Better Internet for Kids

Videos aim to raise awareness among children and youngsters how their online activities can influence them. To encourage young people to think about their online behaviour on social media and how it can affect their life now and in the future six short videos where created by Latvian SIC together with the involvement of representatives of the Youth Panel, talented copywriter Reinis Piziks and popular Latvian influencers @niklavs Niklavs and @edgarfrsh EdgarFresh (their online names).

The following videos were developed:
1. Be balanced.
2. Respect others online.

Workbook is for children aged 10 to 15 and aims at strengthening media literacy and enhancing digital competence and also children’s ability to effectively use digital technologies and communication tools to find, evaluate, use, and create information.

To encourage children and young people to be aware of online risks Latvian SIC’s developed a poster which serves as a visual guide to help recognize and understand the potential threats while using the internet. Promoting responsible digital behaviour can help children and teens surf the internet with confidence and protect themselves from potential risks and dangers.
The poster provides the following key messages for children and teenagers:

•    Think before you post - reminding to consider the consequences of sharing personal information online.

Lesson package includes tasks and exercises for pupils of Grade 5-12 to strengthen their knowledge of safe and meaningful use of the internet. Six lesson plans covered in package with engaging tasks are developed in a youth-friendly and fun way accompanied by the recommendations for teachers how to involve youngsters and ensure that they share and learn from each other's experiences by actively participating in lesson about internet safety.

Latvian SIC developed 14 screen images (wallpapers) for smartphones with internet safety quotes designed for children to remind them about safe internet usage particularly when using social media platforms and communicating with peers on the internet.

Children and teenagers spend a lot of time looking at screens on the daily basis especially during summer holidays therefore these images will help them think about changing their digital habits and online behaviours as well as pay more attention to cybersecurity in order to minimize potential risks and vulnerabilities.

Latvian SIC has developed educational games to strengthen media literacy and digital literacy among children and young people. The kit consists of six games and each of them focuses on a different aspect of media literacy and digital literacy offering 30 cards with images,30 cards with texts, game descriptions, questions, exercises etc. The titles and topics are the following:

1.    Observe, analyse and act!
2.    Play and think critically!
3.    Read, understand and comment!

Presentation in easy language to give lectures in special schools for children with mental disabilities. To make sure that children with mental disabilities understand the information provided, it has to be adapted to their special needs - less text, easy language, bigger fonts, more visual information (pictures, videos) etc.

Latvian SIC has created Internet Safety Advent Calendar with practical tips to remind children about the basics of online safety, how to protect themselves from dangers on the internet and find balance between their online and virtual activities.

Parents and educators were encouraged to remind children about internet safety, privacy and healthy balance between virtual and real-life activities and responsibilities, and meaningful use of the internet. Parents and teachers on the first day of Advent were invited to use printed version of Calendar in several ways:

Children often are spontaneous and emotional when it comes to expressing themselves online therefore usually they post and share on their social media accounts very private photos, videos and information not only of their private life but also life of other people. The random snap, pic or comment within seconds tagging each other can later make them wonder “I hope my friend/classmate doesn’t mind being tagged in my post/story and I’m not putting his/her privacy at risk?”

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.