Growing up online has become a normal part of life for young people; social interactions now take place over direct messages, life events such as parties and concerts are now viewed through the lens of a smartphone camera, and technology has become a crucial part of the learning processes for many due to the shift to virtual learning and internet-based lessons during the pandemic.
While the internet is an amazing resource, it can also present a number of safety challenges to young people who are spending an increasing amount of their time online - and these are challenges for their teachers, too.
It is a concern for parents: recent research by Vodafone shows that almost 20 per cent of parents are not confident they can teach their children about online safety and are worried about the risks of internet apps and online bullying. Vodafone’s Digital Parenting initiative offers support with this.
Emma Robertson, chief executive of Digital Awareness UK, a digital wellbeing agency that works with Vodafone to empower people to enjoy using technology safely, says the pandemic has exacerbated every one of the digital issues that schools were already trying to manage.
“A lot of that is because of the amount of time students are spending online,” Robertson says.
“Screen time, in general, has become a real problem, and our young people are really struggling to find the right balance.”
Social media: Keeping young people safe online
The amount of time that students are spending online has brought a number of issues to the fore. One that Robertson has observed becoming particularly troublesome is oversharing.
“Oversharing, particularly when it comes to personal information such as location and date of birth, could put young people in danger,” she says.
“But being mindful of sharing personal information is not only important from a security standpoint: students are so focused on sharing aspects of their lives that it can take away from them being in the moment and enjoying whatever it is they are doing.”
Another problem is the so-called “social media illusion”. Due to the fact that many young people have grown up online, they can forget that social media is a tool and it doesn’t always represent an accurate view of other people’s lives.
“We’ve been talking for a long time about the social media illusion and comparison culture,” Robertson says. “This is causing problems for how young people are viewing themselves, as they’re almost looking at themselves as online brands, which can have a hugely detrimental effect on their self-esteem.”
As adults, we know that the online world can present us with content that we don’t want to see. This can take the form of misinformation, online scams, upsetting posts related to social injustices or sexually explicit content.
Due to the nature of social media, the same content is being presented to our young people, and this is a problem in schools.
“The sharing of nude photos has become a massive issue, and sharing of unwanted explicit content is becoming more prevalent,” Robertson says. “Not only are students reporting that they’re receiving unwanted nude content without requesting it, but in many instances, they are sharing it themselves.”
In addition, content related to current news events can also cause distress.
“Seeing upsetting content, such as posts related to what’s happening in Ukraine, on top of that is a lot for young minds to manage,” says Robertson.
The knock-on effects of exposure to upsetting content - such as a lack of sleep or feeling anxious - could be affecting young people at school.
So, what can teachers do to help?
According to Robertson, the most important thing that teachers can do is to encourage students to speak out about their online lives.
“Letting students talk about their digital lives and any challenges or concerns they are facing or trying to work through is absolutely key,” she explains. “Making sure parents are involved and engaged throughout the discussion, and getting the help and support they need, is also really important.”
She adds that while many teachers may not have a good understanding of the tech that is the source of anxiety or distress among young people, most will have related life experiences that they can share.
“A lot of what we’re tackling in schools is linked to social issues - you can strip the tech away from it,” says Robertson. “We’re talking about bullying, being left out and peer pressure - all things that teachers themselves may have experienced. The wisdom and life experience they’ve had, and sharing those stories, can be just as helpful as understanding how technology works.”
It’s also important, Robertson says, for teachers to help students to educate themselves about having a healthy relationship with social media. For example, young people should learn about the impact that staring at a screen for hours can have on their bodies; if they’re in pain, or their eyes start hurting, they should know it’s time to take a break from social media.
“Teachers could also try to get students to think about healthy sleeping, eating and socialising patterns, and how they can ensure that tech isn’t interrupting any of that,” Robertson says. “This will help them evaluate whether they have the positive relationship with tech that they should have.”
For older students, Robertson recommends educating them about how online apps and platforms are specifically designed to keep us engaged.
“We can help them to understand that there’s a reason why a lot of these services are free. It’s useful to remind students that there are hundreds of engineers behind every online interaction we have,” she says.
Ultimately, while the digital world may seem alien and overwhelming to some of us, Robertson believes that support from teachers can help students to live a healthier life online.
Vodafone’s 10th anniversary edition of Digital Parenting Magazine is out now, packed with expert advice to help teachers and families get the most out of tech while enjoying happy and safe digital lives
