Social media brings many benefits for parents and children, helping them to stay connected with friends and relatives, express love, support and encouragement, and share experiences. It plays a significant role in our daily communication, with a recent Ofcom report finding 96% of children aged 3 – 17 went online in 2023, and half of children under 12 are using social media apps, despite the minimum age requirement of 13.
The Role of Social Media in Modern Bullying – Lessons from ‘Adolescence’
Inspired by real-life incidents of crime and violence, the hit drama explores powerful themes including cyberbullying, toxic masculinity and has sparked discussion around the impact of online culture on young people. As the series develops, it becomes clear main character Jamie was radicalized by misogynistic culture online, painting a picture of the online pressures teens face today.
In the show, parent and Detective Inspector Luke struggles to understand the motive behind the murder, believing the protagonists were friends based on their interactions online. His son Adam explains that there are deeper meanings to the children’s use of emojis, opening conversations around the challenges for parents looking to decode their children’s online interactions.
How can I help my child to be safe online?
- Encourage open communication
- Create a safe space for discussion can help children feel comfortable sharing their experiences without fear.
- Have age-appropriate conversations about what children can do if they have a negative experience online.
- Make use of parental controls available
- Many social media and apps have features such as privacy settings and content filters. For example, Instagram have recently launched ‘Teen Accounts’, a new account type where safety protections are automatically turned on.
- You can also link accounts using tools like Apple Family Sharing and Microsoft Family Safety, whereby creating a family group you can manage settings such as setting screen time limits, blocking inappropriate content, receive screen time reports and more.
- Teach children to be good online citizens
- Encourage children to leave positive “digital footprints” online, being mindful of comments and messages shared with others.
- Support healthy digital habits
- Help find a balance between online and offline lives, by encouraging physical activity, hobbies, and spending time with friends and family in person.
While social media plays a significant role in shaping the challenges adolescents face today, it’s important to recognise that it’s not the only source of stress.
The challenges young people face today come from a range of areas within their lives, from educational pressures, exam stress, anxiety and school refusal, to parental conflict, low self-esteem and body image issues. These factors, combined with a constant digital presence, can have a strong negative impact on their wellbeing.
