What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Social Media and Mental Health

An estimated one-third of children have a social media account, so it’s important that trusted adults know what content young people are consuming; what they’re posting; and what interactions they’re having. On social media, it can be easy to go down a rabbit hole that isn’t beneficial to our wellbeing. As platforms grapple with managing ‘legal but harmful’ content, lives are being impacted – sometimes to tragic effect. We might be daunted by the scale of the tech giants and their content which enthrals young people, but we can still help children to be mindful of their mental wellness: recognising when something isn’t OK … and knowing what to do about content that upsets them. In the guide, you'll find tips such as how to hide content, setting daily limits and discussing what children have seen online.

TikTok is a free social media platform that lets users create, share and watch short videos ranging anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in duration. The app gained notoriety for its viral dances, trends and celebrity cameos and can be a creative, fun platform for teens to enjoy. Now available in 75 languages, it has more than a billion active users worldwide (as of spring 2022) and is most popular with the under-16 age bracket. In fact, a 2022 Ofcom report found TikTok to be the most-used social media platform for posting content, particularly among young people aged 12 to 17. In the guide, you'll find tips on avoiding potential risks such as age-inappropriate content, dangerous challenges and contact with strangers.

In an ever-evolving online world, sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of the huge selection of apps and games available to young minds. The choices are almost endless and it’s not always possible to know which apps are age-appropriate, which games are safe to play and just what content your child is being exposed to. That’s why we’ve created these three handy guides for parents and carers with suggested apps and games that children might enjoy using to learn and play. In these guides, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as age appropriate content and games, age ratings and more.

Trolling & online abuse and Whats App

Snapchat Parent information

Roblox Parent information

Rec room parent information

Netflix parent information

Disney + parents information

Chatroulette parent information