Ofcom release media use and attitudes report
- Ofcom have released their latest media use and attitudes report today.
- It found that of children surveyed between the age of three and 17 in the UK 53% used TikTok and 46% used Snapchat.
- 88% of children and young people used YouTube, 55% used WhatsApp and 41% used Instagram.
- Facebook popularity declined from 40% in the previous year to 34%.
- Ofcom also found that the proportion of three and four-year-olds using Snapchat had risen to 17%.
- For more please visit Ofcom’s and the Independent’s websites.
NHS treating hundreds of children as young as 13 for gaming disorders
- 745 people have been referred to the National Centre for Gaming Disorders since it opened in October 2019.
- The NHS have revealed that in some cases children are so addicted to gaming that their relationships with friends and family have broken down with some becoming violent.
- Video game addiction has been made an official disease by the World Health Organisation and can cause harm to “personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.”
- Not only has the number of people with a gaming disorder receiving help increased, the number of relatives getting treatment has also increased by 46%.
- The average age of the gamer seen by the clinic is 17 but some are as young as 13.
- For more on this story, please visit the Sky News website.
Government sets out ‘adaptable’ regulation for AI
- The government has set out plans to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) with new guidelines on “responsible use.”
- AI has been described as a “technology of tomorrow” contributing £3.7bn to the UK economy.
- There are fears that AI could be used for malicious purposes as well as concerns about its flaws in creating and spreading sexist, racist or other undesirable misinformation and/or content.
- AI advocates claim it is delivering real social and economic benefits for people.
- The government is concerned organisations will hold back on using AI to its full potential due to a patchwork of legal regimes which could cause confusion for organisations trying to comply with rules.
- The government wants existing regulators like the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Health and Safety Executive to come up with their own approaches that suit the way AI is being used in their sectors.
- Regulators will use existing laws rather than be given new powers.
- Experts have expressed concerns that the UK’s approach could leave “significant gaps” and leave harms unaddressed.
- For more on this story, please visit the BBC News website.
