As part of the celebrations of this edition of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, 8 February 2022, the Icelandic Safer Internet Centre (SIC) launched a media campaign focused on hate speech, involving their Youth Panel promoting and disseminating several key campaign messages on TikTok. The whole population of Iceland was targeted by the campaign, and the whole consortium and Steering Committee was involved with the planning, including the coordination team of the Icelandic hotline and helpline. 

Other activities to celebrate SID  

On the day, the Icelandic SIC also organised an online conference around the topic of digital citizenship. The estimated number of participants was 300 people. As with the online hate speech campaign, the whole consortium and Steering Committee were involved in organising this event as well, including the Ministry of Education. 

New educational resources were sent to all elementary schools in Iceland and schools were encouraged to participate in Safer Internet Day 2022 celebrations by either organising activities at a local level, at their school or class, or by making use of some of the new material provided to join the celebrations of the day. The whole consortium and Steering Committee were involved in the organisation and coordination of this activity, including the Ministry of Education. The Icelandic SIC Youth Panel was involved in the development and review of the material sent, and the strategical approach to adopt.  

Throughout the day, the Icelandic SIC also premiered five new short video educational modules, all made available via their YouTube channel. 

SID 2022 takeaways 

In the experience of the Icelandic SIC, media campaigns alone are not always the best way to reach their main target groups. Reaching out directly to parents and carers, students, and teachers and educators has proven to be an efficient way to achieve a good impact with the SIC’s awareness material, by sending new material and resources, and organising conferences that are also streamed online. However, media campaigns involving the Icelandic hotline and helpline seem to work better. 

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