Better Internet for Kids

The conference was organised by a consortium of four partners of the Safer Internet Centre in Lithuania: the Lithuanian Centre for Non-formal Education of School Children, the Window to the Future Association, the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Children's Line Public Institution. 

Jūratė Šovienė, Chairperson of the Communications Regulation Authority, opened the event and shared her insights. 

The participants listened to a conversation with Professor Roma Jusiene from the Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, who shared her thoughts on the relationship between the screen and the child and the role of teachers in this relationship. Lauryna Rakickienė, psychologist and member of the Child Development and Psychoeducational Research Centre team, gave a presentation on "How to negotiate screens for parents, teachers and children". Eglė Tamulionytė, coordinator of the No bullying campaign of "Vaikų linija", spoke on the topic "Screens and School in Conversations with Children: the Experience of "Vaikų linija"".  

The presentations were followed by a discussion on "What do we do next?". The speakers were joined by Dr. Mindaugas Nefas, Director of Vytautas Magnus University Lyceum "Sokratus", and Antanas Jonušas, teacher of History and Citizenship Fundamentals of Vilnius Waldorf School, teacher of History of the International Baccalaureate Class of the Queen Martha School, Antanas Jonušas. The discussion was moderated by Kristina Mikoliūnienė, Member of the Council of the Communications Regulation Authority.  

One of the main ideas expressed in the discussion on how to help children, educators, parents and carers to reach an agreement on the duration of the use of screens is by being a personal example. If we ask a young person to reduce their screen use, but we (teachers, parents, educators) don't set an example ourselves first, there will be no constructive agreement.  

At the end of the event, the winners of the student video competition were honoured. You can watch the best videos made by the students here.

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

Find out more about the annual global celebration of Safer Internet Day at www.saferinternetday.org.