Between chatting and gaming online, scrolling through social media, and streaming music and video, young people are almost constantly connected to the digital world in their free time. Now more so than ever: recent research identified that 77% of youngsters were spending more time online on games and apps than they did before the pandemic.
One immediately obvious issue with that is – as outlined in Ofcom’s Media Use and Attitudes Report 2021 – almost half (45%) of parents have concerns about their child being bullied on the internet. In support of next week’s Safer Internet Day, our two #WakeUpWednesday guides suggest ways that we can all contribute to more respectful, positive relationships with each other online.
Although there’s plenty that trusted adults can do to make the internet a safer place, it’s also vital that we educate and empower our children to create a more hospitable, more tolerant online environment – whether that’s thinking more carefully about the content they post and share, for example, or considering how they interact with other people when they’re online. Safer Internet Day 2022 explores this theme of respect and relationships in the digital world – and we’re supporting the event by sharing two #WakeUpWednesday guides from National Online Safety on the subject. One guide is designed to help children maintain positive communication online, while the other highlights ways that parents and carers can support young people in being good digital citizens.
