The first survey explores how children and young people use screens and social media, as well as the effects on their wellbeing and their confidence in staying safe online. The second asks parents or carers about their own screen use, how confident they are in supporting their children’s screen use, and what resources they would find helpful.

Survey 1: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx…

Survey 2: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx…

While online safety legislation lies with the UK Gov, Scottish Ministers are focused on what can be done with devolved powers by reviewing more than 140 post-Covid research papers examining the impact of digital media use on wellbeing. The surveys and review will be used to deliver new policy to reduce the impact of online harms!

Going online gives young people access to huge amounts of information, which can benefit their learning and connection to friends, family and the world. However, it can also have a harmful impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We know parents and carers worry about how long young people spend online, what content they may be viewing and the addictive nature of some apps.

We want to see a Social Media Levy applied to online platforms which can then be reinvested back into our young people. As part of a public health approach to online safety, we are seeking the views of as many people as possible.