Young people and social media:
Resources for parents and professionals.
This resource has been put together based on feedback gathered by the #So.Me team from parents, teachers, and other professionals working with young people. We were interested to know what resources or advice they would find most useful to help them support young people with their social media use.
General guides and information
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This document provides general information and tips on supporting young people with their social media use.
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These parent guides from Common Sense Media provide some ‘ultimate platform guides’ alongside other useful info such as helping young people spot misinformation.
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The 2023 Media Use and Attitude report from Ofcom presents a picture of how and why young people use social media, as well as their critical understanding of their online environments.
App & platform information, safety and privacy
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Hwb (Welsh Government) provides an extensive app guide for families, including key features and terminology.
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A series of guides from Internet Matters on setting up parental controls on different devices, apps and networks.
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eSafety is Australia's independent regulator for online safety. Their guide gives information about various apps - what they are used for, how to report concerns, and some useful safety links.
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3 tips from Internet Matters to help parents keep their children safe online.
Supporting young people with usage & time boundaries
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Childnet’s family agreement is a practical tool to start discussions about how to behave online and set clear expectations within families.
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Advice and conversation starters for parents to support their child to stay safe online, from Childnet.
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An interactive resource from Childnet to help young people aged 9-14 identify the potential risks of social media.
Young people’s wellbeing
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Childnet have put together some lesson plan resources for teachers working with young people with SEND to explore digital wellbeing.
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This short Ted talk by young activist Eva Amin provides some simple tips for young people on how to use social media in a positive way.
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4 tips from Common Sense Media on helping young people balance the risks and rewards of being online.