Is social media a good thing for people with a learning disability?

Social media is a great  way to connect to the world  by sharing updates, photos and videos or commenting on today's events. 

I feel it's important to comment on the topic of learning disability through my updates on Twitter.

Sometimes, in the past, I had to delete anyone who wasn't very nice from my friends list on Facebook. They said things about me on my page and told me who to speak to in the forums. I decided not to let it get me down and just removed them. I didn’t give up using Facebook, but made sure it worked for me.

A lot of people with a learning disability who use social media might be vulnerable to abuse. Some may be confident to carry on using it, to stand up for themselves and enjoy sharing news and updates with friends. This depends on the support they get to use it safely.

I am involved in the SafeSurfing project run by Inclusion Europe and have been involved in a video about using the internet safely. I am currently training groups of people with a learning disability online through software called Webex, we have done several modules already.

Like crossing the road, you use the zebra crossing and the green cross code to do it safely, and you need to be safe online too.

It’s good to use whatever social media channel suits you. You can talk about things like your job,hobbies or celebrities especially on Twitter or Facebook, or put photos on Instagram for example, or videos on YouTube.

If you do surf, watch out for the huge waves that might come at you and do tell people if you are in trouble. They may be able to assist you with the problem and make you feel safer online. This is good advice for anyone, not just people with a learning disability.