Top Tip
Eat Together Regularly
Try to set time for a family dinner every week (at least once).
Top Tip
Out Of Reach
Put phone at other end of room at bedtime so you won’t go on it.
Top Tip
Help Is At Hand
Childline have lots of helpful top tips, activities and support available. Omima, age 10 says: “This website is about positive mental health, feeling good. It’s helpful because it gives you ideas for having positive mental health.” There are activities and games you can play which Liam says can help “l if you’re feeling sad and need to take your mind off difficult things. It helps relax you if you’re stressed.”
Top Tip
Stay In Touch
Social media and screens can be really great for staying in touch with friends and family – especially those living far away or working away from home.
Top Tip
Don’t Like? Don’t Follow.
Unfollow people you know make you feel bad
Top Tip
Try A Team Sport
Join a team sport to stay fit and make new friends.
Top Tip
Phone Off At Night
Turn off your phone when you’re asleep and use an alarm clock so you wake up in the morning when you need to.
Top Tip
Be Curious
“Ask your friends and family questions. Be curious and be kind. Have bigger conversations to have bigger bonds” Tyler, aged 10
Top Tip
Don’t Like Likes!
Don’t worry about likes or take value from likes.
Top Tip
Stay Hidden
“Never reveal your location. Don’t turn on your webcam.” Ethan age 9. Make sure to switch off ‘location’ for your camera. Many photographs you take will hold private information that can be easily reached – including where you are at any moment.
Top Tip
Be Inspired!
Follow inspirational people and this will lead to more inspirational feeds.
Top Tip
Out Of Sight…
Take rests/breaks from screens/social media throughout the day. Hide your phone if you need to!
Top Tip
Keep Your Profile Safe
“Make sure to lock and keep your profiles private.” Rudi, MCP aged 9
Top Tip
It Doesn’t Have To Cost
Many activities are free for children and young people. Your school or local council website should have this information available.
Top Tip
Get Board Together!
Play a board game with family and friends before you go to sleep, so everyone can switch off together.
Top Tip
Are You Happy For People To See This?
When posting something, think about who might be able view this apart from your friends and followers. Would you be happy for an adult you know (or don’t know) to find this online? Would you be happy for someone to find this in ten years time? Is your post true to who you are?
Top Tip
Put Away Your Phones
When you’re spending time with friends, agree to switch off or put away phones.
Top Tip
Get Active
“Try fitness videos online. There are lots of fun videos online for doing dancing, yoga, exercises and fitness challenges.” Screen Savers
Top Tip
Pilot Your Phone
“Airplane mode has personally helped as I used to follow a lot of people and over half of my followers didn’t have interest in me. Now I put on airplane mode and get great sleep.”
Top Tip
Be A Great Friend
Look out for your friends and help them when their having tricky days. Stand by their side and make them know that you’re there for them if they need you.
Top Tip
Use Tech To Learn
“Watching the news can help you to understand the world and issues like climate change. You can also use the Internet to learn about children’s lives in other parts of the world.” Screen Savers
Top Tip
Celebrate You
“Try fitness videos online. There are lots of fun videos online for doing dancing, yoga, exercises and fitness challenges.” Screen Savers
Top Tip
Make Your Password Impossible To Guess
Make sure you have a password that is not easy for people to guess. Use a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and other characters on your keyboard. Make sure that you use different passwords for different sites.
Top Tip
Let Tech Help
“Use technology to keep fit. Use fitbits or smartwatches to monitor steps or heart rate. Set yourself a steps challenge.” Screen Savers
Top Tip
Learn About Your Friends
Focus on learning more about your friends, their likes and dislikes, their interests and hobbies. Try to find things you might like to do together, instead of scrolling on phones.
Top Tip
Don’t Be A Bully!
“Don’t send mean texts. Never hide the fact someone’s bullying you. Online bullying hurts. It really hurts. It doesn’t end well for anyone. Don’t do it!” Abbie, aged 10
Top Tip
It’s Not Easy To Take It Back
Think of the toothpaste metaphor – you can get all of the toothpaste out of the tube easily but cannot get it back in the same way – it’s hard to take stuff back once it’s out there!
Top Tip
No Tech, Just Talk
“No phones at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Talk to each other!” Amber, MCP aged 10
Top Tip
Tell Someone You Trust
“Don’t be scared to tell an adult if someone is being mean to you online.” Tyler, aged 10
Top Tip
Watch For Patterns
Be vigilant. If something is upsetting you, STOP! Try to learn what will distress you.
Top Tip
Be Yourself
“My advice. Don’t think you have to fit in. Be yourself. Do and act the way you want to. Don’t let anyone change that.” Mylie, aged 10
Top Tip
Screens and Physical Health
Understand the impact screens and social media can have on your physical health. Using screens for long periods of time can give you headaches, eye strain, back pain and body aches.
Top Tip
Calm Your Brain
Try meditation, yoga or go for a walk once you’ve switched off your phone so you can switch off properly before sleeping.
Top Tip
Make Time To Do Things Together
With your friends and families, set aside time to play board games, watch movies, do sports and activities such as crafting and cooking together.
Top Tip
Be Careful Who You Share With
“Social media can be dangerous. You need to be careful about who you’re giving your private information to.” Jessica, aged 11
Top Tip
Make Time For Friends
Make time for friends. Hang out with friends outside in nature.
Top Tip
Create A List
Write down a list of things you would like to do with your family or friends.
Top Tip
Gone Down, Stays Down
Once you put your phone down at bedtime, leave it alone and don’t pick it up again.
Top Tip
Set Screen Limits
Set screen limits. “Limit your screen time because it can damage your eyes and you can have negative thoughts. It might also make you unhealthy, unfit and sad.” Sarah age 9
Top Tip
Try A Different Viewpoint
Social Media allows you to research and challenge your perspective. TV gives one view point, social media looks at a range and expose yourself to other sources.
Top Tip
Let Music Soothe You
Play soothing music before you go to sleep to help you wind down. “I take in my phone in at nighttime but it’s only to put relaxing music on. And my phone will set itself down when the music finishes. It’s normally on for ten hours and will turn itself off when it’s finished.” Abbie, age 10. “It can help with a lot of things. You can use it for music which helps me concentrate and get a lot more stuff done than usual.”
Top Tip
Post The Good Times And The Bad!
Remember you have a highlight reel as well – post the good times and the bad.
Top Tip
Baby Steps Away
Take baby steps when trying to come off social media as it can be an addiction like smoking.
Top Tip
What’s The Real Number?
Know that some people can buy followers – follower numbers are not necessarily real.
Top Tip
Have A Real Purpose
Try not to mindlessly scroll online. Try to just use social media when you’ve got something to do on it.
Top Tip
Take Your Pick
There are lots of different sports available – if there isn’t one you fancy, consider asking your teachers at school or your local community centre where there’s enough interest to set one up.
Top Tip
Meet For Real
“Reconnect with your friends and give the phone a rest. You can set a time for yourself to be on it for so you’re not on it for too long. And then you can go outside and play more.” Abbie, aged 10
Top Tip
Check Your Sources
Don’t always believe who/what you see (Check your sources and keep safe).
Top Tip
Mute Don’t Block
Try to mute people instead of blocking to avoid confrontation.
Top Tip
Keep A Balance
For every 30 mins of social do a 10 minute walk outside or something mindful.
Top Tip
Pause The Chat
Agree with your friends to pause group chat conversations or online games at a good time for everyone to get enough sleep. This way, you won’t feel you’re missing out.
Top Tip
Only Social Media Sometimes!
“Social media is good for communication but using it for too long can become an unhealthy obsession. Solution: don’t use social media for too long each day. Set time limits.” Sydney, age 11
Top Tip
Only Use Your Location When You Have To
Turn off your location on your phone unless you really need to use it (like searching for an address on maps).
Top Tip
Think About What You Share
When posting photographs, ask yourself: Why am I posting this? Is it a positive memory or do you want people to comment / like your photo so you feel better?
