There’s rarely a moment when we aren't online.

At any given time, you can be reading your phone, streaming radio, checking the group chat, or paying for something, all while eating, waiting for a bus or hanging the washing.

Making sure your family is switched on when it comes to their media literacy skills is no longer a nice thing to have. It's vital.

It’s the ability to access and critically evaluate different media – for example, the online places you visit (Facebook, Netflix, bbc.co.uk) and the content you see (videos, music, adverts). It's also being able to use this media to communicate.

Sure, it doesn’t sound exciting. BUT… it can help your family with the things that really make a difference. For example:

• Knowing what to trust
• Recognising advertising
• Protecting your privacy
• Saving money
• Avoiding scams
• Staying healthy
• Learning
• Having a voice

These are essential life skills and opportunities. So how do you start to develop them?

You can break media literacy into five basic areas of understanding:

1. Data – The information (age, address, your favourite crisp flavour...) you knowingly and unknowingly share online. 
2. Environment – The different spaces you visit online (social media, games, email) and how they connect.
3. Content – Every email, video, article, meme, podcast or thing created and shared online, by others or yourself.
4. Consequences – The things you do online and the impact they might have on your life as a whole.
5. Positivity – How you choose to participate online and how to make a positive contribution.

It’s a lot to remember. So take it one step at a time. 

You can build little habits everyday that start to also build your media literacy. These habits can become so instinctive, you don’t need to think about them. (A bit like not needing to read the label on a loaf of brown bread to know it’s wholemeal.)

One way to start a new behaviour is to ‘stack it’ with an existing habit. This could be as simple as using the time it takes to boil the water for pasta to check your weekly screen time.

We’ve put together some suggested new habits to get started. They are suggestions – and you may not be able to do them all. If you try only one, you are making a change.

Now read...

Sharing isn’t always caring – ways to look after your data online.

Be streetwise – how to better understand content and the places you go online.

Read between the lines – how to avoid mis- and disinformation.

Back in the real world – tips to stay connected to offline consequences.

Live your best life – making the internet a more positive place.   

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Supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) media literacy taskforce fund.