Making the internet safe for consumers, families, and children is very important to Blacknight, so that’s why we support Safer Internet Day, held every year to increase awareness of what we can all do to make the Internet safer for all. This year, it’s happening on February 8th! Time to get ready! This year there’s a series of virtual events to help people make the safest Internet possible. Here are some of the details!
What is Safer Internet Day?
Safer Internet Day (SID) is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people. Coordinated and promoted in Ireland by Webwise, the online safety initiative of the Department of Education, aims to educate and raise awareness about protecting children online, so that they can responsibly enjoy the benefits of the Internet, without compromising their safety and privacy.
Safer Internet Day 2022 will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 8th. Over 100,000 people, 382 schools and organisations so far have pledged to participate in campaigns to celebrate Safer Internet Day so far. Find out what Safer Internet Day events are happening here: https://www.webwise.ie/saferinternetday/safer-internet-day-events-in-ireland/
Getting Families involved: #Talk ListenLearn
Safer Internet Day is a great time to engage parents, and raise awareness of the important role they play in helping their children to have a positive experience online. If I’m a parent, what can I do? Talk…Listen…Learn Often parents don’t know where to start, but there are tonnes of great free resources and supports out there for families. It’s never too late to start a conversation with your child about their online world and using the Internet. A great starting point is the Webwise Parents hub: webwise.ie/parents, there are free guides, expert advice videos, talking points, explainers to popular apps.
For Safer Internet Day 2022, Webwise is encouraging families to #TalkListenLearn and to talk regularly about the benefits and the challenges that children encounter online. Webwise has developed a great, fun tool to help families come together. The #TalkListenLearn topic generators encourage families to sit down, have an open discussion using the questions on the website. Have a look here: https://talklistenlearn.webwise.ie/
Webwise, in partnership with the National Parents Council Primary, will host a special online event featuring an expert guest panel discussion addressing some of the key findings of the recent National Advisory Council for Online Safety Report of a National Survey of Children, their Parents and Adults regarding Online Safety 2021:
- Parents underestimate the risks to which their child has been exposed to in the past year
- Less than half of parents are aware of contact and conduct risks their children have experienced
- Where children have been exposed to harmful online content, just one-third of parents are aware of this
Moderated by Gavan Reilly (Virgin Media News Political Correspondent), the event will include contributions from CEO of the National Parents Council Primary; Áine Lynch, Researcher and Deputy Chair of the National Advisory Council for Online Safety; Professor Brian O’Neill, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytical Psychotherapist; Dr Colman Noctor and members of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel.
There will also be a showcase of newly developed resources for parents/guardians. Webwise have developed a suite of resources for parents including:
- Updated online safety advice booklet for parents – A Parents’ Guide to a Better Internet
- Parent Toolkit with information, advice and resources for parents.
- A new topic generator to help parents begin conversations with their child: https://talklistenlearn.webwise.ie/.
The Webwise Safer Internet Day Ambassador Programme
Young people are taking a leading role on Safer Internet Day. Almost 150 students from across Ireland have been engaged in an online peer-led training programme. The aim of the training programme is to provide the students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to go back to their own schools/communities and lead an online safety campaign/initiative for Safer Internet Day on February 8th 2022. This programme is also supported by 30 members of the Webwise Youth Advisory panel, who act as peer mentors to the Ambassadors over the course of the programme. More info on the programme can be found here: https://www.webwise.ie/trending/sid-ambassador-programme-open/
“Our Digital Lives” – Event for Teens
On Safer Internet Day, Webwise will broadcast a short guest panel discussion featuring familiar faces including Miriam Mullins (TikTok Star); Shane Carthy (Dublin GAA Player); and Dr Elaine Byrnes (Researcher Psychology – Consent, Sexual Health Educator).
With questions asked by the students on this year’s SID Ambassador Training Programme, the “Our Digital Lives” event will see the contributors discuss the challenges and the benefits for young people of the online world.
The event will be available to view online, on Safer Internet Day, Tuesday, February 8th, here: https://www.webwise.ie/trending/our-digital-lives-guest-panel-discussion/
For more information on Safer Internet Day, check out their website here.