Better Internet for Kids

Metaverse is a concept that does not yet have a clear definition. It is used to predict how the internet of the future is going to be used in a social 3-dimensional virtual world. Learn more about this phenomenon, watch a video and use the material with your students. This material is aimed for pupils aged between 12 to 18.

The animation discusses the fears raised by media contents and how they are reflected in the everyday lives of children. It offers an opportunity to discuss what is true and fictitious in the media with early childhood and pre-primary education-aged children and what can be done if they are scared or confused by something that they have seen.

The animation focuses on social media and various themes that are relevant to young people today: social relationships and acceptance, identity building, and issues related to self-esteem and self-respect. The topic of this animation also allows viewers to reflect on social media as a tool for forming one’s own means of expression and participation. The target audience of this animation is children in grades 7–9.

A video about child’s first mobile phone and the everyday situations and friendship skills that follow. The video also supports discussions on safe and responsible media use to a greater extent. The video and the educational material are aimed at covering this topic with children of preschool and primary school age. You can find the educational material here: https://www.mediataitokoulu.fi/en/tehtavapankki/the-first-mobile-an-animation-for-media-education.

The new VeiligOnline training module ‘Digipeuters en -kleuters’, is addressed to parents of toddlers and tackles the challenges for children aged 0-6 years in the digital world. Together with Gezinsbond, families’ organization in Flanders, Child Focus developed this interactive training module to respond to the needs and requests of parents of toddlers that are more and more exposed to the question of screen exposure, media usage, and digital development of their children, since the youngest age.

The new Webetic training module ‘(Les) Tout-petits’, is addressed to parents of toddlers and tackles the challenges for children aged 0-6 years in the digital world. Together with Ligue des Familles, families’ organization in Brussels-Wallonia federation, Child Focus developed this interactive training module to respond to the needs and requests of parents of toddlers that are more and more exposed to the question of screen exposure, media usage, and digital development of their children, since the youngest age.

We live in an age of information, but also of lies and misinformation. Therefore, information literacy skills are essential to stay informed and safe online. Technology is constantly evolving, and so are the methods used by scammers and cybercriminals to manipulate internet users. Knowing the basic techniques of manipulation and adopting daily practices of conscious information consumption can help prevent the negative effects of fake news.

Digital media is part of the growth environment of children and young people. Digital media brings a lot of joy, benefits and social relationships, but also challenges, such as media overuse, loneliness, self-esteem problems, bullying and harassment. The podcast features digital media professionals, with whom we discuss how to be creative as educators in the digital age for children and young people.

The podcast has three episodes.

1. A child's own phone or not? The guest of the podcast is journalist and writer Aino-Mari Tuuri, who is specialized with digital media.

Resource gives recommendations which should be kept in mind when using artificial intelligence applications so that they can be good tools in schoolwork as well.

The webinar discuss the most popular social media platforms among young people and the challenges and opportunities and risks associated with their use. The webinar will also discuss the topic of digital well-being and how it affects us, how to assess and increase this well-being.