In a new Matt and Emma Willis documentary, the pair are set to tackle what content is going out to young children on social media. And as they do, they’ve shared their fears for their own kids.
As part of a new Channel 4 documentary, Matt and Emma carry out an experiment to see what children are viewing online.
After the husband-and-wife duo set up a new profile on a platform stating they are 13 years old, the algorithm quickly starts sending them terrifying videos.
Matt and Emma have three kids together – 15-year-old Isabelle, 12-year-old Ace and eight-year-old Trixie.
But it seems this new documentary has opened their eyes to a whole other world.
Matt and Emma Willis documentary raises fears
Speaking about the content they have found, Matt said to The Sun: “It feels so dark. I would be worried about our kids consuming this stuff. Within just four hours, two supposed 13-year-olds were served numerous videos showing suicide adoration and extreme violence.”
Matt questioned: “How is this allowed to happen?” as he believes if your age is put into an app at the beginning “they should be sending age appropriate videos”.
His wife backed him up, insisting there “is not a chance” their three kids will have TikTok.
But despite this, they know they can’t protect them from everything. Emma explained: “You think you’re across everything, but things can still slip up through the net. No matter how cautious you are. You hear stories about what can be found on there. But finding and searching for something is very different from it being served to you the first time you on there as a 13-year-old.”
When Emma and Matt look at how much time their kids spend on their phones, they “got worried”.
While many families may think they’re the only ones experiencing it, the Willis’ insist they are trying to figure it out too.
“We have no idea how to navigate this. We are worried, we are scared. Everything we see is negative, but we don’t know how to stop it.”
When their oldest got a phone, Matt insists it became “the biggest disruptor” in their relationship.
Matt and Emma struggle with it in their family life
Despite not allowing their children on social media, their oldest daughter “begged” to be on one when she was 14, and so the parents allowed her Snapchat. But according to Emma “she’s on it all the time”.
Speaking about what exactly they are worried about, Matt admitted that “having the world at your fingertips is terrifying”. He added that his “biggest fear” is “the influence of it on them”.
Matt added that, as a parent “you feel like you have one job. And it’s the biggest job in your life.”
Emma also confessed it sometimes makes her feel she is “failing as a parent”. She explained her biggest fear is that “there is zero real regulations about what is served and how the algorithm works”.
The documentary also shows cases where youngsters have become “addicted” to their phones. They even feature a GP to explain the withdrawal symptoms.
Along with that, the duo also meet with parents who lost their child to suicide. Matt admits the stories they heard “will never let go” of him.
As for how things should be, Matt believes there needs to be “tougher age restrictions”. Emma agreed, demanding that tech companies “stand up and take accountability”.
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