Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Education Secretary on the potential merits of teaching awareness of social media.

The government is working to make the internet safer, through the Online Safety Act to ensure platforms limit harmful content and by helping citizens gain skills to navigate the online world.

Digital and media literacy skills are taught through several compulsory subjects within the school curriculum. This includes evaluating digital content, the implications of sharing personal data, harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, and over-reliance on social media. DSIT and DfE ministers collaborate to ensure these skills are integrated into education policy. The Government has also commissioned an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review which will consider digital and critical thinking skills.