Peer-reviewed article
Online safety: The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children in the UK
Suzannah Allkins ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This article examines how increased online activity during the coronavirus pandemic affected children and teenagers in the UK, particularly regarding exposure to cyberbullying and harmful content. It reviews available data on the pandemic's impact on children's online safety and considers what schools and health professionals should prepare for regarding mental health effects. The work focuses on anticipating risks rather than evaluating solutions.
Key points
- The pandemic led to significantly more time spent online by children and teenagers
- Increased online time raised exposure risks to cyberbullying and harmful content
- Schools and child health professionals need to anticipate mental health impacts following the pandemic
Limitations
The document is a data review or narrative article rather than a primary study, so it does not present original research findings or quantified evidence of impact. It does not describe what preventive or protective interventions were tested or their effectiveness.
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic has inevitably led to more time spent online, which will have increased the risk of children and teenagers being exposed to cyberbullying and harmful content, among other issues. This article examines available data on the effects of the pandemic on children as a result of their online activity and looks at what schools and child health professionals may need to anticipate in terms of children's mental health following the pandemic.