‘I’ve become significantly more cautious’: six parents on limiting their kids’ social media and AI use
Parents are becoming more wary of social media and AI use by their children, amid allegations that platforms are designed to be addictive and lawsuits claiming ChatGPT lacks adequate safeguards. The article describes how these concerns, alongside warnings from AI workers about safety priorities, have led some families to set stricter limits.
In responses to the Guardian’s questions, most parents said they no longer wanted their children using social media, and many also try to steer them away from AI. One parent allows an 11-year-old occasional access to chatbots found through Google, while teaching her to check their accuracy; the family also avoids AI apps where alternatives exist because of their energy and water use. Parents described balancing children’s need to understand new technology against uncertainties about its effects on learning, development and wellbeing.
- Many parents are tightening limits on children’s social media use.
- Some are also steering children away from AI chatbots.
- Parents cite safety concerns and uncertainty about long-term effects.
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A growing number of parents are becoming increasingly cautious about how much time their children spend on social media and AI. This shift reflects widening concerns about the potential harms these technologies may pose to young people's wellbeing and development.
The anxiety stems from several sources: social media platforms have faced accusations of being designed to be addictive, and legal cases have been brought against AI companies like OpenAI alleging their products lack adequate safeguards. Researchers and workers within the AI industry have also raised concerns about safety, adding to the sense that these technologies carry risks.
In response, parents are setting stricter limits on their children's access to these technologies. They are attempting to balance ensuring children understand modern technology against protecting them from potential effects on learning, development and wellbeing.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Parents have solid grounds for caution. Social media platforms use sophisticated engagement algorithms designed to maximise time-on-app, and evidence increasingly links heavy use to anxiety, depression and sleep problems in young people. AI systems like ChatGPT have documented issues with accuracy and bias, whilst their environmental impact is substantial. Children's developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to addictive design, and establishing healthy boundaries early is considerably more effective than trying to undo entrenched habits later.
The case against
Whilst caution about tech risks is justified, near-total restriction may disadvantage children in an increasingly digital world. Social media literacy and AI competency are becoming essential academic and professional skills; children who grow up entirely shielded from these tools risk struggling educationally and in future employment. Supervised engagement with AI can actually develop critical thinking about reliability and bias. Complete avoidance of resource-intensive apps may be impractical since many educational platforms have environmental costs too, making a balanced approach that teaches responsible use more protective than prohibition.