A childcare service in Hertfordshire warns of risks of 'exploitation' through social media apps
An afterschool club in Hertfordshire, is warning of the risks of social media and speaking to strangers online.
Whether that's through current or new social media platforms, there are concerns children may not always know who they are speaking to, which can put them into dangerous situations.
Abigail Wilkins runs Fusion Childcare Services in Harpenden. The main concern she raised was children experiencing so-called 'digital romance'.
She said: "Children shouldn't be experiencing that; it can then lead to grooming which they're not aware of, and exploitation, whether that's child sexual exploitation, drugs, or whatever it may be."
"...social media friends aren't real friends."
Another concern is the ease with which young children can access technology nowadays, alongside avoiding parental controls installed onto devices.
Ms Wilkins said: "There's always new apps about which is where the tricky element is. We try to check safety settings, but they don't always bring their phones in."
"We know that they're on these social media apps, even though they might not be at the appropriate age range."
Ms Wilkins hopes to equip children with social media awareness, and encourages anyone to safeguard children in their care, whether that's through listening to concerns raised by children themselves, or asking them questions about their use of apps and the internet.
"We've had it before when children come in and say they have 2,000 friends on social media, and when you ask them who these people are, they realise they don't know", added Ms Wilkins.
"That's where we begin to make them understand social media friends aren't real friends."
With school starting again, Fusion Childcare Services wants to tell families to direct children to a responsible adult for advice and guidance, whether that's a teacher, a parent, or anyone qualified to speak to a child about social media concerns.