Better Internet for Kids

On one of the last days of summer, 30 August 2022, hundreds of Ukrainian children – who have found a new home in Vilnius as a result of the conflict – gathered for a picnic in the open air which was called “Goodbye, summer!” (in Lithuanian „Ate, vasara!“ and in Ukrainian Пікнік "До побачення, літо!" Для дітей України). Lots of educational activities, as well as dancing, soap bubble blowing, mastering of tricks, tasting delicacies, and even an open-air cinema was waiting for the children, and their parents and guardians.

Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox - digital games are firmly anchored in the everyday media lives of children and young people. The selection of games is huge. Free-to-play games, in particular, are popular with adolescents. A look at the principle of in-game purchases, however, shows that free games can quickly become a cost trap.

A new study by MedUni Vienna shows that children are far too often confronted with unhealthy foods on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and these usually go unnoticed. Here, the Austrian Safer Internet Centre delves into the topic of "junkfluencers".

The purpose of the DigiRallye is to show children how media and technology can be used safely and responsibly, and at the same time, make sure that it is fun! The 12th edition took place on 27 July 2022 at the Campus Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg. 80 children aged between 8 and 12 years old from various day-care centres, and their educators, took part in the event.

BEE SECURE, the Luxembourgish Safer Internet Centre, presents its latest guide, providing information and best practices on how to deal with possible risks on the internet.

The new school year in Greece has kicked off with a campaign on misinformation and safe online gaming. Through lesson plans, quizzes, videos, posters, fairy tales and activity booklets, students of all ages are receiving online safety education which will help them to adopt a code of values to deal with the emerging risks of using technology.

Today, 28 September 2022, we are celebrating the International Day for Universal Access to information. The day has been founded by the United Nations (UN). Every year on 28 September, the day is commemorated to promote and protect access to information as a fundamental human right.

The Insafe network of helplines collects data about the types of calls received and this is analysed every three months to look at trends, and new and emerging issues.

Child sexual abuse and its spread online is a big problem, and its scale is intensifying. In 2021, there were 85 million photos and videos reported worldwide that depicted child sexual abuse and many more go unreported. The European Commission acknowledges the importance and urgency of addressing child sexual abuse and announced a dedicated proposal in May 2022.

Today, 15 September, we celebrate every year the International Day of Democracy. The day is a United Nations (UN) observance providing an opportunity to reflect on and review the state of democracy around the world.