Description
‘The A to Z Guide will help readers navigate what often feels like a bewildering set of challenges in today’s digital world, with simple but powerful activities and practical tips.’ Prof Robin Banerjee
Are you concerned about how much time your child is spending on online and what they are accessing? Do you feel out of your depth keeping up with the latest apps and technology? Everything You Need to Know: A to Z Guide for Supporting Young People’s Digital Wellbeing.
Whilst digital technology allows for many social, emotional and educational benefits, it can impact a young person’s mental wellbeing in a detrimental way. The digital landscape is ever-changing with growing numbers of children and young people avid users of multiple online platforms. This book will guide the reader through an A-Z of digital mental health, from gaming, networking, and social media to awareness of fake news, misogyny, and trolling. An essential resource for parents, carers and professionals. It provides tips and activities to help encourage further discussions, ways to approach difficult conversations and promote positive and safe relationships with digital technology.
Author
Becca Randell is a Children’s Digital Consultant and the Founder of Empowering Digital Lives, which aims to help parents and professionals to support not only themselves but also children and young people to thrive online through digital literacy as well as safety and digital wellbeing.
She is currently leading the mobilisation of digital mental health innovation as part of the Health Innovation Network and the implementation of research in children and young people’s mental health for National Institute of Health and Care (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration. She is a mother of two teenagers and presents both nationally and internationally on children’s mental wellbeing.
Audience
Parents, carers, educators, teachers, mental health professionals, social care workers, students of these professions
Content
Section 1: Introduction
1: Introduction
2: Children’s mental health in a digital era
3: Digital parenting in a digital age
4: Parents, carers and professionals views
5: What support to kids say they want?
Section 2: A-Z of digital mental health
A – AI
B – Body image
C – Catfishing
D – Dark and deep web
E – Excessive online use
F – Fake news
G – Gaming
H – Online hate
I – Influencers
J – Joy/fear of missing out
K – Keep learning
L – Digital literacy
M – Misogyny
N – Networking
O – Online safety
P – Parental controls
Q – Quality time
R – Racism
S – Social media
T – Trolling
U – Understanding digital self-harm
V – Vlogging
W – Digital wellbeing
X – X-rated
Y – Young people & gambling
Z – Zoning out
Section 3: Moving forward
Conclusions
Further information, advice and support
Glossary
References
Competing
Details
Publisher: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
ISBN: 9781803884073
Publication date: 3rd September 2025
Page count: 288
Paul Phillips –
As a youth worker who engages in the digital space with young people, I believe this book is an essential tool for professionals and parents. Being grounded in the views and experiences of children, young people, parents and professionals, as well as the latest research and legislation, Becca has created an invaluable resource to help us understand the many benefits and challenges of the digital world, as well as providing practical steps to support the learning and wellbeing of children and young people.
I have already begun recommending it to my colleagues as a key resource to draw on to further enhance our support.
Emily Brock, CEO, YMCA DownsLink Group –
This book is an indispensable guide for parents, teachers, educators and professionals navigating the ever-evolving world of children and young people’s digital mental health. Drawing on Becca’s extensive experience and expertise, it explores the pressing challenges young people face online – from fake news and body image pressures to digital self-harm, trolling, gambling, gaming, online hate, FOMO, influencers, and AI. In a time of uncertainty, with limited regulation and guidance from authorities, it provides practical insights and reassurance, helping adults support young people safely, confidently, and compassionately in the digital age.
Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement University of Sussex –
Becca Randell’s guide to digital mental health for children and young people is informative, evidence-based, insightful, and extremely timely. The A to Z list of topics, from AI to Zoning Out, covers a diverse set of key contemporary issues that are playing out in the everyday digital worlds of children and young people, and spilling over into their offline interactions with each other and with the adults in their lives.
Becca Randell combines deep knowledge and understanding from her extensive professional experience with the latest statistical data, research findings, and new evidence from extensive consultation with parents, with educators and other professionals, and importantly with children and young people themselves. As well as setting out a helpful overarching framework that integrates these insights, the guide will help readers navigate what often feels like a bewildering set of challenges in today’s digital world, with simple but powerful activities and practical tips.