Better Internet for Kids

During the event, the attending students were guided through the safe and positive use of online technologies through playful activities. The most interesting part of the event was the students' dialogue with the popular actresses Vaso Laskaraki and Vassia Golfinopoulou. Ms Laskaraki and Ms Golfinopoulou talked to the students in the audience. They explained how they manage social media and what they watch out for in relation to the risks involved and gave advice to the children so they can enjoy positive experiences online. A summary of the event can be found on the Safer Internet Centre website.  

Simultaneously, alongside the main event, hundreds of schools across Greece responded to the call of the Greek Safer Internet Centre and hosted their own celebration, sending a powerful message advocating for a safe and positive internet! In the following days, the Greek Safer Internet Centre also organised online interactive events in which more than 1,000 schools from all over Greece participated, aiming to reach even the most remote areas of the country. 

Furthermore, prior to the event, the Greek Safer Internet Centre ran two competitions for children and young people. Students from all educational levels, individually or in teams, were invited to create material related to proper online behaviour, their rights, and responsibilities in the digital world on the topics of “Kindness on the internet - rights and responsibilities of children and young people in the digital world” and “Capture the flag.” During the main event, the winners of the competitions received awards from the Ministry of Education.   The competition announcement is available online, and the participating contributions and the winner's announcement during the Safer Internet Day 2024 can also be seen online.

On Safer Internet Day, the Greek Safer Internet Centre's aim was to raise awareness of the dangers arising from the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Deepfakes, especially by underage users. Consequently, press releases were issued firstly to raise awareness about the new challenges and dangers young people face online and secondly to inform people about the possible services they can turn to if they experience non-consensual sharing of personal content online, whether it is real photos or deepfake material from an AI tool. 

To further assist teachers and parents, the Greek Safer Internet Centre suggested a set of guidelines concerning the use of AI and deepfakes on ways parents and educators can help children and young people through their press releases. Furthermore, we created and published educational material appropriate for each age group. Students could enhance their understanding of what AI is, how algorithms work, and why this technology is prone to make mistakes. This was achieved using multiple and varied stimuli in an educator-driven learning environment. All educational material can be found on the Greek Internet Safety Center’s webpage. 

Participants from all over Greece declared support for SID 2024. The supporters' map can be seen on our website.

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