Parent Safeguarding newsletter July 2023 - Flipbook - Page 3
ONLINE SAFETY
AGE RESTRICTION GUIDANCE
With the ever-increasing number of social media apps available and trending, it is important to remember that
they DO HAVE AGE RESTRICTIONS!
As a parent/carer, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE AWARE OF THE CURRENT AGE RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE on
the apps that your children are using. In school we are finding an increasing amount of time is spent dealing with
social media issues that are happening out of school hours. Issues such as online bullying within group chats or
inappropriate pictures being sent/shared with the sole aim of causing hurt. A reminder that the age restriction
for apps such as Snapchat, WhatsApp and TikTok is age 13+, yet we are dealing with issues from year 7 and
upwards. We ask that you are vigilant and continuously monitor your child’s social media use and also the
amount of screentime. Please see the guides further on in this newsletter showing the current age restrictions
for all the popular social media apps and gaming trends – Remember, there is an age restriction for a reason.
What is an Influencer?
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
An influencer is somebody prominent on a social media platform such as YouTube and Instagram, who have a
high number of followers. Influencers share their opinions/ideas and may be paid to advertise/promote
products through their account. Whist there are some great influencers, there are some that choose to share
their own opinions, which could be misogynistic or racist for example. These opinions can be expressed or
interpreted as fact. It is important to talk to your child about the spread of misinformation online and how we
should fact check and critically analyse what we see and hear online. What we see on social media platforms is
influenced by algorithms, which predict what type of content we are most likely to interact with. Whilst there
are benefits of algorithms, it can mean that once we start looking at certain content, our social media feed can
become more aligned with that opinion, so we don’t see a balanced picture.
You can find out more here: What are social media algorithms? Advice for parents and carers | Childnet
Further information
The NSPCC have created an article detailing what you need to know about online influencers. You can read it
here:
The influencers of influencers | NSPCC
MENTAL HEALTH AND
WELLBEING PODCASTS
Common Sense Media have put
together a list of podcasts that
might be suitable for teenagers.
The podcasts listed include a
description and reviews. You can
find the article here:
Best Mental Health and Wellness Podcasts for Kids, Tweens, and Teens | Common Sense Media
YOUNG MINDS ADVICE FOR
PARENTS
Young Minds have produced an
online safety guide for parents of
children and Young people.
You can find this guide here:
online-safety-updated-feb-2020.pdf
(youngminds.org.uk)
