Technology & Innovation - Issue 11

That’s because doing so could result in teenagers deciding not to seek our advice or support when things have gone wrong online, because they would rather try to cope alone than tell their teachers or caregivers what’s actually going on. Additionally, the high probability of them losing their devices when such incidents come to light means that they feel silenced out of necessity. When weighing up the risk versus reward, many believe that their lives will be seriously diminished without the ability to connect, discover, explore or create online. It’s important to remember that removing their online access effectively amounts to taking away their friends, their links with family, and freedom to entertain and educate themselves. So, what can we in schools do to create more relevant and nuanced pastoral policies that will support our students, rather than push them away?Well, we first have to involve them. That means writing policies with them, rather than for them. If we want to help our students navigate those online pitfalls and minefields, then we need to properly understand how they use social media. We should let them know that they won’t be punished for telling us the truth, and we need to be honest with ourselves. That e-safety training you did 12 months ago is already woefully out of date – but that’s okay, because we can now all have access to cutting- edge CPD right here in our classrooms. Openness and honesty We need to educate our students about the things that can go wrong when they’re online, and then equip themwith strategies for what to do when they encounter content that disturbs them. Yes, we already do that, sure – but what if the strategies we’ve given them don’t, or even can’t work for them?What if ‘telling an adult’ simply isn’t an option? Many of the survey responses called for better education around the use of different platforms’ ‘block’, ‘report’ and ‘mute’ buttons, rather than using crude scare tactics in an attempt to put them off using the internet altogether. A surprising number of responses mentioned wanting help with finding a healthy amount of time for them to be online. They expressed worries around their eyesight, posture and overall health being impacted by too much screen time, and acknowledged the knock-on effect that lack of sleep was having on their ability to focus at school. If we can create a culture of genuine openness and honesty around internet use, it could open up new conversations around how students can be helped in setting their own boundaries. What’s abundantly clear is that social media isn’t going anywhere, and that we educators have to stop seeing it as the root of all evil. It’s a life tool. Our kids are using it to relax, escape, learn and communicate. They’re using it to find themselves and likeminded acquaintances. Most importantly, they’re asking for support in how to use it healthily , from understanding adults who won’t threaten to remove their devices every time something goes wrong. Mind you, the respondent who earnestly wrote that ‘ Racists and homophones should be banned ’ is probably asking for a fewmore lessons on word definitions… ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rebecca Westcott is a deputy headteacher and author; her YA novel, Like a Girl , is available now (£8.99, Scholastic) ‘SAY IT LIKE IT IS’ – KEY FINDINGS 28% spend 3 to 4 hours a day on social media; 17%spend 6 hours or more 26% would like to reduce their usage. 78% have experienced feeling happy and accepted because of social media 68% say they have never personally had a particularly negative experience on social media 65% have witnessed someone being racist, homophobic, sexist, or bullying another because of their religion The ‘Say It Like It Is’ survey was conducted in 2022 and completed by 1,024 participants aged 10 to 15 across the UK © 2024 Scholastic Tell It Like It Is survey 53 S C H O O L S O L U T I O N S teachwire.net