Internet safety
How the Games You Played as a Child Shaped Your Brain
Veronica Lichtenstein, a licensed mental health counsellor and former teacher (Newsweek, 7/12/25) recently shared an interesting perspective on why many people who grew up gaming in the 1990s often think and learn differently from Gen Z. His argument was simple but striking: the games you played as a child didn’t just entertain you — they…
Read MoreMaking good conversations easier
Having Good Conversations with Young People The key to building a positive relationship and sorting out any communication difficulties with your teenager is to keep the channels of communication open. No big lectures: Try to offer the same support that you would a friend – listen without passing comment, without making judgements or offering criticism.…
Read MoreRedefining Strength: Why healthy masculinity matters so much for the next generation
The Netflix drama Adolescence really brought this topic to the fore, and with award season coming up, there’s sure to be another big bounce in the headlines and column inches it attracts. As we see outstanding young actor Owen Cooper being crowned the youngest ever Emmy nominee, have we made any progress since the show…
Read MoreNew survey for young people in Scotland – Share your views on gambling, gaming, and cryptocurrency
Are you aged 11-25 and living in Scotland? If so, we want to hear what you think about gambling, cryptocurrency, and the connections between gambling and gaming like loot boxes. We also want to know what you think should be done to support young people and prevent harm from gambling and related technologies. We’ve teamed…
Read MoreGuest blog: Robert from Highland Council shares top tips for how to have conversations about online safety with young people
In this blog, Robert Quigley from Highland Council shares their journey towards including gambling in their work, and tips for starting conversations with young people about online safety. I was recently honoured to have been asked to speak at the annual Scottish Gambling Education Conference as a keynote speaker, to share the journey that Highland…
Read MoreReflecting on YouthLink’s Digital Youth Work Conference 2022
The conference on Safer Internet Day (8 Feb 2022) highlighted the wealth of opportunities children and young people have gained from our growing online world. It also emphasised the increased importance of cyber resilience to navigate the risks it presents. Here we share some of our highlights from the day. Morning The event kicked…
Read MoreThe Heart of the matter…
The Heart of the matter today, is a matter of the heart… LOVE, unlike the little heart in the middle of this sweet red pepper, cannot be bought, sold, or traded. Love is not a source of vitamin C, a commodity, a substance nor even an energy force that can measured or regulated. Love knows no…
Read MoreHAPPY Safer Internet Day!
#shareaheart Fast Forward and SPEN are taking part in today’s celebration that sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. Together we can help make the internet a place of kindness and respect. Find out more not the SID Website here…
Read MoreFrom Selfies to Selfless
Can new forms of Social Media teach us the gentle art of self-compassion? This week saw the publication of worrying data about the impact of social media on the Self. Third Force News Report So where does it go from here? Are the App developers listening to research? Traditionally Social Media has been used to…
Read MoreHere’s a Picture of my Junk – The top 10 sexting and internet safety resources
Based on a whip-round for digital resources here in the Fast Forward office, this list includes our favourite resources on sexting and internet safety. By no means exhaustive, and in no particular order, the top 10 are: 1. ThinkUknow The one-stop shop for young people and practitioners to find out more about the internet when it…
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