by Yvonne Skipper, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
In a world where misinformation spreads faster than truth, and where young people’s lives are increasingly shaped by what they see and share online, Project Real offers an innovative, research-based approach to helping young people navigate the digital landscape safely and critically. What sets Project Real apart is its co-created, research-informed, and learner-centred design, ensuring that the interventions are engaging, relevant, and effective.
Project Real is made up of three major components, each developed in collaboration with young people, educators, and professional partners. Together, they aim to strengthen young people’s skills in spotting misinformation, staying safe online, and managing their digital identities.
1. The Real Deal: Spotting Misinformation
The first strand of Project Real focuses on critical thinking and misinformation. Working directly with young people, teachers, social media influencers, and psychologists, we co-created lesson plans, videos, and interactive activities that teach vital skills for spotting false or misleading information online.
Rather than presenting a list of “do’s and don’ts,” we engaged young people in creating resources which help them develop their skills and techniques to check information they see online. The resources, including videos from influencers and interactive activities help learners think critically about the things they see online and make informed choices when interacting with content.
This part of Project Real supports educators by providing ready-to-use materials that align with curriculum needs while also being dynamic enough to spark genuine conversations about truth, trust, and criticality in the digital world.
2. Stay Real: Online Safety and Digital Footprints
Building on the success of the first project, we partnered with Police Scotland and young people to develop a second component focused on online safety, digital footprints, and legal issues online.
This work explored how young people view their digital identities and how everyday online interactions can lead to real-world risks. Through collaborative workshops with youth groups and officers, we co-designed resources that teach young people to:
· Understand and manage their digital footprint.
· Recognise potential scams and manipulative behaviours online.
· Critically evaluate online profiles and communications.
· Learn practical safety skills such as how to block and report users on various platforms.
Again, the youth voice was central. Their experiences shaped everything from the language used in the materials to the kinds of examples included. Rather than focusing solely on fear-based messaging, this component promotes empowerment and critical engagement, giving young people confidence in their ability to stay safe and make smart decisions online. Materials include interactive activities such as a password guessing game to show how much information we can share on social media, and a choose your own adventure game around online safety.
3. Behind the Screen: Comics for Cybersecurity
The third component of Project Real is Behind the Screen, a collaboration with Education Scotland and young people to create a series of comics and accompanying lesson plans focused on cybersecurity.
Through creative workshops, we invited young people to help imagine characters, scenarios, and dilemmas that would resonate with their peers. The result is two comics that deal with real-life situations involving:
· Recognising and avoiding online scams.
· Managing passwords and accounts safely.
· Responding to cyberbullying and harassment.
The comics use storytelling to make cybersecurity issues relatable and engaging, showing young people that small everyday decisions have big impacts on their digital lives. The comics are paired with classroom activities, making them easy for teachers to incorporate into wider learning about digital citizenship and safety. These comics also include peer learning activities where older pupils can use the comics to teach cyber security to younger pupils, thus harnessing the power of peer-led learning.
4. “What I Wish My Parents Knew”
Recognising the vital role of parents and carers, Project Real also created a short, impactful video titled “What I Wish My Parents Knew About My Online Life.” In this video, young people themselves share honest reflections about their digital experiences – the positives, the pressures, and the challenges.
Accompanied by discussion prompts and guiding questions, the video is designed to open up conversations between parents and young people about online safety, trust, and communication. It moves beyond simple monitoring approaches to foster deeper understanding and partnership in navigating the digital world.
Why Project Real Matters
Across all components, Project Real is grounded in the belief that young people must be active participants in creating solutions for their own digital realities. By working with – not just for – young people, we have created resources that are authentic, research-based, and deeply engaging.
Project Real offers an example of how co-creation, media literacy, and critical digital citizenship can come together to support safer, smarter, and more confident digital participation.
We are excited to continue expanding this work, and we welcome collaborations with anyone interested in media, education, youth engagement, and online safety. Please check out our website to find out more .
Author
Dr Yvonne Skipper is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, based in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. Her research explores how we can co-create interventions which help young people to develop their skills in spotting misinformation and stay safe online.
