Protect Teens from Tech Companies
“Instagram helped kill my daughter, too little has changed, promises to deliver safety have failed and algorithms still show streams of toxic content to children. We need to protect our children from the profit-driven business models that drive tech companies and puts the safety of children at the bottom of their priorities.” Ian Russell, Molly’s Dad and Chair of Molly Rose Foundation.
The film release of ‘The Social Reckoning’ depicts the true story of how a Facebook engineer and Wall Street Journal reporter worked together to blow the whistle on Facebook in 2021.
Five years later, and nearly ten years after the death of Molly Russell, we are still fighting for social media that is safer by design.
We’re here to hold tech companies accountable and help you protect your children.
Watching The Social Reckoning will understandably alarm many people, particularly parents. If you’re worried and want to make practical changes the advice below can help keep your child safe online.
Start with curiosity and ask open questions to show genuine interest in what they enjoy online, such as “What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen recently?” or “How do you decide what to click on when you’re scrolling?”.
Listen without judgement, recognising that the digital world is a big part of your child’s life. You don’t need all the answers, what matters most is listening openly and seeing things from their perspective. When they share things you might say, “Can you tell me more about that?” or “How do you feel about that?”.
Explore platform design together, considering how the way platforms are built can shape online experiences and affect wellbeing. Talk about features like algorithms and likes, and how they might influence what your child sees and how they feel. Try asking, “Why do you think your feed looks different from someone else’s?” or “Do you think algorithms can influence your mood?
Help your child spot harmful content by talking about how some posts can encourage harmful behaviours or make difficult feelings worse, even if they seem helpful at first. Explain that content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, or discouraging getting help is unsafe, and constant exposure can affect wellbeing. Remind them that not all harmful content is obvious. It can appear as relatable posts or artwork. You could ask them how they decide if a post is safe or helpful.
Support your child to put their safety and wellbeing first online by considering what they follow and engage with. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to break the pattern of algorithms but taking steps like unfollowing harmful accounts and muting harmful content can be helpful. You could ask them, “Are there any accounts that make you feel stressed or low?” and “What kind of content helps you feel good about yourself?”.
Focus on values, not just rules, by encouraging kindness, respect, and critical thinking in online spaces. These are important skills which can be used across platforms and can support young people to navigate online spaces safely.
Role model healthy relationships with technology by taking regular breaks and discussing when you notice changes in your feed or the impact being online is having on you. This will help your child to see you as someone who understands the realities they may be facing.
Explore safety and wellbeing settings together across the devices and apps your family uses. These settings will help you restrict harmful content and set usage limits to manage how long you spend online.
Keep the conversation open and reassuring, making online safety a regular, relaxed topic so your child knows you’re interested in their digital life and there to support them. Remind them they matter and that their safety and wellbeing are always more important than any rule.
We know that when stories like Molly’s are covered in the media or discussed by adults, young people may naturally ask questions.
This guide offers 5 ways you can safely explore the issues raised in Molly’s story with
children and young people.
In the coming weeks there is likely to be a focus in the news on the dangers of online harms, self-harm and suicide related content which can be viewed online as a result of the inquest into Molly’s death.
A digital safety wellbeing kit for parents, along with a safety guide for children, have both been produced by a trusted, reliable and informed source – the Children’s Commissioner.
You can help us produce more resources to support parents and campaign for:
We lose one young person to suicide where technology plays a role every week in the UK. It’s our belief that suicide is preventable with the right education in place together with better regulation and policy change.
We influence policy makers, raise the voice of lived experience and deliver education and support to reduce preventable suicide and address online harm.