You’ll hear a lot of white noise this Safer Internet Day. With all the messages, strap-lines and hashtags floating around, it can be hard to get good practical advice on what you can do right now to help make the children in your care safer online. If you remember one thing from Safer Internet Day this year, let it be the number 13. This is the age you have to be to use some of the most common apps out there including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

If you care for a young child who is or is turning 13, ask them what apps they already use or check their devices for any of these icons. If they have any of these apps, it means they’ve lied about their age. Make sure you turn the clock back on their virtual age, so it matches their true age. This will prevent them from seeing content which is unsuitable for them. Our free downloadable resource will show you how to change your age on the most popular platforms.