EducationEnded 12 Sept
Should we help children understand the evolving nature of social media?
Yes 90%No 10%797 votes cast
The UK government is updating the national curriculum and RSHE guidance to strengthen media literacy in schools. From September 2026, RSHE covers how social media works, AI, deepfakes and spotting misinformation. A revised curriculum embedding media literacy more deeply in English, citizenship and other subjects is due for full implementation from September 2028. This responds to concerns about children's exposure to disinformation and rapidly changing online platforms.
29 Opinions
An appalling own goal by those voting yes. You're giving the Left a gift. I do not trust the tutoring of the existing curriculum, adding this will only create more opportunity for churning out brainwashed youngsters with pre-conditioned opinions of which media is acceptable. Teaching them to be sceptical and to question everything is the only sane educational input and I wouldn't trust our teachers to tell the truth about the weather outside.
Yes. 1. To be sceptical even of the person giving you the message/news/info/gossip so that will include the teachers/curriculum/government etc. Ask questions. 2. To go check everything for yourself & develop skills along the way, eg research & observational techniques that may benefit a career or just make you more empathetic. 3. Be honest when sharing information & learning to be thoughtful about what needs to be shared vs nonsense [Except pet videos, ofcourse! ;)]
The state should not have a monopoly on what counts as misinformation. They are directly incentivised to decide to obscure or give misleading information to children. It is paramount that we teach children to think beyond a headline to question and contrast.
Lesson time for RSHE is already set aside for children to learn about non-academic issues. They certainly need to cover AI, deepfakes, cults, and ethics. This is NOT a replacement for parenting.
Computer and social media use should be a matter of parenting. Like Reagan said, there is nothing worse than someone telling you”I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. Governments of all colours have proved to be untrustworthy in handling information and “nudging” the public. A government unit demanding that you be scared of certain posts on Facebook will be overbearing, propagandist and likely 12 months out of date. It’s a terrible idea.
Yes, it's not only social media that spreads disinformation. The BBC has been doing it for years, as has the Government's nudge unit. We will never teach children to treat anything that the government says with scepticism, but we should. Media literacy would be excellent, but would lesson the government's control, so will never happen.
Yes - social media exists, for better or worse, and we need to prepare children for dealing with it. This would be far more effective than the social media ban that our dearly beloved politicians have been pushing
Axiomatically it is essential that children are given as many alternative views and opinions as possible. Children’s brains are like sponges & despite those who try and limit children’s potential by referencing their own failure & lack of ambition, the more our youth are prepared, the better chances they should have in a very dangerous world.
Yes, for 12 year olds as nobody below that should be on social media. Like a cycling proficiency test. Not delivered by a teacher but by a social media professional.
Certainly we should be helping children (everyone, really) understand changes, but government has shown itself to be incompetent in this sphere. Amelia, the Nudge Unit, Prevent and many more all promote biased, partial views.