To help parents and carers feel more confident navigating the digital world alongside their children, Media Smart and TikTok are hosting two community workshops in Bradford. The initiative is part of the Teens, Social Media & You campaign.

Building on the success of the campaign, which provided a suite of creator-led videos and resources to help parents, carers and teachers navigate online platforms, the workshop sessions have been designed alongside youth creative agency Livity to further support local communities.

Two 90-minute interactive workshops running today (22nd April), will focus on practical, easy to understand advice and tips that caregivers can use to get involved in their teen's online life. 

The workshops aim to move away from technical barriers and instead encourage open conversations between caregivers and teens about digital habits. The sessions are designed to build confidence and will focus on four key areas. Firstly how to start a positive conversation about social media, secondly encouraging healthier online habits. The fourth and fifth areas are understanding filters, effects, and digital self-esteem and recognising and preventing scams.

The offline sessions aim to build upon the suite of online resources from the previous campaign that positioned teenagers as educators. Utilising platform-native trends like ‘Get Ready With Me’ and ‘Walk and Talk’, the content helped teens to create engaging safety advice and drive intergenerational dialogue.

The workshops recognise the importance of having conversations about online safety in real-world settings. Building on the online resources, the initiative has developed in line with the fact that those who often need the most support are those in communities less digitally engaged or currently offline.

“These face-to-face workshops recognise the importance of open, positive conversations at home and ensure that parents and carers - particularly those who may feel less digitally connected - are supported with clear, relatable advice,” explained Jules Millar, Principal of Oasis Academy Lister Park.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Teens, Social Media & You to parents and carers in Bradford. These workshops will encourage open conversations at home while giving families practical tools to support their teens’ online lives. With the initiative recently shortlisted for a Purpose Award, this extension marks an important step in reaching families beyond digital spaces,” added Rachel Barber-Mack, Executive Director of Media Smart.

The campaign’s resources can be found via Media Smart’s website.