When I was first given this column, I knew I wanted to use it to also write about topics that may make us feel uncomfortable but need to be discussed.

This could be no more so true than the online safety of our young people.

Tuesday February 7 marked Safer Internet Day in the UK which shines a light on the online world and the digital lives that occur within it.

The internet, and social media in particular, is not just a place for friends’ holiday photos on Facebook, for music videos on YouTube, or for brands to advertise via influencers on Instagram.

It has also perpetuated a dark side of human behaviour and it is often our young women and girls who are suffering most.

This was confirmed in the recent report from Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, published at the start of the month.

It provided a stark wake up call to society as it highlighted that half of all British children will have seen pornography by the age of 13. Social media, especially Twitter, was the main driver behind this.

As de Souza went on to highlight, ‘the adult content which parents may have accessed in their youth could be considered ‘quaint’ in comparison to today’s world of online pornography’.

This kind of extreme content is quick to challenge any notion of what makes successful, loving relationships from a young age while it endangers women, in particular, with depictions of violent acts against females.

Our children need to learn about relationships in the classroom where the right information will be provided by trained teachers.

From experience as a school governor, locally, schools are leading the way on tackling this issue, while the Online Safety Bill continues to pass through Parliament, spearheaded by Wiltshire MP, Michelle Donelan.

Meanwhile, the work being carried out by the Princess of Wales to champion the importance of our younger years in creating the foundations for successful adulthood only further confirms why this discussion matters so much.

There are a myriad of amazing resources available which talk about online risks in a child-friendly way.

The UK Safer Internet Centre website and National Online Safety provide comprehensive advice. In today’s world, online safety, and all that goes with it, should be added to the group of difficult conversations between young people and parents or carers.

The sad truth is I could be writing this column for the Manchester Evening News or the Romsey Advertiser.

This kind of issue isn’t just reserved for large metropolitan areas in the UK but for towns and cities right across the country, including Salisbury.

It all starts with a conversation round the kitchen table even if it does still make us uncomfortable.