The use of social platforms has increased dramatically across the country, arguably due, in part, to the increased level of time our young people have been spending at home due to COVID-19. Although each platform has its benefits, these platforms do have some hidden dangers.

Please find below a selection of Digital Safety guides focused upon the social media platforms: TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp , Snap Chat and Zoom which are proving particular popular with our young people.

The infographics (pdf documents) below reveal some of the safeguarding considerations which arise from the use of these sites. They illustrate some of the risks associated with using these sites and ways in which we can reduced them.

You may wish to follow these key principles:

• Set up parental controls; this is especially important for younger children
• Encourage screen use in communal areas rather than bedrooms
• Limit the amount of screen time per day / per week
• Set a reasonable time in the evening where the whole family comes offline
• Discuss your child’s online activities
• Encourage physical exercise