The internet is an amazing resource for young people. From help with homework to staying in touch and sharing photos with their friends, it’s a brilliant tool that hugely enhances their everyday lives. It’s almost impossible to live in the modern world without it (as many a young person will point out when asked to put their phone down for 10 minutes).
But there is a downside. When young people are online, they could be vulnerable to dangers such as bullying, identity theft and misinformation, and there’s content out there that we want to protect children from. Plus many young people are more likely to spend more time online over the summer holidays than in term-time.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to protect young people from these risks – and we want to put those tools in your hands.
In partnership with online safety experts Internet Matters, Virgin Media O2 is helping parents and those who care for children to have more confident conversations about staying safe online, and to learn what tools and controls they can put in place so kids can use the internet safely. We’ve created easy-to-use resources aimed at helping parents, carers and young people to help overcome any worries so children can maximise the internet’s potential safely.
Empowering you to take action
We know parents and guardians are concerned about a range of potential online harms. Research commissioned by Virgin Media O2 in partnership with Internet Matters shows that the leading issues include harassment or trolling by strangers (93% of parents said this was a concern), cyberbullying from those they already know (93%), and viewing content that could negatively affect their mental health or body image (94%). And although artificial intelligence (AI) is useful for many things, it’s also raised the risk of young people seeing misleading images or content online, or even being impersonated online with an AI deepfake. More than a quarter of parents and carers (26%) said they weren’t confident they could protect their child from becoming the subject of a deepfake or other AI risks.
While two-thirds of parents and carers (67%) say they know how to implement parental controls, 48% say they need more support to keep their kids safe online. That’s where our resources come in. In collaboration with Internet Matters (and backed by leading charity Action for Children, Virgin Media O2 has created two guides: one to help adults have conversations with children and young people about staying safe online, and one about the online safety tools and controls available and how to use them.
We’re empowering adults to take action with confidence to help young people understand how to navigate the online world safely. There’s never a bad time to talk to your kids about internet safety – and thanks to the backing of charities Action for Children and Good Things Foundation, we’re spreading that message all around the UK.
Essential knowledge for dealing with online risks
Our Find The Right Words campaign film is a powerful film highlighting the difficulties parents and carers face in knowing how to explain online risks to their children. With our helpful resources, you can get the knowledge and information you need to talk to your kids with confidence, helping them to stay safe online.
It’s important that young people benefit from all the possibilities created by the internet (as well as switching off occasionally to enjoy some fresh air) – but it’s just as important to know how to shield them from the risks of being online. With these simple tools and guidance, they can get on with browsing, learning and messaging, and you can leave them to it with confidence.
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Published: 05 August 2024