When the screen becomes the stranger in the room

Every week, my family gathers for a group video call. It is our way of keeping up with each other, especially now that we live in different places.
The conversations can go anywhere. We talk about work, health, family news and, often, children. One recurring subject is how much access children should have to phones, tablets and social media.
I have seen this many times. A parent needs to cook, finish some work or have an uninterrupted conversation, so a screen is placed in front of a child. It works. The child becomes quiet and the adult gets a few minutes of peace. I understand why parents do it.
But during one of our conversations, a family friend shared something that made those quiet minutes feel different.
His child had been using an app believed to be suitable for children. Someone began sending the child tasks. At first, the parents thought it was another child playing along. Then the requests became inappropriate. As the conversation developed, it became clear that the person behind the account might not have been a child at all.
What troubled me was how ordinary the encounter initially appeared. There was no obvious warning. It began as a friendly exchange inside a digital space the parents thought was safe.
Similar stories have been shared by other parents. Strangers pose as children, offer virtual rewards and slowly gain their trust. Child-protection authorities say the pattern can then escalate into requests for photographs, secrecy, self-harm or other degrading acts. During the first half of 2025, America’s National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children received 518,720 reports of online enticement, compared with 292,951 during the same period in 2024.
This helps explain why governments are beginning to draw harder lines. Australia now requires designated platforms to prevent children under 16 from maintaining accounts. Indonesia began introducing similar restrictions in March 2026. Several other countries are considering their own versions.
Oman is having this conversation too. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority consulted the public on proposed rules governing children’s use of social-media platforms, including age verification, unsuitable content and the responsibilities of platforms and families.
For me, an under-16 restriction feels like the right direction. It will not solve everything. Children may find ways around age checks, while predators will look for other channels. Privacy must also be protected and educational services should remain accessible.
Still, doing nothing is no longer enough.
Parents must know which apps their children use, check conversations and create an environment where uncomfortable encounters can be reported without fear. Platforms must carry responsibility too.
A screen may give adults a few quiet minutes. We should always ask who might be spending those minutes with our children.