Over half (52%) of parents admit that they would not be able to survive the online world if they were a child today. To help educate children about online safety and share tips and advice on how to behave online, a new campaign by Pitch Marketing Group sees EE team up with Beano. 

At the heart of the campaign is a specially created Beano comic strip starring iconic characters Dennis Menace and Minnie the Minx showcasing the potential perils of a first mobile phone and providing parents with actionable tips to ensure their kids stay safe and are kind online. The comics have been developed into a set of educational animated videos housed on a central online hub.

An accompanying campaign film shows Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx go and get their first ever smart phones. The pair excitedly set up their phones but Dennis goes a step further than Minnie signing up to every social media and speaking with strangers online. The next day Dennis’ mother exclaims that a strange man is at the door and Dennis panics that his online conversations have gone too far. Luckily his mum jokes that it’s only Minnie really, but the moral of the story remains and Dennis is far more cautious going forward.

Safety online is big concern for parents these days, as campaign research shows 60% of parents fear that their kids know very little about how to protect themselves when using their phones, 74% of mums and dads try to educate their children and a concerning 55% admit that if their child saw something unsuitable online they wouldn’t know how to stop them seeing it again.

As concern around the impact of phone use mounts and parents worry that phones make their child unhappy, 66% are calling for online platforms to do more to protect children. This campaign sees EE aim to address these worries. To do so, the brand has created the ‘PhoneSmart Licence’, an online course educating children from all mobile network providers for free on how to stay safe and be kind online. The course has been created in partnership with experts from Internet Matters to give parents that additional peace of mind as their children enter the online world.

“As a parent of two I know the excitement a new phone brings a child, but it also worries me allowing them access to everything in the online world. That’s why it’s been great to be able to use the Beano characters familiar from my childhood, to share tips and advice on how children can navigate using their phones safely.” added Victoria Johnson, Digital Impact and Sustainability Campaigns and Engagement Director, BT Group.

EE has shared its tips to help children stay safe and be kind online for free on its website. Find out more and find the comic strips here.