Better Internet for Kids

Although promoting media literacy among young users is the top priority, the use of technical measures on the digital devices of younger children can be helpful. The range of technical child protection measures is vast, and they typically combine various functions to keep inappropriate content away from minors. This usually involves setting usage times, filtering content, and blocking certain applications.

Sometimes parents don’t realize that their child have access to online content from his/her device (family device) which is not considered as “family friendly” or “made for kids” and can be inappropriate to his age – violent abusive or sexually explicit. Child can face harmful content accidentally – surfing on the internet, watching videos or checking social media, searching seen or heard keywords by curiosity or receiving from friends or schoolmates direct links to the content that confuses, scares or upsets the child.

An e-book that help children learn about cyber-hygiene and the risk of online addiction.

Young europeans spend time on their screens for homework but also to chill, to game and to chat together. Some of them will even challenge each other and launch themselves into “impossible” missions. Challenges are components of their offline environment as well as their online life. Momo Challenge, Blue Whale Challenges or Jonathan Galindo Challenge are no longer unknown. Many young people are cautiously seduced by these challenges and try them in a safe way, but others rush into these challenges without realising the risks. Their popularity creates panic among parents.

Young europeans spend time on their screens for homework but also to chill, to game and to chat together. Some of them will even challenge each other and launch themselves into “impossible” missions. Challenges are components of their offline environment as well as their online life. Momo Challenge, Blue Whale Challenges or Jonathan Galindo Challenge are no longer unknown. Many young people are cautiously seduced by these challenges and try them in a safe way, but others rush into these challenges without realising the risks. Their popularity creates panic among parents.

Nowadays, many challenges are circulating on the Internet and Youtube. Challenges can be fun and exhilarating. Doing something that is outside your control or that your friends don't dare to do, it stimulates your adrenaline level. But what if these challenges are dangerous? Or if someone is under pressure from the group? How do you react to someone who carries out dangerous missions to increase his or her audience and popularity on social networks?

Fifteen-year-old Marty had his whole life ahead of him. But now he's dead. All that was left of him was a series of chilling videos he had made shortly before his death. The grieving father puts together fragments of Marty's online life to reveal the circumstances of his tragic end.

The eight-part thriller #martyisdead, inspired by real cases of cyberbullying, won the main prize at the international festival Serial Killer for the best web series in Central and Eastern Europe.

Due to increasing number of reports received to Latvian Hotline from parents, teachers and school’s support staff regarding the problem of child nudes circulating on the internet SIC has developed informative resource to raise awareness of parents and teachers about the risks when children unconsciously are producing child pornography and sharing it in closed chat groups, social media and elsewhere on the internet. Nudes of adolescents usually go online because they exchange sexually explicit pictures with their peers without thinking of consequences.

Due to increasing number of reports received from minors and their parents about the fact that adolescents are exchanging nudes with peers on social media and such content is circulating on closed chat groups and other places on the internet SIC has developed informative material containing advises to teens how to protect themselves and not to get into such situations, also avoid risks of sexual abuse. Resource includes risks, tips and advises how to act if you have sent your naked photo to somebody or have noticed a photo of a naked minor on the Internet.

Polish Safer Internet Centre created a mini-series of podcasts recordings that address children online safety topics, such as: cyberbullying, sexting, harmful content and internet abuse. In the recording took part expert from NASK - national research institution and Empowering Children Foundation. Conversation were led by Polish known radio presenter - Krystian Hanke.