Better Internet for Kids

As the popularity and success of paid social media influencers increase, their followers often want not only what the influencers have but also to be them.

The report “Ten Years of Media Literacy Research” is a summary of 90 studies that the Scientific Council of the Dutch Media Literacy Network has collected over the past two years. The Council brings together scientific knowledge about media literacy, determines where knowledge gaps lie and indicates what new research is needed.

Have you noticed that when you go online or log in to social media, you are presented with content, news, articles or ads that somehow know the things that you are interested in? It makes sense that you will see updates from people or organisations that you follow, but what may be less obvious are the algorithms (complex mathematical formulas) working in the background, which determine what content is presented in your newsfeed or search results.

What is your “digital balance”? That was the central question at the 2020 Media Literacy Week, which took place from Friday, 6 to Friday, 13 November, focusing on health and media. Over the past year, the importance of media literacy and proper digital balance has been more evident than ever. The week, co-organised by the Dutch Safer Internet Centre (SIC), was an inspiring success filled with online activities.

Social media is a fantastic way to connect and share with others. One of the great things about social media is we can decide what photos, posts, and videos we share, and as a result, many of us present an idealistic version of ourselves. It’s a great way of sharing parts of our lives – posting images and captions we want others to see. But we are less likely to share the parts we don’t want others to see, or possibly think they wouldn’t be interested in. While social media has many benefits, it can be a place where we feel pressure to live up to certain standards, or which can instil self-doubt when we see images or the lifestyles of others.

Since the beginning of lockdowns and social distancing, instances of online fraud have increased. The Belgian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) shares some advice on how to recognise and respond to phishing and vishing, more specifically.

Vânia Beliz is the author of several books on sex education. In an interview promoted by the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre and published in the Forum Estudante Magazine, the clinical psychologist specialising in sexology reflects on some of the main risks and consequences associated with combining sexuality and new technologies. 

Media education can be developed into more systematic activity by means of planning, leading and allocating resources in a relevant manner. Consistent and coherent media education can facilitate the accumulation of competence, development of practices and its establishment within the structures. In the present article, Lauri Palsa, Senior Adviser at the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI), part of the Finnish Safer Internet Centre (SIC), discusses how KAVI supports the development of effective and comprehensive media education plans.

Among their numerous missions, public libraries in Finland aim to promote the versatile literacy skills of citizens. These skills can be developed with the help of media education, which is an essential part of the work of libraries in the promotion of active citizenship, equality and basic educational rights. Julia Alajärvi, Senior Adviser at the National Audiovisual Institute (Finnish Safer Internet Centre), offers some useful insights on the topic.

INHOPE hosted and chaired the Safer Internet Forum (SIF) 2020 side event "A focus on the EU Strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse", summarised in the article that follows.