Experts issue safety warning to parents gifting mobile phones this Christmas

The Lincolnshire Stay Safe Partnership, which delivers online safety workshops in schools, has seen worrying trends. Children as young as six have stumbled across harmful material online, and without the right guidance, the risks only grow as they age.

Kathryn Smith from the council-led initiative likened mobile phones to bikes, emphasising the need for parental involvement:

If we give our kid a bike for Christmas, we're going to give them a helmet because there's a probability that if they're learning to ride a bike, they're going to fall off. It is no different to the online world.

Smith stressed the importance of open communication between parents and children about the risks of being online, from cyberbullying to inappropriate apps. Regular check-ins, she said, can help kids navigate challenges safely while keeping parents informed about what their children are doing.

The Stay Safe Partnership’s workshops highlight just how vital this education is. During a recent session at Witham St Hugh Academy near Lincoln, students were shocked to learn that every image shown to them had been AI-generated. Teaching children to question what they see online is a key step in fostering digital resilience, says team member Dan Hawbrook:

We want to equip young people with the tools they need to navigate a digital world safely, because it’s always going to be here.

Schools are also taking steps to help children use mobile phones responsibly. At Witham St Hughs Academy, only Year 5 and 6 pupils are allowed to bring phones—and only with parental consent. Once inside, phones are locked away in a cabinet nicknamed “the phone prison.”

Headteacher Richard Stock acknowledges the benefits of mobile phones but is firm about the school’s responsibility to educate children on using them properly:

Many children do have phones, and I think they have their uses, certainly from the safety aspect. But from a school point of view, our responsibility is to make sure we educate them to use them safely and appropriately.

How parents can protect their children

If you’re planning to give your child a phone this Christmas, experts suggest the following steps to keep them safe:

• Start the conversation early: Talk about risks such as cyberbullying and encourage your child to share any concerns.
• Set boundaries: Create rules about screen time, app downloads, and no phones in bedrooms at night.
• Regular check-ins: Ask your child what they’re watching, who they’re talking to, and explore apps together.
• Use safety tools: Enable parental controls, set privacy restrictions, and download apps to block harmful content.
• Teach critical thinking: Help your child question what they see online, from fake images to unreliable information.

This Christmas, experts agree that a mobile phone shouldn’t just come with a charger—it should come with ongoing conversations about safety. After all, a little preparation now could make all the difference in protecting your child in the digital age.

Read more:

• How to put parental controls on iPhone
• Roblox introduces new parental controls to tackle child safety concerns
• YouTube announces new parental controls for teen accounts