Do you feel that you spend too much time on social media? Do you talk with your children about them spending too much time on social media? Social media is a big part of daily life for many people, including teenagers. Assistant Head Mrs Davies led assemblies during week commencing 11 November 2024 on social media kindness.

Have you ever seen the Pet Shop Boys' On Social Media video?

There are, of course, positive and healthy elements to social media, such as staying in touch with friends, especially at a distance, and supporting each other, as well as accessing a wealth of educational and informative content - and laughing out loud at cat videos!

But, as we all know, there is also a more negative side, which includes cyberbullying and online negativity, algorithms, distractions, disrupted sleep, FOMO, body image perception, deterioration in young people's mental health, disinformation and so on.

It is hard to avoid these apps - they are part of our lives and the society we live in. What we can do is ensure we use them carefully, kindly and appropriately. Words impact everyone differently.

Read What if... we create cycles of kindness on social media

We need to stop, think and talk.

Social Media Kindness Day on 9 November, was set up in memory of the late TV presenter Caroline Flack and is an annual event dedicated to promoting positivity, empathy and kindness in the digital world. It was established to address the growing issue of cyberbullying and online negativity and aims to harness the positive potential of social media platforms for fostering kindness and compassion. See their 10-point Social Media Ethics...

Every time we use social media, we leave an imprint. Sometimes we need a reminder not to be instantly reactive. Most people would never make the nasty remarks they do on social media to a person's face.

Be kind to others online...

• Pause, take a deep breath before you post a comment. If you wouldn't say it to a person's face, don't say it online.
• Think before you repost content. Is the content accurate, is it constructive?
• Support and promote people who are doing positive things.

Be kind to yourself...

• Don’t assume everyone has more money or success than you. Many images and posts on social media are filtered and curated. They’re not real life.
• Avoid platforms and influencers who make you feel like you’re not enough.
• Don’t doomscroll. There’s nothing wrong with following current affairs, but keep track of how your social media exposure impacts your mental health.
• Avoid getting into arguments online. Most likely, the person you’re arguing with thrives on winding people up and isn’t interested in informed debate.
• Listen and learn. Social media can open your eyes to new ideas or interests.
   

Words impact everyone differently - please STOP and THINK. 

The Deer Park values, which underpin all that we do, are Trust, Kindness and Determination. Trust ensures pupils feel safe, Kindness ensures pupils are happy and Determination leads to pupils being successful. See our Mission and Values...