A new app is promising to make social media safer for children in London. Called Sway.ly, it flags harmful content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube instead of blocking or restricting access, retraining resources in real time and providing parents with information about their children’s online activities. “Sway.ly is different from other apps. It doesn’t ban use, but warns children and parents when dangerous content appears. Then it gives them advice on how to deal with it.” From TikTok to Instagram and YouTube, the app analyzes posts and filters them in real time.
“We have 36 filters for overexposure, hypersexualization, unrealistic beauty standards, toxicity, misogyny or violence. And for each case we provide concrete instructions on how to clean the content from your personal network.”
A study of over 2 families in the US and UK found that 77% of children feel harmed by social media. “Parents often don’t understand the online world their children are growing up in. Sway.ly makes things clearer and understands trends that even we, as teachers, can’t keep up with.” The school where he works doesn’t allow smartphones, but he acknowledges that outside of school, children are exposed to the digital world every day. “Artificial intelligence is the foundation, but we’ve built a complete analytics and statistics system on top of that. This way, parents get real-world data about their children’s online experiences.” Sway.ly doesn’t stop children from using social media. On the contrary, it helps them use it wisely.