Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know about the App and Play Stores’ below.

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With millions of apps available and children accessing them from an increasingly young age, app stores can present a range of risks. From malware and copycat apps to inappropriate content and persuasive in-app purchases, this guide highlights how easily young users can encounter issues – even when using official platforms.

It also offers clear, practical advice to help parents and educators manage these risks. From setting up parental controls and checking app credibility to having open conversations about safe usage, the guide supports adults in building children’s awareness, encouraging safer choices and promoting more balanced, responsible app use.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Image-Altering Filters’ below.

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Image-altering filters are now embedded in everyday online interactions, from playful effects to more subtle appearance-enhancing tools. This guide examines how these features can influence perceptions of beauty and reality, particularly for children and young people navigating social media. It highlights how filtered content can quietly shape expectations and online behaviours.

Focusing on risks such as low self-esteem, social pressure and hidden advertising, the guide also addresses more serious concerns like sexualised edits and blurred boundaries between real and altered images. It provides supportive, practical advice to help parents and educators build media literacy, encourage confidence and promote healthier relationships with online content.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Online Trends Encouraging Violence’ below.

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Violent clips, online ‘wars’, and shock-value challenges can spread rapidly across social media feeds – often appearing in front of young people who weren’t actively looking for them. This guide explains how algorithms, messaging groups and viral trends can expose children to real-world violence online, sometimes normalising harmful behaviour or encouraging risky offline actions.

It also highlights the emotional, social and legal risks linked to engaging with violent content. From anxiety and community fear to the dangers of sharing or promoting violent posts, the guide offers practical advice for parents and educators on discussing online safety, understanding the law, and helping young people respond positively and responsibly.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Streaming Services’ below.

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Streaming services have become the go-to entertainment choice for many families, with children often favouring on-demand platforms over traditional television. This edition explores the realities behind these services, from rising subscription costs and advert-supported tiers to the impact of autoplay and endless content libraries on young viewers’ screen time and wellbeing.

It also highlights key safeguarding concerns, including age-inappropriate material, binge watching, algorithm-driven recommendations and phishing scams. With clear, practical advice for setting profiles, PINs and time limits – alongside tips for discussing algorithms and stereotypes – this guide supports parents and educators in promoting safer, healthier streaming habits.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about WhatsApp’ below.

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With its end-to-end encryption and huge popularity, WhatsApp is often seen as a private and secure way to stay in touch; however, that same privacy can make it harder for trusted adults to see when things go wrong. This guide explains how features like group chats, disappearing messages, ‘Channels’ and location sharing can expose young users to pressure, unwanted contact and inappropriate content.

It also looks at emerging concerns such as scams, advertising and the in-app AI assistant, helping adults understand how these elements may affect children and young people. Alongside the risks, the guide offers practical advice to support meaningful conversations, encourage safer settings and build young users’ confidence in navigating WhatsApp responsibly.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Mental Health Misinformation Online’ below.

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Children and young people are increasingly turning to social media for mental health advice, but much of what they encounter online is unverified, oversimplified or misleading. This guide explores why platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become go-to sources, and how misuse of clinical language and viral trends can distort children and young people’s understanding of mental health.

Aimed at parent and educators, it offers clear, expert-led strategies to counter misinformation. The guide looks at topics such as encouraging open conversations, identifying reliable sources, and strengthening school–home collaboration. Use this information to build young people’s critical thinking, resilience and confidence in seeking appropriate professional help when needed.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know About Roblox’ below.

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Roblox is hugely popular with children, offering millions of user-created games and social experiences. This #WakeUpWednesday guide explains how the platform differs from traditional video games, and why its scale, self-rating system and automated moderation can expose young users to inappropriate content or unsafe interactions.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Digital Devices & Wellbeing’ below.

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Digital devices are woven into everyday life for children and young people, but balancing the benefits with potential risks can feel challenging. This #WakeUpWednesday guide explores how screen use can influence sleep, emotional regulation, physical health and online experiences, offering clear context around why concerns about wellbeing are growing.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know About AI Toys’ below.

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AI-driven toys are becoming increasingly common, offering children personalised interactions that can feel surprisingly lifelike. This guide unpacks how these toys listen, learn, and respond – and what that means for privacy, security, and healthy development. From data collection to the subtle influence of artificial voices, it highlights why adults may need to look more closely at the tech inside modern playthings.

It also explores how features such as constant connectivity, engagement-boosting rewards, and behaviour-shaping responses can affect children’s play habits. Alongside outlining the risks, the guide shares calm, practical advice to help parents and educators set boundaries, check permissions, and balance AI toys with offline experiences, ensuring AI remains a support for real-world interactions, not a substitute for them.

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Tracking Devices’ below.

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Tracking devices like AirTags and SmartTags were designed to help people find lost belongings, but they’ve also opened the door to worrying forms of misuse. Their compact size and subtle design make them easy to hide, which can lead to the unwanted tracking of people without their knowledge. From stalking and bullying to potential misuse by peers, these gadgets bring a range of risks that trusted adults must stay aware of.

This guide examines the growing popularity of Bluetooth trackers, the most common ways they’re being misused, and how to spot signs that a child may be affected. With practical tips on detecting hidden devices, using the right apps, and starting important conversations, it’s a vital read for parents, carers and educators looking to stay ahead of a fast-moving issue.