Here Deirdre, mother of two young children, explains why she supports Fumble’s Youth Manifesto
Imagine this: you’re scrolling around YouTube and you notice “ladies without clothes” as a suggested search. You know it wasn’t your partner because his spelling is pretty good, so it’s more than likely one of your kids. This happened to me when my son was eight years old and it got me thinking – what would come up if he googled those words?
I asked my son about his quest and did a little research to see what was out there. As I suspected, there were many good websites providing advice to parents. However, what I wanted was a website that I could refer my son to, but I couldn’t find much.
That’s when I met Fumble. Finally, a site that provides well-researched information on relationships and sex aimed specifically at 11-25 year olds. They seemed to really understand the issues facing young people today – and their site was educational for me as well.
A new, digital era
I feel like the world my children are growing up in is more complicated than the one I grew up in. I didn’t have the internet or social media when I was a teenager. How can I guide them when I don’t really have a good understanding of what they’re going to face?
Young people are much smarter about using online tools to learn what they need to know. But that also worries me, because a search term could take them down a dark and disturbing rabbit hole, exposing them to content they’re just not emotionally mature enough to see.
A recent Fumble survey of 200 11-25 year olds living in the UK found that 92% go online to ask questions about relationships, sex and wellbeing, with 89% using a machine search. Young people going online to ask their questions is not surprising. But that’s why it’s important to make it easy to find sound and reliable information.
Based on this research, which also asked young people to share the issues they had and the changes they want to see in the online world, Fumble created a Youth Manifesto with four clear goals. Young people want:
- A happy, healthy online place for sex education
- Inclusive sex education
- Participate in the creation of sex education content
- Parents and carers to be educated on the online world and what they face
Helping young people navigate the world today
As a sexual assault survivor and parent of two young children, I want to help my children navigate the difficult terrain of relationships and sex. I want my kids to understand what healthy relationships look like. I want them to understand the language of consent. I want them to have the space and confidence to explore their gender identity. I don’t want porn to be my children’s first sex experience and shape their expectations. My daughter is also neurodeviant and I want her to be able to easily find content about relationships and sex written by other neurodeviant people who understand her reality.
This is why I support Fumble’s Youth Manifesto. I want my children to learn about relationships and sex safely without being exposed to unwanted sexual content. I want them to have a space where they can ask difficult or embarrassing questions without judgment.
That world is possible, and Fumble’s manifesto is the first step in getting us there.
Back Fumble Youth Manifesto today.
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Last reviewed on October 25, 2023
Image credit: Fumble
