Online media literacy resources
This page provides a collection of online media literacy resources and events.
The government is working closely with various organisations to empower citizens to make informed choices and remain safe online.
Below is a list of resources you can engage with to develop your online skills:
Avoiding upsetting or potentially harmful content
Project evolve: ProjectEVOLVE aims to “evolve” the online safety messages that children and young people are being taught into something more appropriate; more meaningful; that encourages reflection; that generates positive outcomes. Email: esafety@swgfl.org.uk
ReportHarmfulContent: Report Harmful Content is the national reporting centre assisting everyone in reporting legal but harmful content online. Email: esafety@swgfl.org.uk
HeadStart Online Resilience Tool: Provide professionals and parents with supportive resources to help them make informed judgements on online harms and risks disclosed by young people. It provides a tool and a series of podcasts for professionals and parents to talk about online safeguarding issues and how to respond to them. Email: aphippen1@bournemouth.ac.uk
Browsing safely online - support for children and young people with care experience: Browsing safely online provides tailored advice for parents and carers to help children and young people with care experience to stay safe online. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Be Internet Legends: The Be Internet Legends programme aims to help 7- to 11-year-olds become safer, more confident explorers of the online world. Email: legends@parentzone.org.uk
Index of Online Harms: LGBTQ+ Young People: The Index of Online Harms for LGBTQ+ Young People Aged 7-18 provides advice for professionals, broken down into the strands from the Education for a Connected World Framework – with each strand of the framework is summarised into at least one likely harm. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Glitch: Glitch is a UK charity that is working to end online abuse — particularly against women and marginalised people. Email: info@glitchcharity.co.uk
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)]: British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) focuses on helping children and families choose well by providing them with the guidance they need to help them choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not. Their PSHE resources for Key Stages 1 - 3 support teachers to deliver the statutory RSE curriculum and promote digital resilience and online safety skills in the context of age ratings and using VOD platforms. Email: helpline@bbfc.co.uk
Reporting inappropriate content
Swiggle: Swiggle is a child-friendly search engine that uses the very latest search technologies to make your searches more useful. It not only gives you safer access to online content but encourages responsible behaviour too. Email: esafety@swgfl.org.uk
360safe: 360-degree safe helps schools review their online safety policy and practice. The review takes you through each aspect of online safety, helping you to collaborate, report, and progress. Email: 360safe@swgfl.org.uk
Online safety resource hub for teachers: This resource hub brings together a range of information for use in the classroom to help make positive changes to children’s digital lives. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Preventing online harassment
Step Up, Speak Up: A practical campaign toolkit to address the issue of online sexual harassment amongst young people aged 13-17 years. The toolkit includes a range of resources for young people and the professionals who work with them. Email: info@childnet.com
Just a Joke: Resources for educators designed to explore problematic online sexual behaviour with 9-12-year-olds. The resource focus on online sexual harassment based on gender or sexual orientation stereotypes, body-shaming, nudity and sexually explicit content. Email: info@childnet.com
Managing privacy
Social Media Checklists: Downloadable booklets to guide you through your profile settings of the most popular social media and online platforms. Email: esafety@swgfl.org.uk
Recognising misinformation and disinformation
The Economist Educational Foundation - Topical Talk: The Economist Educational Foundation aims to empower young people to join inspiring, high-quality discussions about current affairs in the classroom and online. Our vision is for all young people to have high-quality current-affairs discussions regularly, so that these become a normal part of growing up. Email: foundationteam@economist.com
BBC Young Reporter: BBC Young Reporter is an opportunity for 11-18 year olds across the UK to develop media skills, news literacy and share their stories with the BBC. Email: youngreporter@bbc.co.uk
Find the fake!: This fun, interactive quiz provides a way for families to improve, discuss and test their knowledge of fake news, including what it is and its real-world impact, so they are better equipped to spot it and stop its spread online. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Guardian Foundation: Behind the Headlines: Behind the Headlines offers inspirational free news and media workshops for secondary schools, higher education and youth groups, teacher training and resources. It aims to empower young people to access, understand, participate in and critically analyse media. Email:behindtheheadlines@theguardianfoundation.org
Be Internet Citizens: This programme empowers young people to become accountable and conscientious digital leaders. Email: info@isdglobal.org
NewsWise: NewsWise aims to empower children with the skills and knowledge to engage with and enjoy news, to feel confident to ask questions and to challenge misinformation, and to have their own values and opinions. Email: newswise@theguardianfoundation.org
The Day: The Day publishes daily news and curriculum-linked activities to help teachers inspire pupils to become critical thinkers and better citizens by engaging their natural curiosity in real-world problems. Email: enquiries@theday.co.uk
Fake new and misinformation advice hub: Our hub helps the rainbow of adults supporting young people to understand what fake news is, how to protect children from it, and what to do if they have been affected by it. Email: info@internetmatters.org
PSHE education Programme of Study (key stages 1-5): PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) education is a school curriculum subject that supports children and young people to be safe, healthy and equipped to deal with life’s challenges and opportunities. The PSHE education curriculum includes extensive coverage of media literacy and digital resilience. Email: info@pshe-association.org.uk
Learning on Screen - the British Universities and Colleges Film and Video Council: Learning on Screen supports online media literacy education and awareness by promoting the production, study and use of moving image, sound and related media within education and research, for the public benefit. Email: ask@learningonscreen.ac.uk
NewsGuard: NewsGuard was founded in 2018 by a team of journalists to combat the rising problem of online misinformation and help restore trust in the media. Their experienced journalists have rated and reviewed over 6,500 online news and information websites to help people decide which news sources to trust. Email: Alex.cadier@newsguardtech.com
The Student View: The Student View is a network of pop-up newsrooms in schools across England, where journalists volunteer and support schoolchildren from underrepresented groups in the media to spot misinformation and launch their own local news investigations. Email: info@thestudentview.org
Association for Citizenship Teaching Media Literacy CPD and Teaching Resources: Supports effective media literacy education through high quality Citizenship education to promote better understanding of the role of media in a democratic society and develop skills to counter misinformation and disinformation online. Email: info@teachingcitizenship.org.uk
Ensuring online safety
360Early Years: 360 Early Years is a simple tool that allows Early Years and pre school settings to review and improve their online safety practice for the benefit of the setting itself and for the children, staff/volunteers and families. Email: 360safe@swgfl.org.uk
Chayn Do-It-Yourself Online Safety guide: Chayn is an open-source organisation that leverages technology to support women tackle violence and oppression so they can live happier and healthier lives. Chayn has particular expertise in online abuse and safety, and their DIY online safety guide provides guidance and tips on staying safe online. Email: team@chayn.co
Meta Safety Center: Meta’s Safety Center contains general security and safety information relating to our policies and tools, as well as helpful user guides and resources.
Childnet Digital Leaders: A peer-led online safety programme open to all UK schools and youth settings. Groups of digital leaders work through online modules, equipping them with the skills they need to go on to educate and support their peers. Email: leaders@childnet.com
Digiduck: Created to help parents and teachers educate children aged 3-7 about online safety. It includes ebooks, PDFs, a poster and an interactive app. Follow Digiduck and his pals in these stories of friendship, responsibility and critical thinking online. Email: info@childnet.com
STAR SEND Toolkit: The STAR Toolkit provides practical advice and teaching activities to help educators explore online safety risks with young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Key Stages 3 and 4. Email: info@childnet.com
Digital Resilience Framework: Developed by the members of the UKCIS Digital Resilience Working Group, the framework defines digital resilience and is designed to provide a simple process for organisations to assess for themselves whether different types of environments, content, online services and policies support, or hinder, digital resilience. Email:hello@drwg.org.uk
Digital Matters: A new, free online learning platform (including interactive resources) for teachers of upper Key Stage 2 from the team at Internet Matters. Developed with teachers and aligned with the UKCIS Education for a Connected World framework. Email:info@internetmatters.org
Intentional use: is a new report from Internet Matters which sets out how agency (or feeling in control) supports young people’s wellbeing in a digital world. In addition to setting out new research findings, the report features ‘7 Questions for Reflecting on Digital Habits’, which helps young people and families to think about how they are managing their time online. Email:info@internetmatters.org
Kidadl: Online child safety resources and accessible information on topics such as online harassment, cyberbullying, online grooming, harmful content and more for schools and educators as well as helping parents educate and entertain children with trusted, personalised, curated content. Email:regina@kidadlpublishing.com
Challenging extremism and radicalisation
Educate Against Hate: To provide teachers, school leaders and parents with guidance, practical advice and resources to help them tackle the radicalisation of young people. Email: counter.extremism@education.gov.uk
Digital Resilience Working Group: The Digital Resilience Working Group (DRWG) of the UK Council on Internet Safety is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy that enables individuals and skills to have the digital skills and emotional understanding to be able to take action when they encounter problems online. The DRWG hub features the Digital Resilience Framework, Case studies, blogs and related resources for supporting the development of digital inclusion in different settings and contexts.
Email:hello@drwg.org.uk
Digital parenting skills
What is a friend?: ‘What is a Friend?’ was developed to support parents/carers and teens to have better conversations by finding advice and guidance bespoke to their additional needs. What is a Friend? provides parents/carers with a range of activities they can do together with their SEND teen to equip them with the know-how to recognise what it means to be a good friend online. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Resilient Families: The Resilient Families programme is a package of fully remote learning lessons and CPD training for schools and organisations, aimed at providing teachers and other family-facing professionals with an understanding of digital resilience and the skills and tools needed to support parents to develop digital parenting skills. Email: members@parentzone.org.uk
Parent Zone Membership: Parent Zone Membership is a resource and support service for all schools, organisations and family professionals, providing expert online safety and digital resilience tools and education. Email: members@parentzone.org.uk
Digiworld: Digiworld is designed to help children aged between 5 and 16, their families and their schools to develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the online world in a safer and more enjoyable way, while promoting digital resilience. Email: info@parentzone.org.uk
Online Critical Thinking Guide: This resource available both online and as a downloadable guide provides tips to the rainbow of adults that will empower children to make smarter informed choices to navigate their online world safely. Email: info@internetmatters.org
UKCIS Digital Passport (also signposted on GOV.UK): The Digital Passport is a communication tool which supports foster carers and their children to hold crucial conversations to enable the child’s online life to be better understood, supported and safeguarded. Email:info@internetmatters.org
Index of Online Harms: Care-Experienced Young People: The Index of Online Harms highlight indicators and behaviours that may be of concern and offer suggested intervention and escalations for professionals working with young people. Email: info@internetmatters.org
FOSI Good Digital Parenting: Providing parents and caregivers with the tools they need to confidently navigate the online world with their families. Email: fosi@fosi.org
Digital Safety for Parents and Carers: The training is designed to equip parents and carers with the knowledge to understand the potential risks associated with keeping children and young people safe online, while also covering the many positives of the digital world. Email: programmes@kidscape.org.uk
Meta Parents Portal: Meta’s Parents Portal offers tailored advice to adults on how to ensure children in their care are using Facebook safely and have a positive experience online.
LEGO Build & Talk: The LEGO Group’s Build & Talk series helps parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations around challenging yet important digital safety topics with children, aged 7 to 11. Through playing and building or drawing characters representing risky online behaviours, children can learn about the digital world and build the skills they need to become responsible digital citizens. Email:https://www.lego.com/en-gb/service
My Family’s Digital Toolkit: Provides families with tailored, personalised digital safety and wellbeing advice. By answering some simple questions about how their children use connected technology, parents and carers can receive their own ‘ toolkit’ via email. These signposts to the most relevant age-appropriate resources and guides are aligned to their needs. Email:info@internetmatters.org
Fostering Digital Skills: A CPD certified online learning course for foster carers to help them support the online lives of the children in their care, developed by Internet Matters, the Fostering Network and University of East Anglia. Email:info@internetmatters.org
UKCIS Principles for Social Work in Children’s Social Care: Developed by the Vulnerable Users Working Group, this guide contains nine principles to help social workers and other social work professionals support foster carers and care experienced children understand how to safely benefit from being online. Email:info@internetmatters.org
Managing targeted advertising
Media Smart: Media Smart exists to support young people navigate advertising and media, creating free resources for schools, parents and direct to young people. Email: info@mediasmart.uk.com
Preventing cyberbullying
The Cybersmile Foundation: The Cybersmile Foundation is committed to digital wellbeing and tackling all forms of bullying and abuse online. It works to promote kindness, diversity and inclusion by building a safer, more positive digital community. Email: info@cybersmile.org
Digital Resilience Toolkit: Digital resilience can help children cope with whatever the online world throws at them. It allows them to think about what they enjoy and learn from things they encounter that they don’t like or are not happy about. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Parent Advice Line: The Parent Advice Line offers friendly, impartial, non-judgemental information, advice and support to parents, carers, family members or professionals who are concerned about a child - either because they are being bullied, or because they may be involved in bullying others. Email: parentsupport@kidscape.org.uk
Online Safety and Cyberbullying Awareness for Staff: Our Online Safety and Cyberbullying Awareness for Staff course has been specifically developed to equip those working with young people with the knowledge and skills to understand how children use the internet and how to respond to the potential risks young people may face online. Email: training@kidscape.org.uk
Meta Bullying Prevention Hub: The hub is a resource for teens, parents and educators seeking support and help for issues related to bullying and other conflicts. It offers step-by-step plans, including guidance on how to start some important conversations for people being bullied, parents who have a child who is being bullied or accused of bullying, and educators who have students who are involved with bullying.
Talk It Over: A research-led resource designed to support educators in facilitating empathetic, honest, and evidence-based conversations on online hate and how to tackle it with secondary aged pupils. Email: info@childnet.com
Improving health and wellbeing online
Screen time advice hub: The hub helps adults find the right balance for their family by thinking about it early on and setting clear boundaries. It includes general and age-specific advice to help them understand and manage screen time as well as deal with any issues that may arise. Email: info@internetmatters.org
Challenging revenge porn
So you got naked online (SEND version): ‘So you got naked online…’ is a resource that helps and advises young people who may find themselves in a situation where they (or a friend) have put a sexting image or video online and have lost control over that content and who it’s being shared with. Email: info@internetmatters.org
So you got naked online: SWGfl version: So you got naked online…’ is a resource that helps and advises young people who may find themselves in a situation where they (or a friend) have put a sexting image or video online and have lost control over that content and who it’s being shared with. Email: info@internetmatters.org
RevengePorn Helpline: The Revenge Porn Helpline provides support to people seeking support and advice for cases of intimate image abuse. Email: help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk
Reporting sexual abuse
Childline: Staying safe online: Childline: Staying safe online is a tool developed by IWF and NSPCC to enable children to self-report nude or sexual images of themselves which they are worried may have been shared online, to see if they can be removed from the internet. Email: help@nspcc.org.uk or Contact Childline
Understanding the legal framework and rights online
Copyright User (CREATe, University of Glasgow): The Copyright User initiative aims to make UK copyright law accessible to everyone. The website CopyrightUser.org helps creators, media professionals, cultural heritage practitioners, teachers and students, and members of the public make informed decisions on copyright issues. Email: contact@create.ac.uk
Updates to this page
Last updated 30 September 2021 + show all updates
-
Page update for October.
-
Added more resources.
-
Added resources.
-
Added organisations.
-
First published.