Better Internet for Kids

Thursday, 21 March 2024, is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year's theme is "A Decade of Recognition, Justice, and Development: Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent." This theme is linked to the International Decade for People of African Descent, which spans 2015 to 2024.

On Safer Internet Day 2024, the Lithuanian Safer Internet Centre focused on Skaitmeninės higienos svarba šiandienos pasaulyje (The importance of digital hygiene in today’s world). Additionally, the centre orchestrated numerous side events on the following days as part of a week of activities.

Today, on 20 March we celebrate the International Day of Happiness. This day serves as a global reminder of happiness and well-being in the lives of people across the world. This day is particularly important because it reminds us of a fundamental essence of our existence.

Safer Internet Day campaign efforts in Colombia addressed one of the main concerns of parents and caregivers when it comes to their children: determining the appropriate timing and manner for introducing a child to their first electronic device.

On Safer Internet Day 2024, Latvian pupils from grades 10-12 participated in the nationwide online quiz "Mind Games" on various aspects of internet safety. 317 teams from different Latvian schools and regions took part in the quiz, competing to test their knowledge about digital literacy, cyber security and media literacy jointly exploring more on topics such as privacy risks as well as the importance of respectful online communication and relationships.

As part of the #MediaSmartOnline campaign, aiming to spotlight media literacy actions across Europe and running in cooperation with the network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) and the Media Learning Association (MLA) within the framework of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) initiative, we are producing articles on a series of focus topics related to media literacy. This week, we’re diving into artificial intelligence.

This year's Safer Internet Day celebration in Bosnia and Herzegovina was celebrated under the slogan Surf safely - Together for a better internet. It proved an excellent opportunity to involve numerous actors in education, child protection, media policy, and the telecommunications sector to promote the safe and responsible use of the internet and digital technologies.

For Safer Internet Day 2024, the Estonian Union for Child Welfare, the Education and Youth Board, Tallinn University of Technology, and Telia Estonia jointly organised a thematic conference titled Smartly on the web: digital well-being and mental health. The conference focused on digital well-being and using the internet and digital technologies safely, smartly, and with more balance.

Safer Internet Day 2024 had a slightly different format in Iceland this year: due to huge earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that affected the country's organisation and administration, the time to plan Safer Internet Day was short. Despite the circumstances, the Iceland Safer Internet Centre organised a successful conference on children's online well-being, framed also within Iceland’s Media Literacy Week.

Safer Internet Day in Finland was celebrated in an extended version, namely Media Literacy Week, which sparked hundreds of activities around the country. This year, 70 partner organisations contributed to week’s activities, which took place from 5 - 11 February 2024. Teachers, educators, librarians, youth workers, and social workers from across the country participated in the event.