Safer Internet Day 2021 in Belgium: act together for a better internet

Safer Internet Day, the worldwide day for a better internet, was back for its 18th edition. Turning the internet into a fun, fulfilling, and safe space is more than ever a priority during this public health crisis, where children massively use screens for social contact. An intergenerational dialogue is even more essential, as more than 60 per cent of children use the internet for more than four hours a day in Belgium. How can we facilitate this dialogue and promote a responsible and creative use of social media?

Members of B-Bico consortium (Belgian Better Internet Consortium) are mobilising!

In Belgium, Safer Internet Day is organised by the B-Bico consortium, which gathers all key participants of digital media education from all over Belgium, building the foundations for good use of online technologies every day. The goals of the pioneers Child Focus, Mediawijs, Média Animation asbl, and the Conseil Supérieur de l’Education aux Medias (CSEM) are to supply field actors and to facilitate the dialogue between parents and children on the guidelines of online technologies.

A digital inspirational day aimed at field actors

This year, the B-Bico partners shared their prevention messages in a creative way. An inspirational #Betternet Inspiration Day involving 20 lecturers and field actors occurred online. Those actors took turns sharing guidelines and educational tools around four themes: online inclusion, online information, internet and parenthood, and emotional and sexual life online.

Graphic design representing the #Betternet Inspiration Day campaign on 09.02.2021

Everyone can act at a local level

It is our responsibility to act together for a better internet. Many institutions, schools, libraries, and field associations offer local activities listed on the website for Safer Internet Day in Belgium. We must raise awareness among children by encouraging them to think about the consequences of their actions online so they can handle the risks and make the most of their online experience.

Betternet.be: a toolbox for all

Lastly, Betternet.be is a website designed to facilitate access to multiple initiatives in Belgian digital media education. This website is aimed at parents, teachers, and educators in search of resources, activities, information, or workshops related to the use of the Internet among young people and children.

CyberSquad for children and youth, CyberSimple for parents: two platforms for a safer internet

For Safer Internet Day, Child Focus launched, thanks to the support of MolenGeek, Google and Test Achats, an extensive communication campaign to enable children to discover CyberSquad, a platform for mutual assistance for children and youth among peers.

Picture representing CyberSquad: never alone, together online.

It is an absolute priority for Child Focus to directly help and meet young people. Each and every one of them deserves to be listened to with kindness. Too many children face their problems online or offline alone and do not dare talk about it. Not looking for help exposes them to greater loneliness. With CyberSquad, we want to help them without leaving anyone behind: by offering a help space reserved to them, 100 per cent young and without taboos.

Heidi De Pauw, CEO of Child Focus

Additionally, how could parents talk to their child about using social media and make this digital environment safe and user-friendly while avoiding pitfalls? CyberSimple.be is another initiative from Test Achats and Google, working with Child Focus, which offers a toolbox for parents, children, and youth.

Advice for parents, educators, teachers, carers, the government, experts and media representatives is available on the ChildFocus website.

The results of the #Generation2020 survey can be watched at a glance in this video by Child Focus Belgium.

Find out more about Safer Internet Day in Belgium. Moreover, learn more about the work and initiatives of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.

Belgian Safer Internet Centre
31 May 2021
media literacy education
children and young people, individual (general interest), other, parents and caregivers, policy and decision makers, research, teachers educators and professionals

Safer Internet Day, the worldwide day for a better internet, was back for its 18th edition. Turning the internet into a fun, fulfilling, and safe space is more than ever a priority during this public health crisis, where children massively use screens for social contact. An intergenerational dialogue is even more essential, as more than 60 per cent of children use the internet for more than four hours a day in Belgium. How can we facilitate this dialogue and promote a responsible and creative use of social media?