Start the new school year with digital confidence

Internet Matters launches new One Word campaign


With all of the excitement that going back to school inevitably brings for children, the new academic year can also present its challenges as relationship dynamics shift. Parent and carers will often instinctively know when something is up, but getting kids to open up little more than a one word responses about their day at school can be tricky.


In response, Internet Matters – the parent’s online support resource, which we founded along with BT, Sky and TalkTalk – has launched a new campaign: One word. One word seeks to raise awareness of the different online challenges that children and young people might be facing, and ways to engage them in further conversation.


The campaign encourages parents and carers to delve deeper beyond “Dunno”, “OK” and “Fine”, and provides guidance on how to talk with children about issues such as how to deal with cyberbullying; sexting; sharing of inappropriate images; grooming and accessing pornography.


The start of the new school year can also coincide with children and young people receiving new devices, so Internet Matters is also promoting ‘Device Check’, which gives five tips to check that devices are set up safe. These tips are:

1. Check the basics
2. Review apps on their devices
3. Turn on safe search
4. Check they’re connected safely
5. Agree digital boundaries


You can find out more about the One Word campaign, the ‘Device Check’ and further resources by visiting Internet Matters.