Keeping pace with children's digital lives

Why we've updated the Be Internet Legends curriculum

Be Internet Legends from Parent Zone and Google has already helped 10 million children learn to be safer and more confident online. But the online world they're growing up in today looks very different from the one the programme was first built for. AI tools are now part of everyday life. New laws are changing which platforms children can use – and schools are being asked to teach media and AI literacy as core skills, not optional extras.

So we've taken a fresh approach to the five pillars – Sharp, Alert, Secure, Kind and Brave – to make sure every lesson reflects the realities children face now.

Why now?

AI brings new challenges – and new opportunities. Children are using AI tools at home and at school, often without understanding what they are or how they work. They need to know what AI is (and what it isn't), how to use it positively, and how to question what it produces. Our updated resources include new AI literacy activities designed for primary-age pupils.

Media and AI literacy are now an education priority. England’s 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review was clear that children need the skills to understand, evaluate and interact responsibly with media and AI. We've aligned our approach to media literacy with the national frameworks, so the resources sit comfortably alongside what schools are being asked to deliver.

Online games remain a grey area. Games are where many children spend most of their time online – chatting, trading, spending and making friends. Yet regulation has been slow to catch up with these spaces, and new protections are only just being proposed. Children need the confidence to spot risks and make good choices for themselves.

Children play and socialise differently now. Friendships are formed and maintained across games, group chats and video platforms. The line between playing, chatting and sharing is blurred. Our resources now reflect where children actually spend their time, so the lessons feel relevant and familiar.

What this means for your classroom

The heart of Be Internet Legends hasn't changed. It's still free, still flexible and still built around five simple pillars that children remember. Interland, the programme's online game, is still there to help pupils put their learning into practice.

The updated lessons now speak to today's risks, use the platforms and situations children recognise, and build the media and AI literacy skills schools are now expected to teach. They're designed to slot into PSHE/RSHE and computing lessons with minimal planning.