Silicon Valley has remade our children’s world – but they need British culture too | Tony Hall

Instead of restricting young people’s activity online, we need to focus on equipping them with the right tools

• Tony Hall is director general of the BBC

For many of us in the media industry, competing successfully for young people’s time and attention is one of the biggest challenges we face. Never have the rival claims on their time and energy from games, smartphones and traditional and social media been so intense.

It’s in all our interests to maximise the amazing opportunities for children growing up in a fully connected world – but we must also take steps to minimise the risks. There is so much that we don’t know about how digital media affects young people. Researchers and scientists worldwide are working right now to get to grips with every aspect – from the impact on their behaviours and values, to their mental and physical health, to their physiological development.

Related: What if tech tried to be healing instead of just addictive? | Rohan GunatillakeWhat

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from Children | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2zMU7wS