Facing COVID-19: The technology company creating a safe space for kids online

An education technology company has launched a new educational social media platform to help keep children safe online through the lockdown.

Natterhub, based in Sheffield, has launched its platform of the same name, which it says will support teachers and pupils through school closures.

The specially designed learning platform and framework has been created for teachers to share with pupils.

Originally created to be used in the classroom, co-founders Manjit Sareen and Caroline Allams have now made alterations to make it suitable for home-use too and available for free to support teachers, parents and carers.

Manjit Sareen, co-founder and CEO, commented: “As children are at home, they are inevitably spending more time online.

“This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the internet offers valuable learning opportunities as well as entertainment.

“But with this, there are also increased risks for children, especially for those who do not have the necessary guidance and education as they may be vulnerable to inappropriate information or cyberbullying.

“Sadly, we do expect to see an increase in the number of children being targeted online during this time.

“It was clear to us that whatever the challenges, now was the right time for us to launch.”

Caroline Allams, co-founder and CCO of Natterhub, and a former assistant headteacher, added: “We know that the internet is a really vital tool for everyone at the moment and a way for children to stay connected to the world and each other.

“However, the results of this survey do illustrate just how much time children are spending online and we need to be mindful of this.

“We don’t want people to be afraid to use the internet, but we do want them to have a safe space to learn so that they can thrive online.

“It is not enough for children just to be safe, they need to know how to navigate their online lives and be aware, savvy, and sceptical about what they read.”