Wake Up Wednesday Conspiracy Theories
As part of our commitment to keeping children safe both online and offline, we’re sharing this week’s Wake Up Wednesday guide from National Online Safety, which focuses on a newly recognised safeguarding concern: misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories.
The latest update to Keeping Children Safe in Education now includes these issues as potential harms. While some conspiracy theories may seem unbelievable, they can be highly persuasive—especially when shared by charismatic influencers or through dramatic online videos.
Unchecked, these ideas can lead to:
- Isolation and anxiety
- Exposure to extremist content
- Erosion of trust in reliable sources such as schools, families, and the media
This guide offers practical advice for parents and carers on how to:
- Encourage healthy scepticism and curiosity
- Support children in thinking critically about online content
- Create safe spaces for open conversations about what they see and hear online
We encourage all families to take a few minutes to read the guide and use it as a starting point for calm, confident discussions with your child.
