Alongside a group of online safety, education and media organisations and experts, we wrote to the Government calling for children’s media literacy to be urgently made a national priority.
Media literacy is not only crucial to protect young people from online harms, but also to delivering urgent Government priorities around democratic resilience, economic growth and national security.
The letter, coordinated by Molly Rose Foundation and Internet Matters, was signed by 70 policy experts, academics, trade unions and organisations including the NSPCC, The Guardian Foundation, The Children’s Society and NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union.
We are calling on the Prime Minister, and both the Secretaries of State for Education and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), to take four actions:
- Put strengthened media literacy at the heart of new online safety plans, recognising that a social media ban cannot keep children safe on its own. Media literacy helps protect children wherever they spend time online. It also helps to reduce the risk that children who get around restrictions may be less likely to ask for help if they experience harm online.
- Build on existing plans and establish media and digital literacy as a fundamental life skill throughout education. A new national framework should set out how all subjects and wider learning opportunities work together to build the foundational life skills needed to thrive in a digital world, including critical thinking about information, understanding algorithms and AI, and recognising manipulation.
- Ensure schools are fully supported to deliver these changes. Realising media literacy’s value will require investment in teacher training, access to high-quality resources and guidance, and practical support for families.
- Strengthen leadership and co-ordinated action across government. The Culture Secretary should lead work across the Department for Education, Ofcom and other relevant bodies, backed by clear responsibilities and sustained investment.
