Better Internet for Kids

Firstly, a media campaign called “Let's do our best to make lies short-lived on the internet, too” (“Teeme nii, et valel oleks lühikesed jalad ka internetis.”) was organised, the objective of which was to draw attention to how and where misinformation spreads, how to recognise it and what we can do to stop the spread of misinformation. A thematic video was created to encourage viewers to review information on the internet critically. The video was shown on the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) TV channel, commercial broadcasting channels, and social media channels over a two-week period. The campaign was supported by additional information on the Estonian Safer Internet Centre’s website. On Estonian TV channels, the video reached 2 million people and has over 57,000 views on YouTube.

           
Additionally, the web conference “Information Society: Ethics and Responsibility” (“Infoühiskond, eetika ja vastutus”) was held on Safer Internet Day. The conference focused on ethical issues: values, stances and behavioural patterns. The target audience primarily consisted of teachers and educators. Altogether, 175 people participated in the web conference. 

In January, the Estonian Safer Internet Centre sent a resource pack to all kindergartens, schools, youth centres and libraries, accompanied by an invitation to celebrate Safer Internet Day with relevant events for and with children.  More than 10,000 students participated in such events organised in locations all over Estonia. Schools and kindergartens organised online safety-related lessons and workshops for students carried out online and offline quizzes, participated in meme competitions and online tests,  created poster competitions, and more. 

The coordinating organisation of the Estonian Safer Internet Centre, the Estonian Union for Child Welfare, regularly publishes the web journal “Notice a child” (Märka last). Its objective is to raise awareness about children’s rights in society. In the framework of the Safer Internet Day 2021 campaign, a special edition of the magazine titled “Smartly on the Web” (“Targalt internetis”) was published. The main topics covered in the issue included: 

• the spread of misinformation, its impact and the importance of critical thinking
• the challenges of distance learning and the experiences of teachers and students 
• child sexual abuse on the internet, how to help victims, and how to prevent the spread of such material. 

On Monday, 8 February 2021, the Estonian Helpline published the podcast “Safely online?! It is possible” (“Turvaliselt internetis?! See on võimalik”), where experts advised parents on how to educate children on online safety issues. Experts from the news portal Genius.ee, the Police and Border Guard Board and the Estonian Social Insurance Board participated in the podcast.

Cooperating with different stakeholders and target groups is a key component of making the internet a better place for everyone. Together, for a better internet!

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