Safeguarding in a digital world: what are digital natives?
For those who grew up in an age before wide-spread internet access, online safety remains a definitive point of concern. We tend to check websites for signs of fraudulent activity and are wary of anything we haven’t come across before. However, for digital natives, the outlook is very different.
What are digital natives?
Digital natives are people born and brought up during the age of digital technology, predominantly covering Millennials, Generation Z and early Generation Alpha. As such they are exposed to technology and the internet from a young age. Typically, digital natives are comfortable with technology and are more computer literate than previous generations.
What are the challenges facing digital natives?
Whilst young people are born into a digital world and grow up around technology, there are a number of challenges and concerns that they face, these include:
Privacy
Reports suggest that digital natives showcase different levels of digital literacy, particularly in relation to privacy. Whilst largely technologically adept and aware of privacy risks, they may not always take proactive measures to protect their information.
Security
Typically, digital natives are also aware of security risks and threats, but this may not always translate into actively taking measures to protect themselves. A 2025 report suggests that digital natives may be the highest risk of cybercrimes due to activities such as:
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Using weak passwords such as birthdays and pets.
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Connecting to public Wi-Fi without a VPN.
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Sharing sensitive work information with AI tools.
The report states that 56% of Generation Z digital natives have had no access to cyber security training and are ill-equipped to identify and prevent attacks.
Online bullying
According to a recent ONS report on 10-15 years old children, 92.6% of children use the internet daily, with 30.1% using it “almost all the time”. The same report states that 19.1% of children experienced online bullying in the 2022-2023, most of which tookl place at school.
Not all young people are digital natives
A project from the University of Liverpool suggests that not all young people are digitally literate, as previously assumed. Digital inequalities correspond with key elements of economic, social and cultural inequality. Whilst it might seem that the social-media-loving, always online younger generations are digitally savvy, some groups lack critical thinking skills and are unaware (or don’t care) of the risks of being perpetually online.
How to help digital natives stay safe online
Learning how to stay safe online is a modern life skill. It’s one that teachers, parents and carers can work on collaboratively with those in their care. But how do you keep young people safe online, while still allowing them to make the most of the technologically integrated world they’ve grown up in?
Safeguarding training
While you can’t always be there to monitor children’s activity, you can help them stay safe online. Online safeguarding training offers those with a duty of care a chance to learn exactly where children are likely to become exposed to unsavoury material, including comments and suggestions.
Safeguarding training is the easiest defence against naive behaviour. If you are trained to teach children the importance of online safety, you are far more likely to get through to them. If you can confidently explain the reasons why you are restricting their use of technology, there is less chance of them using it out of spite.
While digital natives may have been born to become internet wizards, they need just as much guidance as the rest of us. Safeguarding training gives those in charge the right tools to tackle online safety in a concise and meticulous manner. As technology develops, the internet is likely to become even more accessible — and it’s our duty to prepare children for whatever risks may occur in the future.
Key aspects of digital safeguarding & online safety in schools
Safeguarding training is essential for school staff, with a number of key aspects that need to be considered:
Policies & procedures
All schools should have robust online safety policies that both help teachers and staff to safeguard against online incidents and help students to stay safe online. Note that online safety policies and procedures must follow the legislation and guidance for child protection in schools across the UK and for online safety.
IT safety and data protection
Schools need to have strong IT infrastructure and data protection practices. This includes:
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Use of a firewall and antivirus software
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Use of a recognised internet service provider
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Use of an encrypted password protected Wi-Fi network
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Actively monitoring and filtering websites
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Managing data in line with the Data Protection Act
Teaching online safety
Teaching online safety should not be restricted to IT lessons but be embedded throughout the curriculum. Teachers should be having ongoing conversations with students about the benefits and risks of the internet, creating an open environment for students to ask questions and raise concerns. Find resources to help teach online safety with Tes Resources.
Social media usage
As we discussed earlier, social media plays an important role in the lives of young people, but this comes with a number of risks including cyber bulling, harmful content and online grooming.
This needs to be tackled both at home at in school, with open and ongoing conversations about social media safety. With it so integrated into modern life, young people need to learn how to navigate the social media landscape safely, rather than it being completely restricted.
Parents & carers
Much of what young people learn in school about online safety needs to be reiterated at home. But parents aren’t digital natives. Many aren’t even digitally literate. So how do teachers involve parents and carers?
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Share news, activities and events that promote the message of online safety.
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Share resources, including the learning resources used in the classroom, with parents to help them understand what their children are learning.
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Circulate school online safety policies.
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Invite parents to online safety sessions.
Safeguarding training for a digital world
At Tes we offer over 80 flexible, expert-delivered safeguarding courses that enable your teachers and school staff to expand and strengthen their knowledge in safeguarding, compliance, health and safety, and wellbeing. Take a look at our courses online today to learn more.