Social media advice hub
Many young people see social media as a space to connect, learn and engage with others.
Whether they’re on popular platforms or exploring lesser known apps, explore our guidance on keeping them safer on social media.
Quick tips
5 social media tips to keep young people safe
With your child, go through the social media app they’re using. Explore the settings and see which safety settings are available. Encourage private profiles, restricted messaging from strangers and curated feeds to support their wellbeing.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have automatic teen accounts, which means some safety features will be on by default for children aged 13 to 16. Lesser-known platforms might not have as many safety settings.
You may also be able to set up supervised accounts to curate your child’s safety even further.
Explore our range of step-by-step parental controls guides for help.
Many popular social media platforms give parents the option to set up supervised accounts. This might give you tools for screen time, content and contact, or it might be as simple as getting an overview of what your child does on their account.
Set these up with your child to help them have more mindful and positive social media experiences.
Encourage your child to keep their profiles private so that people must request to follow them. Then agree on rules around who they can and should not accept.
Explain that not everyone online is who they say they are. Discuss what ‘risky behaviours’ might look like such as messages a groomer or scammer might send to gain their trust.
Use this guide for children with additional needs to help them recognise if something is wrong.
Remind children that once something is posted, it can be difficult to take back. Encourage them to think carefully before sharing personal information like their location, school or family details. Explain that it’s better to share with close friends or family than to make something public.
Learn how sharing content online can create a digital footprint.
Discuss with your child what positive communication and content looks like online. Stress the importance of curating their feed to show content which supports their mental health and wellbeing. And make sure they’re aware of what positive behaviour looks like from themselves and from others.
Play the ‘Tackling online hate’ quiz with your child to help reinforce healthy behaviours.
Learn more about social media safety
Social media is complex and can take many forms online. To help your child minimise risk and maximise benefits, explore the guides below.
Choose where you’d like to start.
What do young people like about social media?
Our research shows that young people benefit in many ways from social media. Learn how they say they benefit from social media.
What are the concerns around social media?
Along with benefits, there are risks on social media which can negatively impact a young person’s wellbeing. Learn how to help prevent harm.
What are social media trends?
From challenges to music, social media hosts many trends that some young people like to participate in. Learn how to keep them safe.
Social media guides and resources
Explore how to report issues and find a greater range of guides about social media safety.
Featured social media resources
You can find a range of guidance, articles and downloadables related to social media across our website. However, the below are key social media resources you might find useful.
Supporting children with additional needs
A child with additional needs might see social media as a way to connect with others, especially if they find offline interactions challenging. Children can also explore their identity, find supportive environments and socialise in ways that might not be accessible offline.
However, research shows that children with additional needs are often more likely to experience harm online. Some harmful people might seek out children with additional needs because they might be less willing to tell a parent or less likely to recognise manipulation.
Explore the following tips to support your child’s use of social media.
Use parental controls to manage who can message your child, thereby reducing unwanted contact from strangers.
Some children with additional needs might see follower counts as a sign of others liking them or a sign of popularity. This could lead them to accept follow requests from people they do not know to increase their follower count.
Review follow requests together and set up rules for approval by you before adding new followers.
If your child struggles with executive function or transitioning between activities due to their additional needs, it can be easy to lose track of time on social media.
Set clear boundaries like how much time they can spend on an app. Write these boundaries down and display the as a reminder.
Watch out for any mood changes your child might exhibit after being on social media.
While your child may not always be able to explain what is upsetting them, asking them to recount their experience can help you understand what is affecting them so you can support them.
Set aside moments to ask your child about their experience, including what they enjoy and any issues they might have experienced.
For a child who is anxious or sensitive to rejection, knowing that you will check-in can make it easier for them to share.
Activities to do
Explore these activities to help your child develop key skills for staying safe on social media.
Looking to support a child with other needs?
Our research shows that children who are care-experienced or part of the LGBTQ+ community are also more likely to experience online risks.
Visit our hubs to get tailored advice to help them stay safe on social media.
FAQ about social media
Explore common questions about social media and quick answers below to help stay informed.
No. The UK government announced that there would be a ban to select social media platforms for under-16s along with some amended features for those aged 16 to 17. No further announcements have been made, but we can expect an update before the end of 2026. Any bans or restrictions will likely start from Spring 2027.
Most social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat require users to be 13 or over. If your child is not within this age group, we advise that they don’t access these platforms.
Children aged 13-16 will have automatic restrictions because of their teen account, as long as they registered with their real age.
However, even if your child has reached the age minimum, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready for social media. Use the social media safety checklist to help you decide if your child is ready for the responsibility.
Start with a conversation to discover their reasoning. Is it because all their friends have the app? Do they want to use certain features? Were they just curious?
Explain what age minimums are and why they’re in place. This includes protecting their personal data, shielding them from content geared towards older audiences and harmful people who might target them.
Find a different app that can replace the social media app, such as a social network designed for kids, or a safer app which has similar features (such as fun Snapchat-like filters).
Then, together, delete their account and then delete the app from their device. Set up new rules about creating accounts or adding apps, such as getting your permission.
Find more guidance for tackling underage social media accounts.
Group chats can be a source of bullying that follows children home. It can also be a space for harmful content or ideas to be shared more widely without much moderation.
Consider introducing a check-in rule at least once a week, where you can take a look at your child’s device and messages to make sure they’re staying safe.
Also, review the app’s settings to make sure group chats are closed spaces. On WhatsApp, for example, you can prevent your child from being automatically added to a group. Instead, they receive an invite.
Set rules around what groups they can join and reinforce the idea around keeping strangers out of private chats. If someone they don’t recognise is added to their group chat with friends, they should tell you immediately.
Regular conversations and check-ins with your child can help make these measures feel normal and less restrictive.
Screen time of any time can be a huge source of conflict for families and so can introducing restrictions. It’s rare that your child won’t push back at all or feel upset, but there are things you can do to minimise conflict.
- Involve them in the decision. Avoid setting restrictions without their knowledge or opinion. Instead of saying ‘no more social media’, you can say ‘I want us to reduce our social media use. What do you think is fair?’
- Practise what you preach. If you’re telling your child to stop using an app or reduce their time on the app, reflect inwards and apply those same restrictions to yourself. Your teen is less likely to feel like restrictions are unfair if they see you being impacted as well.
- Start small. Avoid sweeping restrictions in one go. Instead, try one small thing at a time. So, instead of screen time limits, taking the device away and deleting harmful apps all at once, focus on one thing until that becomes habit, then move onto the next thing.
- Listen to their concerns. One of the biggest concerns of teens when it comes to parental controls or device checks is privacy. When you were a teenager, how did you like your parents snooping around your room? Even if they are a model citizen, teens can feel like you don’t trust them. Acknowledge how they feel and work together to come to a compromise that works for both of you.
- Acknowledge and accept missteps. No matter how on board you both are with changes, you’ll both slip up at some point. That’s okay! Let them know that you’re not angry, but you do want to help – is there anything you can do to help them (and you) stay on track? No one is perfect, so remember to lead with calm and understanding.
The best thing you can do to protect your child from harm is to talk about the risks. Have open conversations about what they might encounter, the signs of harm and how to stop it. Do they know when and how to use blocking and reporting features? Do they know what grooming, sextortion or other forms of manipulation look like?
If your child can recognise harm and tackle it before it impacts them, they are going to feel more confident and able online.
Learn more about building digital resilience with these toolkits.
Supporting resources
Explore resources to better understand the role social media plays in young people’s lives and how you can keep them safer.
Social media parental control guides
How popular platforms verify age
Social media safety checklist
Social networks for kids
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