ASCL in partnership with University College London (UCL) have produced teacher resources for schools that are intended to accompany the ‘digital nutrition’ approach recommended for parents and developed by Dr Katherine Regehr et al in the new book
Smartphone Nation: Why We are All Addicted to Screens and What You Can Do About it. These resources are aimed at Key Stages 3 and 4 and are designed so teachers can pick and choose what they might include as an addition to their current curriculum.
This approach originated in a project, “The Healthy Digital Diet Approach to Education” undertaken at UCL in collaboration with ASCL in 2024, drawing on previous research exploring the impact of harmful social media content and recommender algorithms on young people’s health and wellbeing. The outcome of that research,
The Safer Scrolling Report, published by ASCL, has shown that algorithms are having harmful effects on young people by amplifying toxic material and impacting peer relationships and wellbeing.
The release of the
Safer Scrolling Report led to hundreds of articles reporting on the findings, including
The Guardian, and
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour (from 46 mins 45 secs), along with
parent movements calling for better understanding and increased restrictions on smartphones during childhood.
In response, new research has been developed by UCL colleagues working in partnership with ASCL to identify interventions to embed understanding of 'digital nutrition' within the curriculum, and how to amplify young people’s own voices and experiences about their everyday digital lives. Schools took part in workshops to co-design a 'digital diet resource' which was informed by the voices of young people.
Resources
Thank you to our members who took part in the research and resource development.