The UK government has launched a new campaign, ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’, to help parents discuss harmful online content with their children and provide practical guidance for immediate use. The campaign addresses the risks of body-shaming, ragebait, misogynistic material, and misinformation on social media, supporting parents in setting safety controls and initiating difficult conversations about what children encounter online. The initiative comes amid new research showing that half of British parents have never spoken to their children about harmful content, despite 90% of 11-year-olds now owning a smartphone.
The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) has provided parents with guidance based on behavioural research and academic insights, including conversation prompts, age-appropriate advice, and information on social media safety settings. A survey of over 1,000 parents found that while most feel confident understanding online platforms, a quarter do not know what their children are seeing, and over half reported lacking resources to navigate these discussions. Nearly three-quarters indicated they would feel comfortable correcting misinformation if equipped with the right tools.
Alongside practical support, the campaign launches a National Conversation and consultation on children’s digital wellbeing, engaging parents and children nationwide to inform longer-term measures. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized the importance of equipping parents to have regular, open conversations about online content, preparing children for the digital world, and ensuring they have a safe and healthy upbringing. The campaign encourages parents to explore the internet together with their children and ask open-ended questions to build critical thinking and awareness.
Research indicates that boys are particularly vulnerable to algorithmically served misogynistic content, even if they do not actively seek it. The campaign focuses on fostering critical thinking skills to help parents address such material before harmful attitudes develop. Expert organizations, including Parent Zone and Internet Matters, helped develop the campaign, which will be piloted in Yorkshire and the Midlands starting 16 February with TV and social media marketing on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Experts highlight the need for a multi-pronged approach combining regulation, moderation, and education. The campaign aims to empower parents, promote open communication, and encourage intentional choices about screen use. The initiative also coincides with Safer Internet Day, emphasizing responsible and safe use of AI and other digital technologies. Parents are recognized as a primary source of guidance on online safety, yet many struggle with conversations about misogyny, hate speech, and other harmful content.
The campaign complements ongoing efforts under the Online Safety Act, which includes measures such as age verification for adult sites, reduced visits to pornography, and new laws criminalizing non-consensual intimate images, deepfakes, and nudification tools. Additional government initiatives focus on embedding digital literacy and critical thinking into the RSHE and citizenship curriculum, ensuring children can identify misinformation and disinformation from an early age.
The campaign website provides full guidance, conversation starters, and safety advice for parents. Research informing the initiative included surveys, interviews, and algorithmic modelling of social media content for teenage archetypes, which revealed a fourfold increase in misogynistic content served to young users over a five-day period.
