Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Threads below.

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With the power and credibility of Meta (including a ready-made relationship with Instagram) behind it, plus users’ increasing frustration with Twitter and – for the moment, at least – no adverts, Threads struck an unprecedented social media ‘sweet spot’ when it launched in July 2023. “Way beyond our expectations,” was a delighted Mark Zuckerberg’s early verdict.

While Threads is currently relatively basic in terms of features, some concerns have already been raised over the sheer volume of users’ data the platform collects, the possibility of algorithms recommending unsuitable content and, as always, other people’s spiteful behaviour. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide brings parents and carers up to speed on this notable new arrival.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Online Financial Scams and Exploitation below.

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More than 80% of people in the UK regularly make purchases online: it’s quick, it’s convenient and – much of the time – it’s safe. Not, however, quite as often as we would like to believe. In fact, financial losses to internet or e-commerce fraud have risen alarmingly in recent times – from an annual total of £139 million at the start of the 2010s to a staggering £376m per year by 2020.

As buying online becomes an increasingly preferred option (it now accounts for almost a third of the UK’s entire retail market), it’s important that the next generation is prepared to navigate away from the various scams and schemes that lie in wait for unwary online shoppers. Parents and carers can find some useful tips and conversation starters in our #WakeUpWednesday guide.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Sharing Photos Online below.

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One of the more heartwarming, life-affirming aspects of social media is being able to share special moments in our children’s lives with family and friends: from the first day at school or blowing out birthday cake candles to smiling holiday selfies and cute Hallowe’en costumes. Is there, however, such a thing as too much sharing – and can it actually put children in danger? 

With potential risks such as accidentally displaying identifying details (images showing where a child lives or what school they go to, for example) and photos being seen and saved by strangers, perhaps we need to take a little more caution over what we post and where we post it. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide runs through some safety considerations when sharing images.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for How to Stay Safe Online this Summer below.

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A free online safety guide on ‘How to Stay Safe Online this Summer’.

With the school summer holidays only a matter of days away, many parents and carers will already be planning outings and activities to keep their young ones entertained. In between those special summer moments, though, there are also likely to be occasions when children happily invest a whole afternoon in Among Us or spend most of their Monday on Minecraft.

As young people’s screen time almost inevitably increases over the holidays, parents like to feel confident that their child will stay safe while they’re exploring the digital world. So we’ve produced a #WakeUpWednesday poster with some simple solutions to help children avoid frequent online pitfalls and enjoy a more positive experience when they go online this summer.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Rumble below.

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A free online safety guide on Rumble.

Conceived as giving independent content creators equal representation in the online space, Rumble has found something of a niche in restoring a voice to influencers who have been blocked from similar platforms. It’s become particularly renowned as a forum for political debate, with some prominent account holders’ choice of subject matter attracting a degree of notoriety.

Indeed, a study by the USA’s Pew Research Centre found that the platform’s most popular topics included gun laws, the January 2021 Capitol riots and Covid vaccines. Many parents and carers may feel that these sensitive topics – when addressed in a less-than-sensitive manner – aren’t suitable for young users. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide attempts to get a feel for Rumble.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about AI Virtual Friends below.

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A free online safety guide on AI virtual friends.

Artificial intelligence is probably the hot topic in technology circles right now, with questions being raised worldwide about how AI might conceivably affect the very future of the human race. In the short term, however – definitely as far as its impact on young people is concerned – the clearest risk is almost certainly the AI-powered ‘virtual friends’ which are springing up all over the internet.

There’s Replika and Kuki, for instance, while Snapchat has recently got in on the act with My AI – and search engines like Bing and Google have developed their own versions. Are these machine intelligences suitable online companions for young people? What are their limitations and weak spots? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide profiles the emergence of AI ‘virtual friends’.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Amino below.

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A sprawling online discussion forum with incentives for checking in each day and the facility to follow certain users, Amino bears comparison to Reddit – but with an added sprinkle of Snapchat and a Twitter twist. It may not be radically original, but’s proving popular: there are now more than a million communities of fans exchanging views on topics from anime to zombies. 

The concept is to recreate the passion and excitement of live conventions in the online world: from behind their screens and keyboards, however, not everyone behaves as well as they might in person. From hurtful comments to age-inappropriate images and predatory messaging, our #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights some potential hazards to protect young users from.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about OmeTV below.

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OmeTV is an emerging social networking app that aims to let its users connect, ideally forming new friendships or simply getting to meet interesting people from all around the world. It’s not particularly new technology, but it’s remained popular amongst younger audiences. OmeTV uses video chats to randomly connect its users, much like its better-known sister app, Omegle.

Unfortunately, OmeTV still carries the same risks as its competitors. With so many users being so lightly regulated, there’s real potential for some unpleasant characters to make use of the app. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide dives into OmeTV, highlighting the risks and advising you on how to keep your child safe on the app.

Please find the National Online Safety guide for What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Anime below.

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Anime is one of the most popular forms of media in the modern world. Fans span across multiple generations – with a particular emphasis on young people in the west, to whom the unique art style and over-the-top presentation greatly appeal. It takes many different forms – from movies to video games – but is most commonly presented in TV shows.

The cartoonish art style of anime can lead people to assume that all media of this type is child-friendly. While a good amount of anime fits this description, there’s just as much – if not more – that centres around deeply adult themes and topics, with scenes of extreme gore, disturbing horror, and sexual content. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide delves deep into this cultural phenomenon, identifying all risks parents and carers should be aware of.