Better Internet for Kids

The importance of media literacy is increasing. After all, the online world never stands still and has now become an integral part of our daily lives. ‘Veilig Online’, an initiative of the Gezinsbond and Child Focus that is now also being promoted in Europe, is launching new modules in Belgium and four other participating countries: Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania.

For some time now, the Metaverse and the issues related to immersive universes have been attracting the attention of the media and many experts. The French Safer Internet Centre has started working on an ethical charter to respond to worries and questions around the Metaverse.

95 per cent of young people between 12 and 18 years of age currently own smartphones. The internet is the place to be for them to be able to express themselves through various channels and on various devices, to experiment and to develop an identity.

The French Safer Internet Centre (SIC) recently created a resource on how to identify hate speech based on racial criteria online. The resource was created in response to a call for proposals from the French Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah and it aims to raise awareness of hate speech, specifically online.

On Tuesday, 7 February 2023, we celebrated the 20th edition of Safer Internet Day (SID), with events and activities taking place right across the globe. With a theme, once again, of “Together for a better internet”, the day called upon all stakeholders to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially for children and young people. The day was a great success, and we are excited to share with you just a few of the achievements so far from the coordination level.

On Safer Internet Day (SID) 2023, Better Internet for Kids (BIK) launched a new Teacher corner. The BIK Teacher corner is a special section of the Better Internet for Kids website and is meant for teachers, educators and other adults who work with children and young people. There they can find free information, advice, and suggested resources to help to educate and support youth to safely and positively navigate their digital world.

Today, 2 November 2023, is the International Day against violence and bullying at school, including cyberbullying. It is a global call to action against one of the most pressing issues affecting young learners today. This year's theme: "No Place for fear: ending school violence and promoting mental health", highlights the relationship between school violence and mental health.

The Better Internet for Kids review of the year 2022 is released on the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2023, Tuesday, 7 February. During 2022, the European Year of Youth, young people showed their commitment to building an environmentally friendly, safe, and inclusive future. Their optimism was in stark contrast to the war on Europe’s borders and the upheaval for the world caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This report provides an overview of a multitude of stakeholder efforts to both protect and empower children and young people in their digital lives.

Today is the day! On Tuesday, 7 February 2023, we celebrate Safer Internet Day (SID) – the annual flagship campaign to raise awareness of the importance of staying safe online. With a theme of "Together for a better internet", today calls upon all stakeholders to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially for children and young people.

This year, the focus of the Safer Internet Day (SID) campaign in Estonia was on data sharing, privacy and digital skills with the slogan “My data is my property”.