Firm to develop social media toolkits for youngsters

Digital marketing agency MacMartin has announced it is to put together toolkits, which aim to help families navigate children’s mobile use.

Recently, Anna Hutton, the firm’s marketing director, has been delivering talks to teenagers in secondary schools aimed at helping them take back control of their social media consumption.

Now, Anna and her team at MacMartin plan on using their expertise in social media on developing toolkits supporting families and young people to take back control of their social media usage.

She said: “When you’re consuming social media, you need to think about who is being targeted here? And what are the purveyors getting from it?

“They are after data, and business, at the end of the day. All I want is that teenagers and even younger children don’t become the victim of that.

“Our ethos at MacMartin is to try to use our skills and experience to help create a shift in behaviours.

“We want to help bring about positive changes in the society we all live in.

“Helping parents support children take back control of their social media use is one example of how we are doing that.”

At the recently held BAFTA’s, actor Kate Winslet used her acceptance speech to highlight the dangers of social media.

Kate appeared in the powerful Channel 4 drama I am Ruth, which tells the story of a mother and daughter’s relationship and how it becomes painfully fractured because of social media.

She called on “people in power” to criminalise harmful content.

Anna said: “It was so great to hear Kate Winslet call out harmful social media content when she accepted her Bafta for I am Ruth.

“I thought it was brilliant that she used her acceptance speech to highlight how dangerous social media content can get for young people when they are often going through their most vulnerable years.

“Criminalising harmful social media content, as Kate Winslet suggested, is definitely a conversation to be had but in the meantime, I think dramas like I am Ruth have such an important role to play when it comes to highlighting how quickly teenagers’ self-image and confidence can be derailed by allowing social media to take control.”

MacMartin is keen to hear from any secondary school who would be interested in finding out more about the company’s toolkits.

To get in touch visit the MacMartin website at http://www.macmartin.co.uk .