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Updated: Term 1 2024
With nearly three billion users worldwide (source), WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms. Its features—instant communication via text, video, and voice calls—make it appealing to people of all ages, including children. However, recent changes to WhatsApp’s age rating in Europe, lowering it from 16 to 13 years old making it the same as Hong Kong (source, source 2), have raised concerns among parents and educators.
This change may lead to younger children, including those in primary school, using the app more frequently. As parents, it’s important to understand the risks associated with WhatsApp and take steps to ensure your child uses it safely.
What Parents Need to Know: Age Rating and Its Impact
As of 2024, WhatsApp is now officially rated for users aged 13 and older. While this change makes the platform more accessible, it also increases the likelihood of younger users being exposed to potential online risks. Children may not yet have the maturity to handle the complexities of online communication, making it even more important for parents to stay informed and involved.
The Good and the Bad: WhatsApp’s Benefits and Risks
WhatsApp can be a helpful tool for children to stay connected with family and friends, collaborate on school projects, and share experiences. However, there are also risks that can affect their safety and well-being:
Key Risks to Watch For
Inappropriate Content: Group Chats can expose children to unsuitable material. They may accidentally receive or view inappropriate images, videos, or messages.
Scams and Phishing Attempts: Scammers may impersonate trusted contacts to trick children into sharing personal information or money.
Online Bullying: Group Chats can sometimes foster bullying, where teasing escalates into hurtful or harmful interactions.
Contact from Strangers: Children may interact with unknown individuals in Group Chats, increasing the risk of unwanted or unsafe interactions.
Location Sharing: WhatsApp’s location-sharing feature could allow others to track your child’s movements or home address if used carelessly.
Excessive Screen Time: The pressure to always respond in Group Chats can lead to unhealthy screen time habits, affecting sleep and overall well-being.
Random People Adding Students to Unwanted Groups
One of the lesser-known risks of WhatsApp is that random people or even acquaintances can add children to unwanted Group Chats without their consent. These groups may include strangers, inappropriate conversations, or harmful content.
Why This Happens
Default Privacy Settings: By default, WhatsApp allows anyone to add users to groups unless privacy settings are adjusted.
Peer Pressure: Sometimes, even friends add children to groups they may not want to join, but they feel pressured to stay.
Exposure to Strangers: Groups often include people children don’t know, increasing the risk of exposure to inappropriate material or unsafe interactions.
What You Can Do
Update Privacy Settings: Go to Settings → Privacy → Groups, and change the setting to “My Contacts” or “My Contacts Except…” to control who can add your child to groups.
Encourage Open Communication: Teach your child to tell you if they’re added to a group they don’t want to be in or if they encounter uncomfortable interactions.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and Not Leaving Groups
For many children, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) plays a big role in why they stay in Group Chats, even when the conversations make them uncomfortable or the group is irrelevant to them. They may worry they’ll miss important news, jokes, or updates from their peers if they leave.
Signs of FOMO
- Constantly checking messages to stay updated.
- Feeling anxious about leaving a group because of social pressure or fear of being excluded.
- Staying in groups even when they’re uncomfortable or uninterested in the content being shared.
How to Help Your Child Manage FOMO
Normalize Leaving Groups: Let your child know it’s okay to leave a group if they don’t feel comfortable or find it unnecessary.
Encourage Balance: Remind them that not every conversation is important and that they won’t miss out on meaningful friendships by leaving irrelevant groups.
Support Healthy Boundaries: Teach them to prioritize their mental health and well-being over the pressure to stay connected all the time.
Muting Is Not the Same as Leaving a Group
Many children may choose to mute a group instead of leaving it because they feel it’s a less confrontational option. However, muting doesn’t solve all the issues associated with unwanted Group Chats:
Why Muting Isn't Enough
1. Notifications Are Silenced, Not Content: Muting stops notifications, but your child still has access to the group’s content, which may include inappropriate or harmful messages, which may automatically download on to the device.
2. Social Pressure Remains: Being part of the group means your child may still feel pressured to read or respond to messages.
3. Safety Risks Continue: If strangers are part of the group, they still have access to your child’s profile photo, status updates, and potentially their phone number.
Encourage Leaving When Necessary
Teach your child that leaving a group is a responsible choice when the group:
- Contains inappropriate or harmful content.
- Includes strangers or people they don’t feel comfortable with.
- Causes them stress and anxiety, or disrupts their focus on other activities.
Reassure them that leaving a group doesn’t make them rude or unfriendly—it shows they value their mental health and safety.
Bystanding vs. Upstanding: Encouraging Positive Action
One of the most important lessons for children to learn is the difference between bystanding and upstanding behaviour in online environments like WhatsApp.
What Is Bystanding?
A bystander is someone who witnesses harmful behaviour—such as bullying, harassment, or the sharing of inappropriate content—but chooses not to take action. While they may not directly participate, bystanders can unintentionally allow the harmful behaviour to continue.
What Is Upstanding?
An upstander is someone who takes action to stop harmful behaviour or support someone who is being targeted. This could include:
- Speaking out against bullying or inappropriate behaviour.
- Privately supporting the victim by sending a kind message.
- Reporting the harmful content to a trusted adult or the group admin.
How to Encourage Upstanding Behavior
Teach Empathy: Help your child understand the impact of harmful behaviour on others and why it’s important to take a stand.
Role-Play Scenarios: Practice situations where your child might need to be an upstander and discuss how to handle them.
Reinforce Reporting: Let your child know it’s always okay to report harmful behaviour to you, a teacher, or another trusted adult.
Set an Example: Model upstanding behaviour in your own digital interactions, showing your child how to be respectful and proactive online.
By encouraging your child to be an upstander, you empower them to create a safer and more positive digital environment for themselves and their peers.
Understanding Hong Kong Law: Sharing Illegal Content
In Hong Kong, the sharing of illegal or inappropriate content on platforms like WhatsApp can have serious legal consequences. The age of criminal responsibility in Hong Kong starts at ten years old (source). It's important for both parents and children to understand the laws surrounding digital content:
Sharing Obscene or Indecent Material: Under the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (source), sharing obscene or indecent material, including images or videos, is a criminal offence. This applies even if the content is forwarded without understanding its full implications.
Hate Speech and Harassment: Sharing messages that could be considered hate speech or harassment can lead to legal action under Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance or Crimes Ordinance. Children must be taught the importance of respectful communication and the consequences of spreading harmful messages.
Copyright Infringement: Forwarding copyrighted material, such as movies or music, without permission can violate copyright laws. This includes sending pirated content in Group Chats (source)
Child Exploitation Material: Sharing, possessing, or forwarding any material involving child exploitation is a very serious offence under Hong Kong law and can result in severe penalties, even for minors. This includes photoshopped or AI-created images (source)
How to Talk to Your Child About These Laws
Explain that forwarding content without thinking can have real consequences.
Teach them to ask, “Is this message or video appropriate to share?”
Emphasize the importance of reporting anything suspicious or illegal to a trusted adult.
By understanding the laws, children can be more mindful of what they share and avoid potential legal issues.
Teach the THINK Framework for Messaging
To help children communicate thoughtfully and responsibly on WhatsApp, the THINK framework is a great tool to guide their decisions before sending a message. Encourage your child to ask themselves these questions:
Is it True?
Is the information accurate, or could it be a rumour or false information? Sharing unverified content can lead to misunderstandings or harm.
Is it Helpful?
Does the message add value or contribute positively to the conversation? If it’s not helpful, it might not be worth sharing.
Is it Inspiring?
Does the message uplift or encourage others? Sharing positive stories and kind words can make a big difference.
Is it Necessary?
Is the message important or relevant, or could it be seen as spam or an unnecessary distraction?
Is it Kind?
Are the words respectful and considerate? Messages that are hurtful or mean can damage relationships and cause pain.
By teaching children to THINK before they send a message, you’re equipping them to use WhatsApp responsibly and avoid creating or escalating conflicts online.
How to Keep Your Child Safe on WhatsApp
To further support your child’s safe and responsible use of WhatsApp, here are additional strategies:
1. Teach Critical Thinking
Help your child recognize suspicious activity or messages. Teach them to ask questions like:
“Does this message sound like something my friend would send?”
“Is someone asking for personal information?”
Encourage them to show you any message that feels strange or uncomfortable.
2. Check Privacy Settings Together
WhatsApp offers privacy features that can protect your child’s account. Review these settings with them:
Go to Settings → Privacy → Groups and limit who can add your child to Group Chats.
Ensure their profile photo and status updates are visible only to contacts they know.
3. Be a Digital Role Model
Children learn by example. Model healthy screen time habits by setting boundaries for your own technology use. Establish family rules, such as:
Limiting WhatsApp use to certain hours.
Having tech-free times, like during meals or before bedtime.
4. Encourage Open Communication
Create a safe space for your child to share their online experiences. Regularly ask them about their WhatsApp activity, and let them know they can come to you if something negative happens. When kids trust that they won’t be judged or punished, they’re more likely to open up.
Deleting images from Whatsapp and backups etc
To remove an unwanted image from WhatsApp alone is usually not enough as it gets copied to backups, and the camera rolls automatically. This resource has a checklist to help comprehensively remove an image:
Final Thoughts
As WhatsApp becomes more accessible to younger users, it’s essential for parents to remain proactive. By understanding the risks, teaching the THINK framework, and fostering open communication, you can help your child use WhatsApp safely and responsibly.
Additionally, teaching your child about Hong Kong’s laws on sharing illegal content will empower them to make informed and responsible decisions online. Together, we can create a safer digital environment for our children—one where they can enjoy the benefits of technology without compromising their safety.
General Sources:
https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/whatsapp-safety-a-how-to-guide-for-parents/
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Images: Adobe Stock and Freepik images
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