Better Internet for Kids

The initiative aimed to involve teachers and students in debates and hands-on activities to discover ways to improve their self-image, relationships with others on the internet, and well-being when it comes to digital life as a whole. 

FOMO is regarded as the fear of missing out on online activities: the anxiety of not being a part of certain events, conversations and experiences that people in the social circle experience, which young people see daily on social networks. 

Why the focus on FOMO? 

1. The last year has seen a significant increase in the number of hours that children and adolescents have spent on the internet due to the requirement to attend online school. This prolonged exposure to the digital environment has brought with it several possible risks for children in terms of interacting with other users in the virtual space, and the balance between online and offline life. 
2. Many children under the age of 13 receive consent from their parents to create social media accounts such as Instagram or TikTok, where all their friends are. As such, they are free to navigate platforms and content free from parental control and therefore lack regular discussions with parents about the influence of virtual content on their well-being. 
3. The adverse effects of excessive use of social networks have begun to be noticed more often by parents and teachers. Teachers, especially, were keen to address the issue of the “chase for likes”, the desire to impress at all costs, the lack of concentration, and the difficulty of young people to leave their phone alone even when they have something important to do, such as homework for school. 

Although the initiative took place in a busy period for schools, with a course schedule that was changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of a school year, over 300 middle school and high school teachers were involved in supporting over 650 educational activities, which reached more than 10,000 Romanian students. By disseminating materials created by students in the online school, messages about FOMO reached more than 15,000 students and parents. 

Teachers took part voluntarily, and the feedback received was positive: 

• The topic was well received by the students.
• The resource pack was easy to understand and customisable.
• Students enjoyed a variety of hands-on activities. They had fun keeping an eye on online activities and creating digital educational materials with their classmates.

The resource pack is available online at on the Romanian SIC website and can be downloaded by any specialist in education working with children. The pack includes: 

• A guide for teachers on the social and psychological implications of using social networks. 
• A three-minute educational video for young people. 
• A set of three interdependent lesson plans, with a short self-assessment questionnaire. Exercises and worksheets are also included. 
• An editable presentation. 
• Two worksheets are included: one for keeping a personal diary of social media usage habits and another for the creative project that children's teams were invited to create to help other young people understand what FOMO is. 

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