Young Britons turning to social media to boost confidence

Sky Academy continues its nationwide Confidence Month' with the support of ambassadors Alfie Deyes, David Beckham, Davina McCall, Ella Eyre, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Justine Roberts, Melvyn Bragg and Thierry Henry Research carried out online for Sky Academy in collaboration with YouGov has found that young people in Britain are increasingly turning to social media in a bid to boost their confidence. One-third (32%) of all social media users aged 11 to 24 claim they are more confident on social media than in person, with that figure rising to 47% amongst those who say they are not confident in themselves.

The research shows that girls aged 11 to 24 are heavier users of social media than boys (89% of girls use social media vs 82% of boys), while 36% of girls say they are more confident on social media than in person, compared to 28% of boys. Girls are more likely to upload photographs on social media (63% girls vs 41% boys), with two thirds (66%) admitting their confidence is influenced by how attractive they feel.

Despite social media being seen as a safe haven by some young people, there are worrying levels of bullying online. More than one in five (21%) social media users aged 11-13 say that others have written mean things to or about them on social media, while 1 in 7 (14%) of children in the same age group confess that the number of friends they have on social media affects how confident they feel.

Confidence on social media does not necessarily translate into increased confidence in the real world, with 33% of all young people surveyed saying they are not confident'. As a result, Sky Academy has launched its Confidence Month running throughout October, in a bid to highlight the importance of confidence in young people's development. As part of the campaign, Sky Academy will showcase its initiatives, which aim to build practical skills, experience and confidence to unlock the potential of one million young people by 2020.

Alfie Deyes, vlogger and Sky Academy Ambassador comments: I always try and remember that anybody who writes negative comments on social media can't be 100% confident themselves. In order to build confidence, my advice is to surround yourself with positive people who bring out the best in you. There's no point in wasting your time on people who aren't there for you. Just block and ignore the haters, and surround yourself with the right people.

Annette Du Bois, Confidence Coach and Sky Academy Ambassador, said: It's extremely important that young people know how to handle themselves online. Social media provides a false sense of security; the screen is a shield, hiding frailties, and while it allows young people to be more open online, they can't replicate it offline. Because the sense of endorsement online is so fleeting, people share more daring and often untrue information in an attempt to gain the acceptance on social media that they can't receive in the real world, and without knowing how to cope, it can be very easy for a young person to lose their self-esteem.

Lucy Carver from Sky Academy said: Confidence plays a crucial role in helping young people succeed and unlock their potential, and it's really important that young people feel confident, both in person, and on social media. Having worked with over a quarter of a million eight to 24 year olds so far, we know that by providing real experiences, Sky Academy builds skills which ultimately build confidence. It's our aim to help one million young people by 2020.

The research, carried out by YouGov for Sky Academy, draws findings from over 1,600 young people aged between 11-24 years old and 600 parents of children aged 11-24 from across the country.

Sky Academy Confidence Month is supported by a host of ambassadors including David Beckham, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Davina McCall, Alfie Deyes, Ella Eyre, Justine Roberts, Melvyn Bragg and Thierry Henry. Over the course of the month, the ambassadors are taking part in various Sky Academy initiatives to engage with young people and share their experiences of how confidence has played a positive role in their career. For more information visit www.sky.com/academy.

Notes to Editors

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc and detailed two separate polls. Total sample sizes were 1638 respondents aged 11 to 24, and 677 parents of children aged 11 to 24. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th and 26th July 2015. The surveys were carried out online.

About Sky Academy:

Sky Academy is a set of initiatives that use the power of TV, creativity and sport to help young people unlock their potential

Sky builds confidence, as well as communication, creativity, resilience, planning and teamwork, in young people through Sky Academy

There are five initiatives and each one helps build practical skills, experience and confidence

The initiatives - Sky Sports Living for Sport; Sky Academy Skills Studios; Sky Academy Careers Lab; Sky Academy Starting Out and Sky Academy Scholarships - harness Sky's strengths in media and technology, as well as the passion and expertise of its well-known faces and its people. They are delivered with support from schools and partners.

Since launching in November 2013, Sky Academy has helped over 250,000 young people across the UK and Ireland, with a goal of helping one million by 2020

For more information on Sky Academy, visit www.sky.com/academy or follow Sky Academy on Twitter @SkyAcademy

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