Better Internet for Kids

This image was created to be shared as a punchy meme on SIC Malta's social media pages. The image is accompanied with the following text description:

Words can really hurt. 
Cyberbullying can be extremely damaging, both emotionally and psychologically. 
Offer support and kindness, instead of being a bystander so that you can really make a difference. 
You have the ability to boost and support in real life by powering up those who are being picked on. 

The idea of creating a magazine, in which young people's opinions about the online world will be recorded, seemed particularly attractive to the Greek youth panel. So, they collaborated with passion and analyzed issues concerning their involvement with the Internet through their own eyes. The youth panel expressed their opinions on issues like body positivity, catfishing, online gender-based violence, and online fraud. Through their articles, the members of the youth panel analyzed many different kinds of online risks, as well as tips on how a user can stay safe.

YouTube and Twitch are one of the most popular gameplay live-streaming platforms that allows gamers to broadcast their gameplay through screen sharing. Children are following such content and very much interested in watching these channels to learn new gaming skills, key principals of definite games etc. However, children's parents should be aware of risks and content being broadcasted that their children are watching.

Do parents know and monitor how much time their children spend on the Internet per week? In order to find good balance between time child spends online and offline Latvian SIC created digital leaflet of tasks for children. Parents can print out the poster and use it at home to put into practice in order set screen time limits for their child daily or weekly. When all the set tasks are completed, child can get screen time. Parents depending on how old is child and what are his/her priorities can decide how much screen time is optimal.

How much time does the child spend on the Internet per week? In order for the child to control himself and learn to plan time he spends online and offline the worksheet ‘My screen time' will be useful for children of primary school age for keeping track of their screen time and online activities.

To encourage parents to keep close communication with child about their virtual life, it is important to find time to have conversations about safe and responsible use of the Internet. Often what parents think their child/teen is doing online is different from what the child is actually doing online. Therefore, conversations about their child’s virtual life will help parents better understand what they like to do online, as well as talk over the risks on the Internet so that he/she can protect himself.

To raise awareness and stress the importance of cybersecurity and to promote Cyber Security Month initiative which is on October Latvian SIC created digital poster including eight simple safety advices how to improve cyber security on the daily basis inviting children and adults to take actions to ensure they feel safe and protected online. Privacy, safety settings, safe passwords, 2FA are crucial when taking care of online safety. We also advised schools, libraries and youth centres to print out the poster and place it in lobbies, on notice boards, visitor’s rooms.

Anyone who is online will sooner or later also be confronted with unpleasant content such as hate postings. In order for children to learn from the beginning how to counter hate without fuelling the conflict themselves, they need a lot of practice, education and good role models. That is exactly where this handbook comes in: It shows children and young people that they don't have to simply accept hate on the net, but can do something about it - for example, by countering cleverly!

The Austrian awareness center Saferinternet.at inquires each year: Which social networks do young people in Austria use? Which platforms are trending, which get less important? The results are published with the Youth Internet Monitor (www.jugendinternetmonitor.at). The survey was conducted in November/December 2021. 400 young people between 11 and 17 years old were asked. The survey was published in March 2022 and is representative of the younger generation of Austria.

As a firefighter, you are part of a large community where the "we" is more important than the "I". Therefore, keep in mind: You have a role model function, also on your private social media profiles, and what you communicate and spread publicly will also reflect on your fire brigade. This informative flyer offers tips and information for fire brigade members on their own responsible online presence.