Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education: Social Media
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of teaching on social media harms, including body image and algorithmic content, within PSHE curricula in secondary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould
As part of statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), pupils are taught about online safety and harms, including the implications of sharing private or personal data online, and the risks associated with over-reliance on social media.
The department updated its RSHE guidance in July 2025, including new content on artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and how social media can escalate conflicts. Pupils should be taught the similarities and differences between the online world and the physical world, including the impact of unhealthy or obsessive comparison with others online, including through setting unrealistic expectations for body image, as well as how information is targeted at them.
Schools have flexibility to tailor their curriculum to local needs, drawing on high quality resources and evidence‑based materials.
The government commissioned Oak National Academy to make lesson materials which reflect the new guidance freely available.
The department’s guidance on teaching online safety covers how to teach about all aspects of internet safety.
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