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
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
14/10/2025
Spotify is committed to bringing the best listening experience to all our users, and that includes parents and families. That's why we're expanding mana...
14/10/2025
Since its debut, the Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been more than just a story; it's been a cultural sensation. The science fiction thriller captivat...
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. 
