Social media fires up fathers’ fears

Celebrity culture and fears over social media are making many fathers more protective of their daughters, a survey suggests.

It also reveals that fathers are taking as much of an interest in their daughter’s education as mothers.

Almost half of head teachers (49 per cent) questioned by the Girls’ Schools Association said that fathers are now more protective of daughters than they used to be.

Of these, more than a third (39 per cent) said they believed this protectiveness is because social media makes fathers feel less in control.

A quarter of heads said they thought it was because fathers are worried about the influence of the media and celebrity culture. Some 46 per cent said fathers were no more protective now, while 5 per cent said they were less so.