Helping UK parents combat toxic online content
With growing concerns about how toxic online content is influencing children, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology tasked us with encouraging parents to talk to their kids (aged 8-14) about what they’re exposed to online.
Research commissioned for the campaign found that half of British parents have never spoken to their children about harmful online content, despite 90% of 11-year-olds now owning a smartphone.
With many parents unaware of just how insidious body-shaming, misogynistic and rage bait content can be, our campaign sought to show how easily it infiltrates everyday family life. Our hero film follows a boy at home during a typical morning, with only the voiceover revealing the harmful nature of what he’s seeing on his phone.
Since children are less well equipped to decipher and interpret toxic content on their own, the integrated campaign armed parents with the language and prompts to engage them in conversation, giving them the confidence to discuss it with their kids and help build the critical thinking skills they need.
Our TVC was supported by online guidance, online and OOH awareness drivers, as well as smart speaker activity, which encouraged parents to set weekly reminders to check in.
