Social Media: Prevention or cure?

Jon Brunskill@jon_brunskill

The Problem•Children and young people are expected to create and maintain an online presence.

•The success of this presence is measured in ‘likes’ and ‘followers’.

•Social media platforms are increasingly photo and video based.

The creation of an online presence is expected at a younger age - primary pupils.

How do you get likes and followers?

The Elvis EffectIf an adult condemns, prohibits, or otherwise

finds an activity distasteful, it becomes

more attractive to young people,

(proportional to the scale and intensity of the condemnation).

Who’s responsibility?Solutions that probably won’t work:

• Telling children not to go on social media.• An assembly about the dangers of social media.• Telling parents that they aren’t doing their job properly.

• So what might work?