Better Internet for Kids

Nearly a third of children believe that fake news cannot be presented on TV or on news sites. Half of the children rarely or never check the truth of the information found online.

This is a two and a half minute video, describing the concept of FOMO (fear of missing out). It goes around a group of teenagers who constantly check their notifications in different social networks and explains how the fear of missing our manifests: an incontrollable desire to be constantly connected online, to see and react to what friends are posting. The video also promotes JOMO (the joy of missing out) and a set of rules in which one can stay disconnected or spend less time online.

The webinar aims to help parents become better at guiding children and teens to develop healthier habits of creating and sharing content on social media.
Although harmless on the surface (lots of pictures of animals, funny memes, fun songs), these networks were designed for an emotionally mature audience. It also often becomes difficult for adults to manage a large number of interpersonal relationships at the same time, which can lead to deep emotional turmoil; especially for children and adolescents.

The video aims to help parents become more aware and confident when dealing preventively with more sensitive topics with their children using technology. We focus on unavoidable issues such as accidentally finding traumatic content, or interacting with people who are extremely adept at enticing minors for illegal purposes.
The topics addressed:

1. False profiles and online child safety. Contrary to the real-life friends we see and with whom we can communicate, on the internet, behind a profile, there may be people with negative intentions.

The video presents the case of a teen girls whose boyfriend sent their friends nude pictures of her and because of that she had to close all her accounts in social media, or the case of another girl who was cyberbullied and had to create new accounts on all social platforms to escape the situation she was in, but also other topics related to technical difficulties or different forms of online abuse. They can all be sorted out if teens seek help and guidance from specialists.

A web series by the Italian Safer Internet Centre. Each episode focuses on a different element of online safety, from strategies for handling cyberbullying to recognising and reporting unsafe/inappropriate interactions and content (e.g zoombombing, body shaming, sexting, and so on).

Media Literacy School (mediataitokoulu.fi) is a service that gathers together diverse learning materials from various organisations for the use of media educatiors. The poster is a happy and colorful reminder that the Media Literacy School also has a lot of ideas and materials for early childhood education and pre-school education. The poster is aimed for kindergarten or family day care and hobby facilities.

Almost seven out of ten Dutch people are concerned about the influence of fake news. This is apparent from research by NoTies, commissioned by the Dutch Media Literacy Network ('Netwerk Mediawijsheid'). Dutch people expected fake news to have an influence on early 2021 elections for the House of Representatives. 60 percent of those surveyed are concerned about the influence of fake news on voting behaviour. More than three quarters of the Dutch think that fake news has a major influence on information about the coronavirus and vaccinations. Disinformation is a growing problem.

In 2021, the Dutch Media Literacy Network launched Leukeronline.nl: the online guide for professionals working in mental health care (in Dutch).

Many care counselors of people with a (mild) intellectual disability need tools to properly guide their clients in the use of online media. For example, how can they help clients prevent unpleasant situations, such as grooming or phishing? But also: how can they help them with safe and desirable applications of online media, such as dating, gaming and social media like TikTok?

Once upon a time, it was a fairy tale that children and young people learn to use the media as if by themselves. In reality, everyone needs media education and no one becomes a skilled and responsible media user just like that. The poster tries to remind us of the reality.