The tennis coaching legend, 66, made the calls as she backed the Record’s renowned Our Kids … Our Future campaign in its ongoing fight against youth violence.
Tennis coaching legend Judy Murray OBE
Judy Murray has called for a crackdown on harmful online content as she backs a Record campaign in its ongoing fight against youth violence.
The tennis coaching legend, 66, made the calls as part of the Record’s Our Kids … Our Future campaign.
Judy, who is mum to professional tennis players Sir Andy Murray and Jamie Murray, has demanded tech giants introduce robust new measures to pave the way for “a better world” for youngsters to grow up in.
Speaking to the Record, gran-of-five Judy, said: “Campaigns like Our Kids … Our Future put important pressure on those responsible for online content.
“It also raises huge awareness among adults that we are collectively responsible in our own way to try to keep children safe online.
“What I love about what the Record is doing, as a tennis coach, teacher and grandparent, is the dangers it is highlighting.
“My children and I were lucky not to grow up in the online environment, but it’s something that my grandchildren will grow up with in their ordinary lives.
“Social media brings dangers to their physical and mental well-being and brings difficulties in their ability to communicate.
“By making children safe online, they will grow up in a better world.”
In 2022, we told how the sickening trend of filming violent attacks on kids was sweeping through Scotland for “likes and popularity“.
At the time, child experts told us that the trend emerged from the desire among teenagers and young people to build an online social status.
Judy said: “My life is in sport and I see the challenges to kids’ lifestyles through their preoccupation with screens. It can have major adverse effects on their physical and mental well-being.
“Through the work I do, I see the challenges that being online for young kids brings to their changes in lifestyle.
“The information and footage and access they have access to can be positive, but a great amount of it is harmful.
“There definitely needs to be better monitoring of harmful content online. Tech companies must introduce better and quicker reporting procedures.
“I know that if I have ever reported something, it takes a long time to hear back or to acknowledge my report and even longer before the issue is resolved.
“It makes you think that there must be hundreds of thousands of reports and that requires a much bigger workforce.
“More action should also be taken on accounts that are producing harmful content.
“I know children are being groomed, or filmed, or bullied online. It brings a lot of trauma to children and it’s terrifying.
“Netflix’s Adolesence tv show highlighted an example of the horrifying themes that are actually playing out in real life.”
Last year, after the release of Adolesence starring Stephen Graham, support workers told the Record that the worrying themes of misogyny and violence in the four-part drama were a reality among disaffected teenage boys in Scotland.
They warned that young males were becoming sucked into the dark world of social media and the “manosphere” – digital websites, forums and blogs that promote toxic masculinity.
The Record has repeatedly called on tech giants to introduce new features to keep young users safe online as part of its Our Kids … Our Future campaign, which was launched over three years ago in response to a youth violence epidemic.
We have also demanded the Scottish Government to invest in safe spaces for young people to go to in every community, where they can be nurtured, mentored and guided.
Judy’s calls come as she also backed a new and applaudable campaign from Children First to encourage children and adults to step away from screens and spend more time outdoors.
On-Mute May is encouraging people from across the country to step away from social media next month to raise vital funds and awareness of the growing dangers children face online.
Erin Hall, 18, who has been impacted by online harm in the past, said: “Violence is becoming normalised online and algorithms push for whatever is generating views.
“Being online all the time can take a toll on how you feel about yourself, how you see the world and even how people treat one another.
“The rise of toxic influencers, bullying in group chats, people sharing harmful content… it all adds up.”
Judy added: “I have always championed the power of sport for the life skills it develops as well as the obvious physical and mental health benefits.
So, I’m encouraging everyone to take part in this digital detox and get active.
“It’s a great opportunity to switch off, reconnect and have fun together in whatever way you choose.
“By taking a break from social media in May, you’re not just supporting your own well-being – you’re helping protect Scotland’s children.”
Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children First, said: “We want people to wake up to the harms that are being done to our children from social media.
“Across Scotland, our teams work with children and young people every single day who have experienced devastating harm online.
“We think tech companies should be doing more – and that they can do more – to protect young people. We allow unfettered access to our children by these companies with little regulation – why have we allowed them to develop these platforms without simple regulations to protect young users?
“We don’t think adults are aware of the dangerous content that very young children are accessing. We’d like to get the public behind us to put pressure on tech companies to make platforms safe for children.”
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