Better Internet for Kids

Social media has become an everyday part of communication for many people, particularly young people. Many social networks have also become the first port of call for users to discover new things, find specific information and keep up-to-date with current events. The nature of social media has also evolved over time, providing a wider range of experiences for users.

In this deep dive, we will explore the benefits that social media offers to youth, as well as the risks that an individual may face on these platforms and services. We will also consider strategies for managing and protecting privacy and safety, along with understanding the tools available to help safeguard users.

When you think of the term ‘social media’, what words come to mind? Is it names of specific apps and platforms? Prominent users of these services such as celebrities and influencers? Or specific activities/behaviours that can occur in these online spaces?

Set yourself a timer for 60 seconds and write down the first words that pop into your head when you consider the term ‘social media’.

Cambridge Dictionary defines social media as…

…websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate and share information, opinions, pictures, videos, etc. on the internet, especially social networking websites.
Cambridge Dictionary

You are probably familiar with the most popular and longstanding platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), Snapchat and TikTok. However, there are many other social media platforms out there that cater for specific interests, for example, the LEGO® Life app that connects people to share their creations and enjoyment for LEGO.

In addition, it is important to recognise that the term ‘social media’ is often used to cover other types of online spaces and programs that enable communication and the sharing of content. These can include video sharing platforms such as YouTube, messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram, videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom, and message boards and communities such as Reddit and 4Chan. For some young people, in-game communication with their friends and other players may constitute a form of social media.

The apps and platforms popular amongst young people can vary dramatically based on age, location and specific interests. Some apps may trend and be popular for a short time, others may be used regularly for years.

There are a range of benefits that positive and responsible use of social media services can bring to all users. For many users it provides a source of entertainment, but there are a number of other opportunities that become available through the use of social media.

These include:

• Connection and community – social media can bring likeminded people together from around the globe, as well as ensure continued contact between families, friends and colleagues, irrespective of geographical location.
• Education and learning – there are many communities across social media platforms who can provide information, advice and guidance. There are many content creators who create posts and videos for a range of academic subjects (such as maths, geography, history, etc.) as well as those who teach specific skills and techniques in the arts, sciences, technology, sport and beyond.
• Self-expression and creativity – social media enables users to have a voice online; to express themselves to others and have their voice heard. Some people use social media to showcase their talents and creations, and some platforms include tools that enable users to be creative in the content that they create.
• Staying informed – many young people cite social media as their primary source of news and updates – breaking news stories often appear on social media before they can be covered by news organisations, and high-profile figures will often make announcements through social media too. Social media also enables users to receive regular updates from friends and family (if they choose to share them online).
• Networking and entrepreneurship – social media provides opportunities to build a reputation around an identity – either a person’s real identity or a persona they adopt online. It also allows users to connect with others in similar professions, build connections in new professions or build a profile for a self-run business.
• Support and empathy – connection with others through online spaces and communities allows individuals to seek support for issues and problems, as well as offer support to others. It provides opportunities for someone to interact with people from other cultures or locations, with the potential to learn more about those who are different from them.
• Tailored experience – many social media apps use algorithms to help users find content and other users that are of interest to them. This results in experiences that are highly tailored to an individual user’s beliefs, values and habits.
• Empowerment and activism – the ability of social media to reach a wide audience can be a powerful tool for people to lobby for positive change, raise awareness of a societal issue or fundraise for worthy causes.

While social media services offer many opportunities and individual experiences, there are risks that can affect all users, including young people. It is important to recognise that the risks will vary from individual to individual, and that not all risks result in harm (or are equally harmful).

These can include:

• Impact on mental health and wellbeing – many social media users will post and share content that portrays their life as being ‘perfect’ or better than it truly is. Manipulated content (such as photoshopped photographs) can lead to unfair comparisons between a young person’s appearance/identity and that of a high-profile celebrity or influencer. Over time, a young person could start to feel that they are inadequate or develop a Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) which could negatively impact on their mental health and sense of self.
• Cyberbullying – while many social media platforms encourage users to be truthful about their identity, there are many platforms that allow anonymity or false identities to be adopted. This, along with the nature of social media communication (such as public resharing of other’s content and public commenting) can facilitate bullying. Cyberbullying is a complex issues; you can learn more about how to support your learners in the Cyberbullying deep-dive module.
• Relationship issues – as many young people use social media to interact with their friends and peers, there is the potential for issues in relationships to occur. This could involve miscommunication, betrayal of trust, violation of privacy/consent or other unhealthy behaviours that threaten a relationship – be it a romantic relationship or friendship.
• Reputational damage – content posted on social media by a young person can be misunderstood or misinterpreted, which can have negative consequences for how others view them (online and offline). Content posted by others (such as fake content, spreading gossip or rumours) can also have an impact on the reputation of a young person.
• Hate speech – a small minority of users may abuse their right to freedom of expression online by posting or sharing content that attacks, harms or incites violence against other individuals or groups based on their protected characteristics. While this behaviour can appear similar to cyberbullying, there are differences in the way it occurs, and the potential consequences. You can learn more about tackling this behaviour in the Online hate speech deep-dive module.
• Harmful content – social media users may create, post or share content that is potentially harmful for young people to experience. This can include pornographic content, content depicting abuse, violence or harm, self-harm content, and terrorist content. Depending on the nature of the content and the vulnerability of a young person, this content can have a negative impact on mental health, physical health and/or safety.
• Persuasive design – modern social media platforms use algorithms and persuasive design techniques to encourage greater and longer engagement with their services. Like buttons, infinite scrolling and nudge techniques are all methods that can affect a young person’s behaviour and actions on social media. You can learn more about these techniques in the Algorithms deep-dive and Persuasive design deep-dive.
• Privacy violations – social media platforms encourage users to share personal details about their lives. In some cases, a young person may overshare personal details that should be kept private (such as their home address or phone number) but these details may also be inadvertently shared through a lack of privacy on the service, other users sharing their personal information (known as ‘doxing’) or a data breach on the service that leads to personal details being released into the public domain.
• Information disorder – as social media platforms provide an effective method for communication, those who wish to mislead or influence the beliefs and opinions of others can use social media to push false information and fake content. There are many motives behind this behaviour and you can learn more about this in the Mis- and disinformation deep-dive module.
• Exploitation – it is important for young people to be aware that they may be targeted by adults (or other young people) who wish to exploit and harm them. An adult seeking to harm a child online will always head to where children can be found – be that social media platforms, online games or other spaces that children enjoy.
• Cybercrime – cybercriminals use social media as a tool to trick users into disclosing personal information or as a means to collect intel about a user in order to attempt to hack into their online accounts or commit identity theft. The end goal is always to access and steal something of value – money, digital possessions/property or personal data. Learn more about how to empower your learners to spot and avoid this criminal behaviour in the Cybersecurity and cybercrime deep-dive module.

All of the aforementioned risks can apply to all users online, whether they are a young person or an adult. However, as an educator, it is important to recognise that some of these risks can potentially affect you differently to your learners.

Your professional reputation online is something that should be carefully monitored and managed – it reflects upon you as an individual, but also on your school/setting and potentially upon the teaching profession as a whole in your region/country. If you are a qualified or certified educator, there may be specific standards or rules related to your profession in your country – a negative online reputation may breach those standards of conduct or present issues to your employer.

As you work in a community, it is also important to be proactive in managing your privacy online – others in your school community may seek to find your online profiles or connect with you online, and this could include colleagues, learners and learners’ family members. Your school/setting may have guidance or policies about the best way in which to communicate with your school community online – if so, it is advisable to be familiar with this.

Finally, cyberbullying of school staff is something that can also occur (usually by other members in the school community). Ensure that you know where to seek help and support if you are being targeted by bullying behaviour online.

While experiences across social media can vary greatly, there are some general principles that can be adopted by any user to protect themselves and others:

• Use critical thinking – careful consideration of online content can help identify content that may be seeking to mislead, to exploit or to harm an individual or others. Cross-checking information across a range of sources and considering the motive behind the content (i.e. what does it want me to think/do?) is also key.
• Consider trust – it is important to recognise that other social media users may not be who the appear to be, and that trust can be limited when interacting with someone you only know online. It’s fine to be friendly online, but you don’t have to be everyone’s friend! Thinking carefully about who to add to friends/followers lists is important in establishing boundaries. 
• Protect personal information – for young people, making safe decisions about how and when to share personal information (as well as which information needs to be kept private) can bring a number of benefits – it protects them from being exploited or groomed, it prevents them from being a victim of cybercrime, and it can reduce the likelihood of being bullied.
• Consider your audience – while social media can be a very effective communication tool, it can also lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding. It is important for young people to consider the impact of what they create, post or share online – who will see it, how will it affect them, and what impact will it have on a young person’s reputation?
• Understand the terms and conditions – taking time to be familiar with the main terms of use of a platform can be helpful; it allows young people to know when there might be specific age requirements, but also to understand the community standards of a platform – what is okay and not okay to do/say.

Yes! Although they will vary from platform to platform, most popular apps, games and sites will possess some or all of the following tools that can help users to stay safe:

• Block/mute – this tool allows you to prevent another user from contacting you. It will also usually hide any messages or posts from that user.
• Reporting – most platforms feature a report button to report users or content. When using this tool, you will usually be presented with options to provide more information about the nature of your report to the platform.
• Privacy tools – these settings allow you to manage the privacy of your account and what you post/share. There are usually settings to restrict how friends/followers are managed, who can comment on your posts, the level of information that others can see about you on your profile and who receive updates about your status.
• Content filtering tools – some platforms contain tools that allow you to limit what content you might see or experience. For some platforms, content restriction may be automatically activated if the platform recognises a user to be a minor or below a certain age.
• Validity features – some platforms provide methods for assisting you in evaluating the trustworthiness of other users and content. This could take the form of verification badges on ‘official’ accounts of public figures and organisations, through to flags on content that has been deemed to be misinformation.

In addition to the general advice above, the following strategies can empower your learners to use social media positively and safely:

• Discuss social media regularly – depending on their age, many of your learners may be using social media on a daily basis. Therefore it is part of their regular digital experiences and daily lives and should be discussed regularly too!
• Discuss behaviour rather than platform – as trending apps come and go, it is often more productive to talk about the behaviour that may be experienced on social media, rather than the features of a particular platform itself. This can help your learners to develop strategies that are applicable across many platforms. It can also counter the fallacy of one platform being ‘safer’ than another.
• Explore safety tools together – supporting your learners to locate and use reporting tools, privacy settings and other safety tools on their favourite apps/services provides them with strategies to manage some risks and know how to respond to others.
• Teach a range of skills – helping your learners to develop media literacy skills, good habits around passwords and personal data, and strategies for responding to tricky situations (such as peer pressure) can help them protect themselves and others, while also developing resilience.
• Empower your learners to seek help – ensure that your learners know how to seek help, online and offline. This could be from a trusted adult, a helpline or organisation, or through safety tools on a social media platform. 
• Know where to get help – as an educator, you have a responsibility to safeguard your learners. Make sure that you are familiar with your school/setting’s policies around child protection and safeguarding, as well as where to seek help for online issues involving your learners. The Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres include helplines in EU countries (and beyond) that can offer advice and assistance.