Apps, Social Media and Gaming Workshops
Are you concerned that apps, social media and gaming could be harming the young people you are responsible for?
Apps, social media platforms and gaming services are three separate but interconnected elements of online life for teens and other young people. They all make accessing content and connecting with other people easy and fun, but they also bring with them many risks.
2020 Dreams created our unique apps, social media and gaming workshop to address concerns of teachers, parents, youth service providers and community leaders. Our practical and highly engaging workshops are designed to raise awareness of the dangers of online activity, while empowering young people to manage that activity safely and responsibly.
Defining Apps, Social Media and Gaming
An app (or application) is a user-friendly program that can be downloaded to a smartphone, tablet, PC or other device. Young people download apps to enjoy their favourite music, video, social media and gaming platforms while on the move.
A social media platform is an online space designed mainly for making and developing connections. This often involves the sharing of user-generated content (UGC).
All of the well-known social media platforms have companion mobile apps (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). In fact, some social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) were designed from the start as mobile apps.
A gaming service provides a platform for playing video games online, both for solo players and those who connect with others in multi-player games. Gamers also have their own dedicated browser apps for communicating with one another. Discord is the most well-known of these.
The line between social media platforms and gaming services is becoming increasingly blurred with many gaming services adding social media features to help keep users engaged. For example, the online gaming store Steam functions as a social media platform in the way it facilitates friend connections and group forming. Twitch, Amazon’s live streaming platform for gamers, also includes many social components such as the ability to add friends, message other gamers and set up a unique page (channel).
Managing the Risk of Online Harms
Apps and social media and gaming platforms have become so embedded in our children’s worlds that helping them to manage the risks is much more productive than trying to control their activity.
Some of these risks include:
- Grooming (where a person builds trust with another, usually younger, person for the purpose of exploiting them, often for sex).
- Accessing inappropriate content
- Cyber bullying and trolling
- Blackmail and sextortion
- Identity theft
- Social media or device addiction
- Unhealthy focus on body image
This is a lot to manage for the average teacher, parent, youth worker or group leader. That’s why we recommend a group workshop approach.
2020 Dreams Apps, Social Media and Gaming Workshops
Our 2020 Dreams Apps, Social Media and Gaming Workshops can be customised to address your specific concerns, or we can deliver our standard content covering the areas we know young people are most impacted by.
Our skilled and experienced facilitators know exactly how to engage with young people, from children all the way up to young adults. They will deliver age and context-appropriate content that will challenge but not upset the participants.
We use proven strategies to maximise student engagement. Our student-led open forum discussions help young people to articulate their own concerns and ensure the workshops remain relevant. Meanwhile, scenario-based role plays provide the perfect platform for developing and expanding online safety skills.
We also provide high-quality training packages and consultations. These are particularly useful for large schools and institutions as they empower staff members to design their own effective apps, social media and gaming PSHE sessions.
To find out more or to make a booking, please contact our friendly team, either by calling 0800 471 4983 or by sending an email to hello@2020dreams.org.uk
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