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# Birmingham expert warns childhood could become a casualty of digital platforms
- URL: https://www.birminghameastside.co.uk/birmingham-expert-warns-childhood-could-become-a-casualty-of-digital-platforms/
- Published: 2017-07-27T07:00:46.000Z
- Updated: 2017-07-27T07:00:46.000Z
- Description: A Birmingham expert has warned digital connectivity may come at the cost of a traditional childhood after the results of a new survey were revealed.
- Author: Birmingham Eastside
- Tags: News, Universities, #Migrated-1786701253228, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-14 09:54

![](http://birminghameastside.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/children-1931189_1280.jpg)

A Birmingham expert has warned digital connectivity may come at the cost of a traditional childhood after the results of a new survey were revealed.

The report reveals the outcome of a study of 2,000 internet users by the international Screen Society project.

Earlier this month it was revealed that [a five-year-old boy had become the youngest person investigated for ‘sexting’](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40566026?ref=birminghameastside.co.uk).

Professor Elis Cashmore, a member of the research team and a visiting professor at Aston University, said the study showed how digital platforms had the potential to change childhood for millions.

“The internet is a priceless gift for children - it is probably the greatest learning tool since the book,” he said. “Children can access a world of wonder at the stroke of a keypad. But it may come with a price.

“If children have access to sexual material, they seem to want to use it – even if they don’t understand it.

“There are controls, but how effective are they? The wider ramifications are going to be felt in a few years’ time and make us wonder whether childhood is the biggest casualty of the screen society.”

People can contribute to the latest stage of the Screen Society research project [online](“https://teesside.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/screen-society-3”).