In a world that is increasingly dependent on technology and the internet, it comes as no surprise that social media is practically omnipresent in young people's lives. More often than not it is the negative effects of social media that we hear about, while the positives are frequently overlooked. Social media can contribute massively to children and young people's education, preparing them to become active, well-informed and well-rounded individuals, and providing them with opportunities to learn, develop, interact and find emotional support.

With summer holidays on the horizon, our colleagues at Parenting for a Digital Future share the latest roundup of news on their blog.

South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL), a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre (SIC), has recently published a report that explores what causes young people upset online. The report is the second in a series titled "Young people, internet use and wellbeing in the UK". Compiled by Professor Andy Phippen from Plymouth University, the series explores the role of technology on young people's wellbeing. Each report in the series will have a specific area of focus, such as gender, age differences, and what harmful content means to young people. It assesses data provided by more than 8,200 young people from the ages of 9 - 18 across over 100 schools in the UK.

The Greek Safer Internet Centre, SaferInternet4Kids of FORTH, has recently published the results of new research looking at children's relationship with social media as seen from a parental perspective.

Our colleagues at Parenting for a Digital Future share the latest roundup of news on their blog.

Saferinternet.at, part of the Austrian Safer Internet Centre (SIC), presents new data on how young people from Austria use social media.

Ground-breaking research recently released by INTERPOL and ECPAT International into the online sexual exploitation of children suggests that when online images or videos of child sexual abuse depict boys or very young children, the abuse is more likely to be severe.

Safer Internet Day (SID) was celebrated on Tuesday, 6 February 2018 right across the globe. Read on to find out more about new research shared by the Norwegian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) on the occasion of SID on the topic of children and media.

With the ever-increasing role of internet connected devices in the daily lives of people during recent years, the need has grown for research on media use of the youngest children. Smartphones and tablets have become common and tablets are preferred by little fingers. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the media use of 0-to-8 year olds in Iceland and their parents' attitudes towards that use.

Our colleagues at Parenting for a Digital Future share their latest roundup of news on their blog.