- Media literacy is vital not only for online safety but also for the UK’s democracy and national security
- Government must establish media literacy as a fundamental life skill throughout education and properly support schools to deliver it
- Stronger media literacy is crucial to protecting children online once a social media ban comes into effect
- Experts call for joined-up action across government, as a social media ban approaches and the voting age is lowered to 16
A coalition of 70 online safety and education organisations and experts has today written to the Government calling for children’s media literacy to be made a national priority.
Experts say media literacy is crucial not only to protecting young people from online harms, but also to delivering wider government priorities around democratic resilience, economic growth, national security and social cohesion.
The letter, co-ordinated by Internet Matters and Molly Rose Foundation, has been signed by 70 policy experts, academics, trade unions and organisations including the NSPCC, The Guardian Foundation, The Children’s Society and NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union. It calls on the Prime Minister, the Education Secretary and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to take four actions:
- Put strengthened media literacy at the heart of new online safety plans, recognising that a social media ban cannot keep children safe on its own. Media literacy helps protect children wherever they spend time online. It also helps to reduce the risk that children who get around restrictions may be less likely to ask for help if they experience harm online.
- Build on existing plans and establish media and digital literacy as a fundamental life skill throughout education. A new national framework should set out how all subjects and wider learning opportunities work together to build the foundational life skills needed to thrive in a digital world, including critical thinking about information, understanding algorithms and AI, and recognising manipulation.
- Ensure schools are fully supported to deliver these changes. Realising media literacy’s value will require investment in teacher training, access to high-quality resources and guidance, and practical support for families.
- Strengthen leadership and co-ordinated action across government. The Culture Secretary should lead work across the Department for Education, Ofcom and other relevant bodies, backed by clear responsibilities and sustained investment.
Rachel Huggins, CEO of Internet Matters, said: “A social media ban may change where children spend their time online, but it will not remove all the risks they face or prepare them for digital life when they reach adulthood.
“With AI transforming how young people find information and the voting age set to be lowered to 16, media literacy has never been more important. Every child should learn how to assess what they see, make informed choices and seek help when something goes wrong.
“Young people cannot do this alone, and parents and carers tell us they need more support to build healthy digital habits at home. Curriculum reform must now make media literacy a consistent entitlement for every child, backed by clear government leadership, support for schools, and alongside guidance for families to reinforce these skills beyond the classroom.”
Rowan Ferguson, Senior Policy and Research Manager at Molly Rose Foundation, said: “The new Government has a unique opportunity for an ambitious reset of media literacy. It’s time to equip a generation of young people with the skills they need to stay safe, think critically, and thrive in a digital world. Get this right, and we can not only inoculate young people from online harm, but deliver on urgent priorities for economic growth, democracy and national security. Plans to revise the curriculum are a welcome start, but we must seize the opportunity to go further – enshrining media literacy as a fundamental life skill across all levels of education and giving busy staff the support they need to deliver it.”
