This year's international Safer Internet Day (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2020), which is taking place on the 9th of February, comes almost 12 months after the start of the biggest educational experiment the world has ever seen. And, as millions of children the world over continue to learn using remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could not be more timely.
The global theme of the event is ‘together for a better internet’ with a focus in the UK on how young people can tell fact from fiction and create an internet in which everyone can trust.
It comes weeks after the UK Government unveiled the outcome of its Online Harms White Paper consultation (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Home Office, 2020) into a ‘new age of accountability’ for social media (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport et al, 2020) which will see the passing of new laws to protect internet users.
These will include new rules for tech firms that allow users to post their own content; fines or the blocking of sites of companies that fail to protect people; and the introduction of duties of care and responsibility for legal and illegal harm to children and young people using their services. The safety of children is at the heart of the measures.
…the overriding message [is] that it is never too young to start talking about online safety.’
Announcing the end of the consultation Oliver Dowden, the Digital Secretary, said ‘I'm unashamedly pro-tech but that can't mean a tech free-for-all. Britain is setting the global standard for safety online with the most comprehensive approach yet to online regulation.
‘We are entering a new age of accountability for tech to protect children and vulnerable users, to restore trust in this industry, and to enshrine in law safeguards for free speech. This new framework will ensure we don't put unnecessary burdens on small businesses but give large digital businesses robust rules of the road to follow so we can seize the brilliance of modern technology to improve our lives.’
Tips on safe internet use
The Safer Internet Day 2021 offers age-appropriate tips for children, young people and their parents and carers, with the overriding message that it is never too young to start talking about online safety.
3–7-year-olds
By playing ‘internet detectives’ and finding examples, children can be encouraged to find out that not everything they find online is true. Something might be deliberately untrue, a joke or just someone else's opinion but this can be determined by comparing online information with trusted sources, particularly those that have sections dedicated to children. Youngsters should also be reminded that they can find things out offline – in books, magazines and the television – or by asking a responsible adult who knows about the subjects. This age group is also the ideal opportunity to talk to about who can and cannot be trusted on the internet and to be aware of strangers. If they have any concerns or doubts, they should talk to someone they can trust, such as a parent, grandparents, childminders or a teacher.
7–11-year-olds
Doing research and being vigilant can help children in this age group to recognise ‘fake news’ and where images and videos have been falsified and to question why this might be the case. It might be to share their personal information. Anything that seems odd should be investigated further. Checking other trustworthy websites and sources, such as books and newspapers, as well as talking to adults, can help children cut through the fakery. The best way to stay safe is not to share information and to be cautious about interactions online, as people are not always what they might seem. Making a list of favourite apps and websites can help to make the most of the internet.
‘With the glut of unreliable and potentially dangerous content on the internet, parents and carers need to check in with their children to find out what they are looking at and how this makes them feel.’
11–18-year-olds
Checking sources and considering where the information has come from can help young people make a judgement on whether it can be trusted. Comparing prior knowledge to what is on the internet can help in this process and to determine whether something is fact, or just someone else's opinion. A clear sign of bias might be a clear opinion that takes no account of other arguments. Young people should also try to understand the motives behind what they are reading – is it to sell them a product to get them to share their personal details? Remember that reviews cannot always be trusted. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Checking with friends and getting a second opinion might help, as can talking it through with an adult. If something has been presented in a way that causes hatred, anger or distress then it is likely to be suspicious and is worth avoiding.
Parents and carers
Parents and carers, meanwhile, are encouraged to set an example by discussing a fake news story or phishing email with their child. What gave it away? Discussing this can help parents and children identify problems together. Adults need to remember that children trust them so they should be careful not to share anything surprising or attention-grabbing without being certain it is genuine.
With the glut of unreliable and potentially dangerous content on the internet, parents and carers need to check in with their children to find out what they are looking at and how this makes them feel. Talking to other parents and getting support from Childnet's ‘Need Help’ page (https://www.childnet.com/resources/need-help) can help the adults looking after children to make sense of the wealth of information online.
Primary teacher Kim McAuley said this year's Safer Internet Day could not have come at a better time, with the second major school lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis, and the mass move to learning online.
‘Schools are now much more geared up to online learning than they were a year ago, and thousands of children will be negotiating the internet on their own during lockdown as adults juggle working from home with trying to home-school them, so raising awareness of internet safety is absolutely vital’, she said. ‘This is something that we talk about with pupils regularly, so that they become responsible and discerning users of the internet and can spot when something isn't quite right. Those who would target them are, of course, always one step ahead of what we are teaching them but by instiling those questioning skills we can try to keep children and young people as safe as possible’.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Childnet International
https://www.childnet.com/resources/
UK Safer Internet Centre
www.saferinternet.org.uk