
Winslet stated that the world of social media is “terrifying to parents because we don’t know what’s there.
“We don’t know what’s going on in their friendship groups because so much of it now takes place on their phones.
“This universe, into which one might delve more and deeper, grows darker, tougher, and significantly more difficult for youngsters to navigate.
“Because people, particularly young children, have phones at a lot younger age, I believe they have access to stuff that emotionally they are not equipped or smart enough to understand.”
When asked if she believed there should be greater legal regulation of social media, Winslet stated that she struggled with social media and its impact on the mental health of adolescents.
“I hope our government would take action against it. I wish certain platforms were restricted before a certain age. I wish security checks were considerably more stringent “She stated,
She stated that there should be “greater protection and accountability” for parents because they are “left floundering.”
“I simply believe that those who know they could do more to protect our children should be doing so. Whomever these individuals are, they are aware of their identity; they should simply improve their performance “She stated,
The administration has been accused of weakening regulations intended to regulate internet content, prompting Winslet’s remark.
In the past week, ministers have abandoned provisions of the Online Safety Bill that would have required technology companies to remove legal but damaging content.
Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, a teenager who committed suicide after reading a suicide and self-harm video online, stated that the bill had been watered down and that the decision may have been taken for political reasons to expedite its passage.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan told that “unregulated social media harms our children and must end.”
She noted that the “Strengthened Online Safety Bill” she intends to reintroduce to Parliament “would allow parents to recognize and respond to the threats posed by websites to children.”
Ms. Donelan stated, “Youth will be protected, criminality will be eradicated, and adults will have control over what they see and interact with online.”
