Whatever the worry that has brought you to this page, we have help and advice for you. Whether you’re a parent, child or young person, scroll down to your section for information you can trust, places to get help and read personal stories.
Parenting in the digital age
The internet is of course fun and educational, but can also sometimes be dangerous or harmful. It’s very common for young people to run into difficulties with social media or online bullying. They may see distressing imagery or become addicted to gaming. Even more worrying, criminals use social media and gaming platforms to target young people to exploit them. Despite all the education that young people receive in schools, they can still be vulnerable and sometimes may not even be aware they are being taken advantage of. We’ve selected some of the most useful resources to help parents and carers stay up-to-date and informed. We’ve also included resources for young people if they are worried or have got into difficult situations and don’t know what to do. The main advice from anyone working in this field is to keep the communication channels open by remaining non-judgemental, join in with what your children or teenagers are doing, but don’t hesitate to get some advice if you’re worried.
- How to manage your child’s online world without clashing
- THINKUKNOW: Parental controls, ‘how to stay safe online’, ‘worried who your child might be talking to online?‘ and more. Resources for children in different age groups as well as parents and carers. Most children will be covering this extensively at school but these websites can reinforce those messages or help parents be up to date.
- National Online Safety also has detailed information on games and social media. eg Snapchat, TikTok, FIFA, Youtube, Instagram, Grand Theft Auto and many more. The downloadable posters make it particularly good for use in schools. There are also tips on starting up a conversation with your child.
- Safer Internet Advice for children of all ages safety tools, parent guides to technology and lots more
- Better Together runs low-cost online workshops for families on online safety
- What parents need to know about online grooming and how to help your children stay safe
- NSPCC Information on parental controls, online pornography and what risks may be associated with games like Minecraft or streaming. You can even book an appointment with someone in an O2 store to help you set up parental controls for free
Gaming
- A quick 9-question test to check for signs of video game addiction
- National Online Safety has detailed information on games and social media. eg Snapchat, TikTok, FIFA, Youtube, Instagram, Grand Theft Auto and many more. The downloadable posters make it particularly good for use in schools. There are also tips on starting up a conversation with your child.
- Problematic gaming-how to recognise the signs and what you can do
- What are county lines? A guide for parents, how to spot warning signs and what to do
- Gaming addiction: Worried your child is addicted to gaming?
- Advice on gaming addiction
Saying safe, having fun and what to do if things go wrong
- Staying safe online- detailed advice on staying in control, sharing, phishing, password and comments
- Social media and your mental health – top tech tips and advice, how to block and mute. and more.
- ThinkUKnow Find the right information for your age and what to do if you run into trouble.
- How to stay sane on social media
- Feeling good and staying in control of social media and what to do if things go wrong
- Sexting and sending nudes
- What do I need to know about online grooming?
- How can I tell if I’m addicted to gaming?
- How gaming helped my mental health (Blog on YoungMinds)
Teenagers and pornography– young people discuss pornography, fantasy vs. reality and how it can impact them.
What is sexting and what do parents need to be aware of?