Castleview School

A few months ago Instagram announced their new 'Teen Accounts' with additional protections announced early April this year. offering quote built-in protections for teens, peace of mind for parents unquote. Over the years I've become disillusioned when it comes to these types of announcements - hope for the best, expect little. The reality is there are often workarounds and these newer features don't always work as well as the announcement claims.

In May 2025 some BBC journalists set up 6 teen accounts on Instagram, TikTok and and YouTube and scrolled each profile for 10 minutes per day for a week and it wasn't long before very concerning content was being shown.

You can view the full article and findings HERE.

With the school holidays just around the corner, some children will be looking forward to spending longer online, with their friends, playing online games. There always has to be a balance, but gaming can be a really positive activity for lots of reasons. But as we all know there are lots of risks and issues.

Internet Matters has a brilliant guide for parents which goes into lots of detail in relation to balancing gaming with other activities, setting up consoles correctly, connecting with others and much more.

The full guide can be found HERE.

FMSE is where someone threatens to release explicit images of a child victim unless they pay money or other financial demand (such as Bitcoin, pre-paid gift card etc.). It is a form of child abuse which is sadly getting worse. 

The National Crime Agency has a great article explaining all about FMSE, how to talk to your child and what you can do if your child becomes a victim. The guide can be found HERE.

 

How to Talk About Misogyny

The Netflix short series 'Adolescence' has got a lot of people concerned and talking about misogyny, the manosphere, incels and much more. For parents this can be a difficult conversation to have especially when you don't know where to start. 

Thankfully, Internet Matters have a fantastic guide all about this subject, things you need to know, understand the pressures and more. You can find all the information HERE.

 

Know your Emojis

Do you know your eggplant from your snowflake? How about a horse or a stick of dynamite?

If you watched the Netflix drama series, Adolescence, you may have been confused by the talk about the different emojis that are used in messaging to convey a message. Some of these will be obvious, others not so much. 

Richard Pomfrett, a good friend of mine and fellow consultant runs his Boyz 2 Men programme in schools and he has put together a quick guide to some of the different emojis that are used. It's really good for safeguarding leads to know about, maybe even a quiz during a staff meeting?

You can download Richard's guide HERE and his main website is HERE.

Incidentally I can across a video on YouTube where an incel researcher reviews Netflix Adolescence, I haven't had a chance to view it all yet (it's 70 minutes long) but first impressions are that it seems very interesting. You can see the video on YouTube HERE.

 

 

New TikTok Features

During the 2nd week of march TikTok released some new features which will help with supervision. These new features include Time Away, a feature to decide when it's time for children to take a break and a reccurring schedule. There's also a feature which allows parents to see who their children are following on TikTok.

More information about these new features can be found HERE and the full range of TikTok Family Pairing features can be found HERE. 

 

TikTok, Teens, Social Media and You

MediaSmart have released a wonderful new resource for parents whose children are using TikTok. Designed for 13+ (as you have to be 13 to use TikTok), the resources will help parents better understand their young person's online world and support them through conversation and participation.

There's a campaign film, downloadable guide with practical tips, a school to parent letter and more. Full details can be found HERE.

Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World

Internet Matters have released their new report for 2025 and there’s some really interesting findings. On the positive side the report finds that children are more open with their parents about online activities, and parents’ awareness of their children’s online activities has increased.But on the negative side, the wellbeing scores for vulnerable children have risen to their highest level with 24% saying that upsetting experiences happened to them quite a lot, up from 10% last year.You can read the full report HERE. 

 

GenAI, The Harms Landscape

Children and young people are often the first to adopt new technologies, often out of curiosity or because their friends are using it. As generative AI is embedded more and more into all of our lives (whether we want it or not) there seems to be a huge surge of ‘this new solution can save you hundreds of hours of work a week’ and other related products, but very little of the real concerns that are associated with GenAI, including concerns to children. This is particularly important when you consider that 1 in 10 children report they know of cases where their friends/classmates have created synthetic intimate images (deepfakes) of other children using GenAI and around 1 in 8 knows someone who has been targeted.This is a whole new landscape of concern: the days are gone when it would take someone hours in something like Photoshop to create an obvious-looking fake, these tools are incredibly easy to use and often free.Mark Bentley from London Grid for Learning has put together a superb 11-minute video which introduces the AI harms landscape. This would be useful for staff training and sending out to parents. You can watch the video on YouTube HERE.
 

Wearable Tech

More and more children are being given technology that con be worn, e.g. smartwatches and whilst there can be benefits the risks aren’t always apparent. This article from Internet Matters explores wearable technology for children and gives advice on:

• The different types of wearable tech, e.g. smart watches, glasses, VR headsets and fitness trackers.
• Whether wearable technology is safe and what some of the concerns are, e.g. privacy and data collection, impact on body image.
• How wearable tech can support wellbeing.
• And more.

You can find the article HERE.
 

Under 5's Devices

As more and more younger children get access to their own or borrowed tablets it's important to make sure these devices are set up correctly and children are using age-appropriate apps/games. Internet Matters have a great set of resources for parents of these younger children which you can find HERE.

 

ASMR - Weird or ?

It seems a little strange putting ASMR into an online safety update. Although I've known about ASMR for years through the many conversations I've had with children it isn't really something that has cropped up in the "should I be interested in this...." list. 

But a recent report from Revealing Reality grabbed my attention, and after watching a couple of videos I don't mind admitting I felt really uncomfortable, which apparently is normal for someone over the age of 45.

But the question is why? Why are children and young people watching videos of hair grooming, slime squishing, spit painting (not a typo) and more, some of which have had hundreds of millions of views and span across YouTube, TikTok and many other platforms? The answer for some is that they find the world over-stimulating, noisy. This type of content gives them a sense of calm, especially when coupled with noise-cancelling headphones. Some others watch this content because they're lonely and need a connection.

I have no doubt that, for some, ASMR content can be a significant positive for many different reasons, but why even mention it here? Because, as always, there's another side to it. With some of this content there is an explicit and sometimes dark side to it. You can see (hear) an example of this on the final page of the online report which can be accessed HERE. (note: the page navigation isn't very clear, it is at the top right of the page).

 

Childline - Behind the Screen

You'll no doubt be aware that sexually coerced extortion (blackmail) is on the increase and has been for some time. Behind the Screen is a campaign and free-to-download information pack from Childline for staff, parents and young people into this increasing concern and includes information on language used, impact, how to support it and how you can be supportive.

You can find the pack HERE.

 

Making Online Viewing Safer for Children

There is so much amazing content online for children and young people, but as we all know, some of that content isn't suitable for younger eyes and ears. Much of the most serious and concerning content it being viewed and consumed at home, often in the child's bedroom. It is vital that parents and carers know there is plenty of help and support available to them, including from organisations such as Internet Matters who have a fantastic advice guide to make online viewing safer for children.

Within this guide there is advice on filters and parental controls, advice about watching and browsing together, screen time and more.

You can access the guide HERE.

 

NSPCC - Viewing GenAI and Children's Safety

With Ofcom's Online Nations study showing that almost 50% of 8-15 year olds report feeling worried about the impact of GenAI it's clear this is something we need to be targeting sooner rather than later. I have given a lot of talks recently to students, teachers and parents with a focus on AI and understandably there's a lot of confusion in relation to what is discussed, how it may change the curriculum and lots more, so here's my very over-simplified take on it all:

In education we've had the 4C's for a long time - content, contact, conduct and commerce. Within these categories we cover a lot of subjects from bullying to CSE, misinformation, body image and so much more. AI isn't changing this, it is simply adding another layer. For example - misinformation and/or scams - some things we tell students young and old is to check verifiable sources, check spelling and grammar etc. AI hasn't changed this, but check spelling and grammar isn't something that can be relied on any more even though it's still important to check. Another example would be the creation of explicit imagery in order to bully, harass or coerce. This has happened for years through software such as Photoshop, all that has changed now is the ease and speed by which this can be created.

In January the NSPCC released a new report which looks at the need for robust polices and practices to ensure the safety and protection of children in the context of GenAI. Although it seems to be targeted towards policy-makers it makes for interesting (but disturbing) reading as it includes examples from young people and their own experiences which have been taken from Childline counselling sessions. This will give you an idea of the thoughts and concerns from children so you can get an indication of where their worries lie. 

You can download the report HERE.

 

Screentime - Brain Rot?

I have never been a fan of the word 'screentime'. It tells us nothing, there's no context, yet is used by the media to instil and exacerbate fears upon parents leading to other concerns such as addiction. Screen 'time' can be a factor, but screen 'use' is much more important, this gives us context - what are they doing and why?

I came across an article in The Guardian which I thought was so well written and thought provoking, written by real experts, not self-proclaimed or media-hyped experts, which gives a much more balanced view of screentime and what the science does and does not tell us. It's definitely worth a read and you can find the article HERE.

 

What is Kick Streaming?

Many parents will be aware of Twitch, especially if their children are gamers. Owned by Amazon it has become incredibly popular over the years for children to either watch live streams or to live stream themselves. But in the past there's been plenty of controversy about the platform, particularly in relation to restrictions that imposed upon streamers. So it's no surprise to see other platforms becoming more popular and one of those platforms is Kick (not to be confused with Kik Messenger).

It was launched in 2022, users should be 13+ and it follows the same process as Twitch where live streamers can make money. However, much of the content on Kick is adult in nature.

Internet Matters has a good article about Kick and it may be useful to read. You can find the article HERE.

 

Childline - Spot the Fake (Video)

Childline have released a new video and I really like it. Called 'Who is Real and Who is Fake" it covers sextortion and scams in general. Starring The Charvas, who are teenage social media influencers, they chat online to 3 girls and have to work out whether they are real or fake. Due to the topic, it also fits in nicely with Safer Internet Day. At 15 minutes in length you can find the Spot the Fake video HERE.
 

Algorithmic Literacy

Algorithms, those streams of code which make decisions about what we see on our feeds, whether that's YouTube, TikTok, a Google search and so much more. In our online safety talks with students of all ages we highlight the risks and concerns, we give advice about what to do or things to look out for. But a vital aspect is also how things work, this builds understanding and resilience, and algorithms are a vital part of that as a good understanding can make a big difference in relation to things like wellbeing, particularly for anyone who has have difficulty regulating their social media use.

In my talks with secondary students in particular (and sometimes Y5/6), there are certain aspects I always try to include, and algorithms are one such aspect: what 'interest signals' shape what you see, what you can do if you start to see things you don't like etc.

In an article for London School of Economics, Lizzy Winstone has written about the importance of algorithmic literacy and made some key recommendations which I think you may find interesting. You can find the article HERE.
  

Red Note 

With the possible demise of TikTok in the U.S. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) are trying to entice TikTok users onto their platforms, other apps are trying to move in on the popularity. One such app which appears to have come out of nowhere is Red Note. Like TikTok it comes from China and is in the top 10 charts in the UK.

It's difficult to know how popular this will be or whether it's just a fad, after all the potential ban is in the U.S. However, many of the influencers that children and young people follow are (or were) on TikTok, they have had to move to other apps, so their fans will follow.

If you would like to see an article on Red Note, my colleague Wayne Denner has written 'is RedNote App the Next TikTok?' which you can find HERE.

 

What is Doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is where someone gets caught in a continuous cycle of negativity and fits in perfectly with algorithmic literacy above. Whilst doomscrolling is often intentional, it can also be a result of the decisions the algorithm makes and being led down a rabbit hole of doom. This can have ongoing effects such as anxiety and other negative effects on wellbeing.

Internet Matters has a great article about doomscrolling, including things to look out for and advice for parents. You can find the article HERE.

 

WhatsApp Account Takeover Scam

Another month, another WhatsApp scam. This time criminal gangs are managing to get into chat groups, particularly groups where there are large numbers of people, meaning that no-one knows everyone. From there they will target individuals in the group by telling them that a code is on its way to them which they need to share. For example, a student chat group was infiltrated by someone pretending to be their university lecturer and he asked them all to share their code so that they could join a group call. At that point, the criminal gang now has control of your personal WhatsApp account and will be able to message others asking for money.

Whilst it can be difficult to get your head around some of these scams the message is simple. Regardless of how old you are, regardless of how much you trust that person, never ever share passwords or passcodes.

 

Tips to Promote Positive Body Image

Concerns around social media influence in particular and the negative effects of this influence on body image for girls and boys have been around for years. In the age of generative AI this can only increase. My social feeds are awash with photorealistic images and they're all the same: so-called perfect body, composition, beauty. There's nothing in the way of different body shapes, diversity in people of colour etc. Simply speaking, AI can be very biased.

Internet Matters have some great, practical advice for parents about self-image, body image and identity which you can find HERE.

 

Free Webinar - Supporting Neurodivergent Children in the Online World - 29th January

This one is definitely worth joining. Internet Matters are putting on a free webinar (29th January) for parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people who enjoy gaming online. Registration is required and I'm sure you will find it interesting. See HERE for more information.

 

How to Deal with Online Scams

ParentZone have put together a very simple but really useful webpage guide about online scams for parents . You can find the guide HERE.
 

 

Free Videos for Primary and Secondary Schools

Late 2024 I asked schools to send questions to me that have been asked by students where myself and good friend and fellow consultant, Traci Gregory, would create a few videos answering some of these questions.

The videos were recorded just before Xmas, there are 3 for primary and 3 for secondary aged students. This is a trial to see if it's something schools would find useful, if so we will continue, but we can only continue if schools submit questions, so please do provide feedback and submit questions.

One final thing, bear in mind we have no budget for this. We want these videos to continue to be free but they take a lot of time to create and edit, as well as costs for equipment, hosting etc. so please don't expect whizz-bang graphics, fancy B-roll etc.

Further information and all the videos can be found HERE. No login required so if you think other schools might find them useful feel free to pass the link onto them.

 

The ABC Checklist

With Christmas just around the corner, the holiday period is a great time to take stock of the devices they have (plus any new Xmas devices) and ensure they are set up correctly with any parental features you feel are appropriate for your child.

One frustrating issue is that the available features and how you set devices up differ, so to help parents Internet Matters have really good, non-techie guides which you can follow as part of their ABC Checklist. ABC stands for:

• A - Activate parental controls.

• B - Balance screen time.

• C - Check and chat.

You can find a full explanation, set up guides and advice HERE.

 

Emotional Safety on Roblox

The Jed Foundation have put together a great guide for parents regarding emotional safety/wellbeing on Roblox. Although the guide refers to US teens, I would say this guide is appropriate for all children, not just teens. It covers cyberbullying, signs a teen might be struggling online and what parents can do.

You can find the guide HERE.

 

Loot Boxes

For many children and young people playing games is predominantly about socialising with their friends. Because of this there can be significant peer pressure to look and be better than everyone else, to get further in the game than other and more. In-game purchases such as loot boxes capitalise on this peer pressure, essentially enticing users to get ahead more quickly by spending money.

Loot boxes have been a concern for a long time. A few years ago in the UK it was thought that loot boxes would come under the updated Gambling Act but this never happened due to a lack of research, however it is though my many (including myself) that loot boxes can be a gateway or lead-in to gambling.

Concerningly, a BBC investigation has found that, out of the top 45 biggest games on the Google Play store, most are not disclosing that the games contain loot boxes properly. Many parents rely on the information that is available on the various game/app stores as well as ads to decide what is/is not appropriate for their children and this lack of important information is inexcusable.

The BBC article can be found HERE.
 

My Family's Digital Toolkit

I've shared this resource from Internet Matters before, but with Xmas just a few weeks away I thought it worth sharing again. The Family Digital Toolkit is where parents can get personalised online safety advice based on a number of factors such as age, popular apps and platforms their children use, tackling online issues and more. As a bonus parents can also be entered into a draw to win a prize bundle (including an iPhone 15).

The Family Digital Toolkit can be found HERE.

 

Digital Media Literacy and Cognitive Development

A core concept of online safety is digital media literacy, which is the ability to critically, effectively and responsibly access, use, understand and engage with media of all kinds. But what does it mean in reality to different ages of children?

MediaSmarts have put together a free resource which you may find useful, it includes a tutorial about digital media literacy and a workshop handout. The tutorial is good, but I found the handout to be very interesting as it explains digital media literacy through the development stages of children from sensorimotor (birth to two years) through to formal operations (12 through the teen years) including key skills to develop within each development stage.

You can find the resources HERE.

 

Second-Hand Devices Guide

Often when children get their first or subsequent devices, particularly mobile phones, it's a hand-me-down, for example when a parent gets a new device on contract. This can be a real positive, mobile devices are very expensive and the latest/greatest devices often have very limited additional functionality over older devices.

But it's really important these devices are configured correctly for younger users. thankfully Internet Matters have a full guide to help parents navigate all the different features and settings, plus how to choose the right second-hand device, safety concerns and much more.

All information and guidance can be found HERE.

 

Roblox Major Safety Updates.

Last week Roblox, the game used by 90 million people daily, announced some major updates which are available to users and parents. The rollout has already started and will be fully implemented by March 2025. These safety updates include:

• Limits to how children under 13 can communicate.
• Parental controls accessible from the parents phone rather from the child's device (remote management).

There's too much detail to include here, so to see an explanation of all the new features visit the Roblox website HERE.

You can also see the full guide to Roblox parental controls on the Internet Matters website HERE.

 

Instagram - Algorithm Reset

TikTok Knows it is Harming Children

• It only takes 260 videos (approx. 35 minutes on the app) to form a habit.
• Compulsive usage can be correlated to a number of negative mental health effects such as contextual thinking, analytical skills, empathy, increased anxiety.
• The positive outcomes of time-management tools would have negligible positive impact. This is where TikTok proposes the user takes a break after 60 minutes. However if a habit is formed after 35 minutes it questions whether there is any positive effect. But TikTok decided to release the tool because it was seen as good PR.
• The company is aware that current moderation practices are ineffective in relation to children (of all ages) being shown harmful content.
• TikTok purposefully demotes content from users they deem unattractive or disabled.

When I visit Primary/Prep schools, one of the biggest concerns I consistently hear is in relation to group chats, in particular group chats getting out of hand and causing disruption.

Childnet has a wonderful free resource which you can use which has some useful activities:

• Starting conversations, the positives and negatives.
• Digital wellbeing.
• Bullying and gossip.
• Inappropriate content.

Cyber Security

From financial scams, identity theft, using public WiFi and much more, cyber security is fundamental to all of our lives. Internet Matters have put together a number of articles and resources for parents and their children which go into these topics including:
 

• Creating secure accounts.

• Phishing and ransomware.

• Digital piracy,

• and much more.

You can find all the resources HERE.

 

The True Cost of Virtual Currency

Not too long ago you bought a game and that was it, there was no other financial outlay. But in recent years this has changed enormously; many games (and apps) are free in order to lure in new players, once in there games players are bombarded to purchase currency, skins, loot boxes, power-ups and much more.

A new report called "Getting Played: The True Cost of Virtual Currency" has shed further light on this, explaining the lack of any transparent pricing for virtual currencies or items, the obscure value of currencies and the lack of any consumer rights.

It's a very good, long and detailed report covering 57 pages so I asked ChatGPT to summarise a few of the main points below, you can read the full report HERE.
 

• Predatory Monetization: The document focuses on how video game companies use virtual currencies, often called premium currencies, to exploit players, especially children, through deceptive design and monetization tactics. This practice is aimed at maximizing revenue by encouraging continuous spending.

   

• Cognitive Bias and Deceptive Design: Virtual currencies confuse consumers about the real cost of in-game purchases. Game designers use cognitive biases such as the sunk-cost fallacy and scarcity bias to push players to spend more, often making the act of spending money feel less significant by using virtual currencies as intermediaries. (The sunk-cost fallacy and scarcity bias is where, if a player has invested money or time in the game, they may feel compelled to keep spending money to avoid wasting their previous investment).

   

• Legal Concerns and Lack of Consumer Rights: Premium virtual currencies and in-game purchases are often not covered by consumer protection laws, depriving players of rights such as refunds. The document argues that virtual currencies are detrimental, stripping consumers of protections they would have if real money were used directly for purchases.

   

• Impact on Children: The document highlights that children are particularly vulnerable to these tactics due to their lack of financial literacy and impulse control. Games targeting children often include hidden costs, paywalls, and repetitive grinding, which can be circumvented by purchasing in-game currencies, encouraging overspending. (Repetitive grinding refers to repetitive, monotonous tasks such as defeating enemies repeatedly in order to progress or unlock certain features creating frustration).

 

Parental Supervision - How Far is Too Far?

Many parents will opt to use apps to track and monitor the location and online activities of their children. These apps can be really beneficial (e.g. physical safety) but as with anything there are drawbacks (e.g. invasion of privacy).

Using the voices of young people Voicebox have put together an excellent article which parents can use to give a more informed opinion of these apps and to use as discussion points with their children. 

You can find the article HERE.

 

Girlguiding Annual Report - Misogyny and Loneliness

Girlguiding has released their excellent annual report which highlights increasing levels of inequality and misogyny facing girls and young women, for example:
 

• Over half of girls 11-21 say they feel concerned that AI may be used to create fake images of them.
• Just under half feel unsafe due to the increase in sexism.
• 59% of girls aged 7-21 report feelings of loneliness.

Quote - While we're more connected, we're also more exposed to judgment and comparison through body shaming, sexist jokes, online harassment and objectification. This fuels loneliness and erodes our confidence, which only makes it harder to feel positive about the future - unquote.

You can read a full summary of the report HERE.

 

Teen Boys and Body Image Challenges

In light of the new content recommendation changes by YouTube which is going to restrict content to teen boys in particular it's good to see platforms finally start to acknowledge that their algorithms can have a negative effect. A lot of research has been undertaken in relation to algorithmically driven content force-fed to girls but not so much boys who can be just as susceptible, particularly when a simple 'like' on one post can create a feedback loop of similar and more extreme content.

Darren Laur, aka The White Hatter has written a really good article about this, specifically in relation to body dissatisfaction, causing boys to feel they fall short of societal expectations. A good read for parents, which you can find HERE.

 

Snapchat New Feature - Footsteps

Previously only available to Snapchat+ subscribers (the paid version of Snapchat), Footsteps is a feature that Snapchat is rolling out to all users over the coming weeks. Essentially it's an extension of the Snap Maps feature which shows your location (unless you have Ghost Mode turned on), but this time it shows your travels as footsteps.

When Snap Maps first came out it raised huge safeguarding alarm bells as it was default on, it was only due to public outcry that Snapchat changed the setting to default off. My first reaction to Footsteps was the same, however it appears that Footsteps is only available to the user, not others. 

You can read more about this new feature on TechCrunch HERE.

Digital Literacy Guide - InHope

Funded by the European Union, InHope have released a new Digital Literacy Guide which is aimed primarily at teenagers, but I think it may also be useful for parents/carers etc. 

The guide is a free download (no sign-up required) and goes into lots of areas such as "Know your Device", "Interacting Online", "Seeking Help" and more.

You can find the guide HERE. 

 

My Family's Digital Toolkit

There are so many really good resources out there for parents/carers about how to help keeping children safe online, but it can quickly become really overwhelming. 

Internet Matters has a really great resource for parents called My Family's Digital Toolkit. This is a personalised resource which gives age-specific advice, advice to deal with specific concerns, recommendations for digital tools to support children's interests and more.

The toolkit is free and you can find more details HERE.

 

Smartphone-Free Childhood?

Teen Brains, Technology and Social Media

Following on from online actions above we sometimes need to take a step back and reflect on why children and young people do what they do. Whilst the online disinhibition effect is an important factor to understand, we need to remember that young brains are very different from our own adult brains.

Darren Laur, otherwise known as The White Hatter on Twitter is someone I have known and respected for many years and he writes some inspiring, thought-provoking articles.

In the article I'm referring to he writes about a way in which we can explain, very simplistically, the way in which the young brain develops, specifically concentrating on the limbic system and the pre-frontal cortex. In other words, why and how decisions are sometimes made, especially when emotions play a part.

Darren's method of explaining this is to use the X-Men, Wolverine and Professor Xavier. Wolverine (the limbic system) is the strong, impulsive and emotional character driven by instincts. Prof. Xavier (the pre-frontal cortex) is calm, measured, thoughtful and wise.

We've all had those "Why did you do that, what were you thinking......?" moments. But understanding why adolescents may do things is really important when we're talking to them, it allows us to understand behaviour and also to shape the educational talks we're giving. In other words, try to avoid being judgemental.

I've used something similar in talks to young secondary students in the past. I remember a couple of years ago when a group of students came up to me at the end of the assembly and explained quite a serious situation they had got into. They were found out, and they got into trouble for it. They were told they were stupid (their words) for getting into that situation, that they should have known better. After the explanation in the assembly they agreed they were stupid (again, their words) but they didn't realise that at the time. Nobody had ever explained to them how emotions can take over rational decision making.

It's a really good article and well worth a read, it's also worth sharing with other parents. 

You can find Darren's article HERE.

YouTube - Parental Controls for Teens

Google (YouTube) have, in the past, always argued that YouTube is strictly for over 13's, much like most other social platforms. This age is predominantly for marketing/advertising purposes. However, that argument has never stood up given that Google have never had a means to prevent under 13's using the platform wither with or without an account. 

Back in 2021 YouTube introduced new parental features, called Supervised Experience, and this was for parents of children under 13 who were using YouTube.

Now, it looks like YouTube is extending Supervised Experience for parents of teenagers. In early September they announced that parents/carers will be able to link their teenagers account to the parent account where parents will have the ability to see some limited information such as number of video uploads, comments etc. 

I think some parents may be disappointed that this is quite a limited set of features and I would agree. You can read more about this HERE.

Video Games and Children

Unicef have shared an article with some nice, clear and simple advice for parents/carers about online gaming. The article covers how to create a positive and safe gaming environment, how parents can engage with their children, what the benefits of gaming are and more.

You can view the article on the Unicef website HERE.

Gaming Tips for Parents of Neurodivergent Children.

Internet Matters have released another really useful guide, this time it's all about online gaming safety tips for parents and carers of neurodivergent children. It's a simple 5-page guide covering the research, example games, some of the challenges which parents face and the all-important benefits.

It's a great little guide which you can download HERE.

The ABC Online safety Checklist.

Sharing Back to School Videos

A member of staff from a school emailed me to suggest some guidance for parents about sharing back to school photos on social media. I was going to create a short video but my friend and online safety colleague from Northern Ireland, Wayne Denner, had already created one and it's good: short and sweet.

You can access the video to share with your parents on YouTube HERE and there's a blog post HERE. If you go to Wayne's website he's got quite a few good videos that may be worth sharing or linking to. You can get to his website HERE.

Android Phones - School Time Setting

(Image credit: Google)

The debate about banning phones in school, particularly secondary, continues apace. There are wide and varied opinions on a whole range of issues from mental health (including addiction) to behaviour and much more

A big concern is distraction and so a post from Google caught my attention last week. This was their announcement that they are rolling out a 'school time' feature to more Android devices. I haven't heard of this before so I was intrigued, essentially it's where a parent can completely lock down an Android phone to only receive phone calls and messages from particular contacts, whilst locking out all other functionality (e.g. social media apps).

I haven't tested this but in theory it sounds really good and given that the features are managed via the Google Family Link app my assumption is that this will be a worldwide rollout. It would be really good to see Apple have something similar to this but I think it's definitely a step in the right direction, as long as parents know about and use the features.

You can find more information HERE.

The annual cybersurvey from Youthworks (Adrienne Katz and Aiman El Asam) is an important insight into the online lives of children aged 11-17. All the data was collected in Autumn 2023 from 1433 students and explores both the positive and negative sides of life online including:

• Electronic mood management.

• Resilience.

• Harmful content.

• Body image.

• Social isolation

• and much more.

The Cybersurvey 2023 report can be found HERE.