‘Online world is just toxic’
Murdered Brianna’s mum sets out plan to keep other children safe
BRIANNA Ghey’s mum has set out a five-point plan to make mobile phones and social media safer for children following the murder of her daughter by teens.
Esther Ghey wants to protect other youngsters from the “toxic online world” that saw Brianna, 16, being trolled for being trans.
She is calling on big tech companies to take measures to safeguard children from abuse and protect their mental health as part of a legacy for Brianna.
Esther, 37, targeted by online trolls herself during the trial of her daughter’s killers, has mounted a campaign Peace and Mind UK.
As part of her plan, right, she wants mobile phone companies to sell devices with pre-installed monitoring apps that pick up concerning words being researched by young children and teenagers.
She also calls for a public awareness campaign to limit screen time to two hours a day plus a ban on under-13s having phones that allow access to social media apps.
Esther said: “I had an issue with monitoring Brianna’s phone. I understand how difficult it is. But if I can make things better for young people with their mental health, and for parents, then Brianna’s death wasn’t for nothing.
“It is so important that we socialise face to face.We are seeing children isolated in an online world. They can be sat behind their computer keyboards and say whatever they want – things they wouldn’t say in real life.”
She highlighted how Scarlett Jenkinson – who along with Eddie Ratcliffe stabbed Brianna to death in Culcheth, near Warrington, in February last year – accessed the dark web via an app on her phone.
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Both killers, who are serving life sentences, were just 15 when they struck. Esther said: “The dark web should be completely inaccessible. I don’t know if it would never have happened without it but...”
She is being supported in her campaign by Jenkinson’s mother Emma, whom she met last month.
Esther said Brianna was forced into an online world during Covid and became “addicted” to her phone and social media.
She had tens of thousands of followers on TikTok, where she posted videos of dancing and tips on make-up. But Esther said she was unaware that Brianna was also looking at sites about self harm and eating disorders.
Esther said: “The algorithms mean that once you are looking at certain things, social media sites will keep showing you these things.
“I didn’t know she was accessing this kind of content and other parents probably don’t either.”
She added: “The online world is just toxic. There is so much trolling and abuse. I’ve received horrible stuff online.
“Mobile phone companies need to take more responsibility.”