It’s a worry for every parent of teens.
Peter Andre has admitted he is “terrified” of his children being groomed on social media whilst sharing his support for a government campaign.
The I’m a Celeb alum lent his support to UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, and Media Nadine Dorries’ Online Safety Bill, which aims to limit people’s exposure to illegal content and protect children from the likes of pornography.
In his column for OK!, the Mysterious Girl singer said he can’t stop son Junior, 16, or daughter Princess, 14, from having an online presence as it’s a normal part of being a teen.
“Lots of people have asked me, ‘Why do you let your children on social media?'” he wrote. “But as a parent, it’s impossible to stop your children doing everything, so we need to have protective measures in place for when they are online so they are safe.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTQJBujIC7t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Peter explained that he and Nadine Dorries became friends after working together on the TV show The Junk Food Experiment years ago.
As he has been “pushing for a campaign like this for years” – even filming a video for a separate NSPCC campaign on the issue with Junior – he was happy to support her Bill.
“I have spoken to Princess and Junior about staying safe online, but it’s still something that worries me as you can’t control other people,” the dad wrote of his teenage kids, who he shares with ex-wife Katie Price.
“Doing the campaign, I discovered that you can get devices now that change your voice, so a young girl might think they’re talking to a young boy, when really it’s an older man.
View this post on Instagram
“That terrified me and makes me worry about the future with Millie and Theo, too,” he added, referring to his 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son from his current marriage to NHS doctor Emily MacDonagh.
Peter is hoping his “hard-hitting” video with Junior will be shown in schools to raise awareness and that both campaigns will help “make things safer” for children online.
