Better Internet for Kids

What do young people with intellectual disabilities need in their online lives? How can we guide them better in their media use? And how do we pay structural attention to media literacy and digital inclusion? These questions are answered in this short documentary series of three episodes by researchers, experience experts and professionals from care & welfare and education from Flanders, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Watch the documentary here Ik ben ook online! 

There is still much work to be done

Professionals in education, care and welfare notice that young people with intellectual disabilities often run into problems because of their media use. For example, they are overrepresented as victims and perpetrators of abuse online, such as cyberbullying, shame sexting and grooming. Also, the opportunities of the online world are not sufficiently seen and utilized. 

Despite this, most health and education institutions do not have a structural plan or policy for counselling in media use. And there is a lot of trade shyness among supervisors, for example, because they themselves are not very handy with social media. More attention is therefore needed for the role media play in the lives of young people with intellectual disabilities - both in supervision and in vision and policy development. 

Peter Nikken, Lecturer Youth & Media at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences , in “I am also online”: "There is still a lack of good tools, protocols and a vision of what is now important within the organization. How do you make sure that all your employees think about that, are educated, and trained in that and can naturally address that? Just as you can talk about sexuality and about problems with money, you have to be able to talk about media." 

Develop your own vision 

The film "I'm online too!" is intended for anyone working with young people with intellectual disabilities within care & welfare and special education. It helps to develop their own vision on media literacy and digital inclusion. By combining the knowledge and expertise from Flanders and the Netherlands, the makers want to strengthen the field in both countries. 

Eszter Vanderhaeghe, Digital Skills teacher at The Passer (special education), in the documentary: "For our generation, growing up with digital media is new, but young people today don't know any better. The context is changing. And if we don't know how to deal with that context with our young people, how should that young person know?" 

The three parts 

The film forms a trilogy. The parts can be viewed together or separately. In them, three main parts of the issue are addressed: 

• The young people - In part 1, you will gain insight into the online experiences of these young people. What are they up against? Where are the opportunities? 
• Support - In part 2 you will get answers to the question: What do young people with intellectual disabilities need from their supportive environment? What works well or not at all in supervision? 
• Vision & policy - In part 3, we look at what it takes to pay structural attention to media literacy and digital inclusion. What can be done at policy and board level within health and welfare and education? 

Find out more about the work of the Dutch Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.