Better Internet for Kids

Digital stress instead of contemplative anticipation? Right now, it's good to give up your mobile phone for a while. As we head into the festive season, the Austrian Safer Internet Centre offers you some tips on how to do it.

In The Netherlands, Media Literacy Week 2023 (celebrated from 10 – 17 November) has come to an end. For an entire week, numerous network partners reflected on dealing with offensive behaviour online under the banner #hierniet (not here). Hundreds of entities endorsed the #hierniet initiative, with activities taking place across the country. Furthermore, almost 190,000 students participated in the MediaMasters serious game as part of the campaign actions.

As the holiday season approaches, many parents find themselves preparing to gift their children new technological devices. It’s important to keep in mind though, that as much joy your gift might bring your child, it also comes with many responsibilities.

10 December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adoption in 1948. This landmark document serves as a testament to the global commitment to protect the rights of every human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. As we mark this day in 2023, the theme underscores the need for “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All”.

On 1 February 2023, the Safer Internet Centre in Ghana, in collaboration with the ITU Regional Office in Africa, African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and other partners, launched the fourth Africa Safer Internet Day (ASID) on Zoom. The launch served as a formal introduction to the ASID celebrations scheduled for 7 February 2023, which brings together major stakeholders, including parents, governments, and civil society organisations. The event aims to raise awareness about the emerging digital and online issues that influence the experiences of children and young people in Africa.

As part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Teams are jointly conducting a set of fourteen country visits to national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to better understand what is happening in the Member States: monitoring emerging issues and challenges, identifying good practices to be shared, and harvesting the results of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) policy. On 3-4 October 2022, an online cluster meeting with the Croatian and Slovenian SICs was organized by the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Team.

The Forum seeks to discuss and showcase initiatives related to developing digital skills for children, parents and teachers while also paying attention to the needs of vulnerable children. This year’s edition takes place in a hybrid format in Brussels, Belgium and online with the theme of Empowering YOUth with skills for the Digital Decade. As part of the European Year of Skills and other policy frameworks, the Safer Internet Forum 2023 focuses on pillars two and three of the BIK+ strategy. It delves into digital empowerment and active participation/respect concerning children and young people.

The Respect Effect is a new anti-bullying educational resource that aims to empower Irish students to recognise and act against online bullying through their positive actions and behaviours and help create an anti-bullying school environment.

Today, 20 November 2023, marks a special day on the calendar. World's Children's Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day to encourage international togetherness, raise awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare.

Today, 18 November 2023, marks the day of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Council of Europe created it to inform and discuss the importance of protecting children against child sexual exploitation. The theme of this year, “Learning from victims/survivors of childhood sexual violence to inspire policy change”, underscores the importance of engaging with victims at national and local levels.