Today is Safer Internet Day 2017. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees hundreds of organisations getting involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet.

For social media use it highlights the importance of being able to know what you should and shouldn't be putting out there. The focus being on children and teens and educating them on the potential dangers of social media. Do your kids know the difference between personal and non-personal information? Unfortunately in most cases they don't. They are not able to distinguish the difference and whether they can or cannot share this information on the internet.

This would be a good starting point to help encourage a more safer approach to social media. The theme of this year's Safer Internet Day is ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’. Play your part in making the internet a better place. Be positive, show respect and help people if they are upset.

The UK Safer Internet Centre has provided a couple of guides and tips for young children on how they can help make the internet a better place. Click here.