It has been estimated that 59 percent of children will have used social media by the time they are just 10 years old. With advances in mobile/tablet technology and online gaming we can assume that most pupils will be communicating online before they leave Elmstead Wood Primary School. 

With the ever increasing number of social media apps it is difficult to control which social media children use. The vast majority of social media including instagram, pinterest, facebook and twitter do have minimum age restrictions. This is usually set to 13 but does vary from site to site. This helps to ensure they are not exposed to content, people or situations that are out of their depth and may not be emotionally prepared for. Also it protects their personal information from being collected and shared with third parties. 

Whether it’s ‘safe’ for your child to use social media often depends on how it’s used rather than the age of the user. We are teaching the children that the same values of respect and kindness we show in everyday life must apply online.     

When communicating online their posts and comments leave a digital footprint and reflect on them so we are encouraging children to be ‘light, bright and polite’ whilst at the same time respecting their friends in how media is shared, tagged and commented on.

If your child does experience online bullying they should block and report the offender, save the evidence and speak to someone they trust.

For further information the following websites may be of use.

• www.saferinternet.org.uk
• www.connectsafely.org
• www.nspcc.org.uk