It can be scary sometimes to see how fast things change online - new apps get developed every day, trends become viral and terminology updates all the time. It's certainly not unusual for young people to pick up on this sooner than others.
Schools have developed their curriculums to ensure that children are taught about the dangers associated with being online as well as how they can use the internet safely. A key part of the school calendar is Safer Internet Day.
Safer Internet Day is held every February in over 170 different countries and aims to call on people from across the globe to work together to make the internet a safer and better place for all - especially young people. But it's also a celebration of the internet and all the things it can do for us. Think about how the absence of the internet would change your life - what challenged would we face without it?
This year, the theme for Safer Internet Day is ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. This focus is aimed at getting children and young people to talk more openly about their use of the internet and the things they come across that cause them concern or potentially put them in danger. The more we talk about the things we see and do online, the easier it is for us all to support each other. It also means that if something ever does go wrong, it’s even easier to find someone to help.
From dealing with trolls and abuse from scammers, security and social media, it's all about understanding what is out there, being able to talk about it and understanding time impact we can have on the guidelines/policies that impact us.
As part of the Oasis Horizons project, online safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Our Computing curriculum has been designed to incorporate all aspects of helping children to stay safe online. From understanding what they post online will be there forever, to knowing what they can do if they see something that is concerning to them. Teaching the current generation of children about the rights and wrongs of internet use will help protect future generations.
Each school uses the Safer Internet Day theme to create age appropriate activities and then showcases these across their social media channels and shares them with parents.
So, this Safer Internet Day we are challenging everyone to talk about it.
Talk to your friends. Talk to the adults you know and trust.
Tell them about the funny things you see online, or your favourite game or app to use.
Tell them about the latest trends, or your favourite streamers and content creators.
Tell them about the things online that frustrate you, or the things that make you laugh out loud.
Tell them your top online safety tip, or how you think they can best support you in your online life.
Most importantly, tell them if something is worrying you. It’s never too late to share an online problem and get help and support that can make things better.