Introduction

For many people, the internet, mobiles, social networking and other new technologies are shaping their daily lives.

The figures speak for themselves:

• By the end of 2007, 58 per cent of UK households had a broadband connection (Source: Ofcom Communications Market Report, August 2008)
• 75 per cent of 12-15 year olds in the UK use the internet at home and children in this age group have an average of six media devices in their bedrooms (Source: Ofcom's Children's Media Literacy Audit, May 2008)
• Most adults in the UK have access to a mobile and more than a fifth of adult internet users have a profile on a social networking website (Source: Ofcom Social Networking Report, April 2008)
• Two and a half million children aged between eight and 17 in the UK have a profile on a social network - that's nearly half of that age group (Source: Ofcom Social Networking Report, April 2008)
• 52 per cent of nine year olds in the UK have a mobile, rising to 95 per cent of 15 year olds (Source: Ofcom Children's Media Literacy Audit, May 2008)
• More than half (54%) of 12-15 year olds in the UK have access to a digital camera and 32 per cent have access to a webcam (Source: Ofcom Children's Media Literacy Audit, May 2008)

You and your students are no doubt enjoying positive experiences online and on your mobiles and we're sure you want it to stay that way.

The first step? You need to get under the skin of the technology.