Why Safer Internet Day Matters More Than Ever

Young people are growing up in a digital world, and that world is only becoming more connected. Digital technology now plays a role in almost every industry and career path. Research shows that more than 90% of jobs require digital skills, making them essential for the future workforce.

As technology continues to shape how we learn, work, and communicate, it’s more important than ever that children not only understand technology but also learn how to use it safely and responsibly. With young people spending increasing amounts of time online both at school and at home, digital safety has become a vital life skill.

This is why Safer Internet Day is so important. It encourages schools, teachers and organisations to start meaningful conversations about how young people can navigate the digital world safely.

Supporting Digital Safety in Schools

At Jam Coding, helping children develop these skills is central to our mission. Computing education is not just about learning how to code or use digital tools. It is also about understanding how to behave responsibly online, protect personal information and make positive choices in digital spaces.

This year, we are estimated to have helped over 24,000 children with essential online safety learning, helping them build the confidence, knowledge and skills to stay safe, positive and responsible online.

Why Digital Safety Is a Core Life Skill

Digital safety and citizenship are core life skills. It’s not just about avoiding online scams or protecting passwords. It also helps children understand the effects of cyberbullying and what they should do if they experience it themselves. Pupils also learn how to spot misinformation online, make informed decisions and look after their own digital wellbeing when faced with a constant stream of information. Digital Citizenship is all encompassing.

Teaching children these skills early helps to build healthy and responsible habits that they can carry with them throughout their lives.

What Pupils Learned on Safer Internet Day

To support this learning, we created free Safer Internet Day lesson plans and resources for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. We know how important it is for children to start learning about online safety from an early age.

In our Key Stage 1 lessons, pupils explored the idea of online identities and began thinking about how their online identity might be different from their real identity. They also discussed some of the potential dangers online before using creative software to design their own comic books about online safety.

In the following lesson, pupils explored cyberbullying and what they should do if they encounter online dangers. They then added images, text and comic features to their work to bring their online safety stories to life.

Key Stage 2 pupils followed a similar theme but worked on a more advanced project. They explored online identities and discussed both the opportunities and risks that exist online. Pupils then played an online safety game to gather ideas for questions they would use in their own game.

Using coding and creative design, they began creating characters, backgrounds and mechanics for their own computer game focused on online safety.

In the next lesson, pupils explored viral online posts and discussed the positives and negatives of content spreading widely online. They then continued coding their game by adding new characters, extra map areas and more online safety questions.

Reaching Thousands of Young People

All of these resources were made available completely free for teachers to use in their classrooms in celebration of Safer Internet Day.

If every participating school delivered these lessons, up to 24,640 children could have taken part. That means thousands of young people learning about online safety while also developing important digital skills and enjoying a fun and engaging day of learning.

Thank You to Participating Schools

We would like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers and schools who signed up and took the time to prioritise digital safety in their classrooms. Your commitment helps ensure that young people are better prepared to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Continuing the Conversation

Safer Internet Day is an important moment to highlight digital safety, but the conversation should not stop there. As technology continues to evolve, it’s essential that schools keep discussing online safety and digital wellbeing throughout the year.
We are already looking forward to supporting even more schools with free resources for Safer Internet Day 2027, when digital safety will be more important than ever.

How is your school continuing the conversation about online safety beyond Safer Internet Day? Share ideas, get tips, and stay connected by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.