Clicks: How to be your Best Self Online
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
This is not a book to scare anyone about going online, but a tool so that readers can use social media and the internet with true freedom and joy, keeping their mental health and self esteem intact. A tall order, but one that Natasha Devon pulls off with aplomb. As she points out, humans have had the internet for a relatively short period of time, and we have yet to develop the skills to cope with all it throws at us, especially as the experience differs widely across current generations. This book sensibly points out that it is up to us to navigate how we use the internet, and offers tips for spotting fake news, coping with trolls and, most importantly, realising what the various algorithms do to our brains.
Topics include: pornography (briefly), choosing the best online role models (and how not to hero worship them), how to be an ally, how to avoid clickbait, who you are online and how to talk to your parents about all this. There is also a summary of tips at the back, along with a list of helpful organisations. With a friendly, unpatronizing tone throughout, and lots of examples, this book will be useful to all secondary pupils.
