Safer Internet Day 2012 (SID2012) serves as great opportunity to remind ourselves of the need to exercise a bit of caution as we traverse the wired side of life. What impresses me the most is the multi-lingual, multi-topic approach taken to spread the message of how to stay safe online. For example, on You Tube there are over 30 videos dedicated to the day. The official video can be found here. But my favorite is this one featuring two boys surfing the internet and what they encounter and it can be found here.
I found the following factoids of interest and know you will too, all shared at the Safer Internet Day website – which can be found here.
Did you know that..?
- 26 per cent of children report having a public social networking profile.
- Children of all ages are lacking digital skills –confidence is often not matched by skill!
- 12 per cent of European 9-16 year olds say they have been bothered or upset by something on the internet…
- …however, 56 per cent of parents whose child has received nasty or hurtful messages online are not aware of this.
- One in eight parents don’t seem to mediate their children’s online activities…
- …while 56 per cent of parents take positive steps such as suggesting to their children how to behave towards others online.
- 44 per cent of children think that parental mediation limits what they do online, 11 per cent say it limits their activities a lot.
Helping each other stay safe online:
- Teachers’ engagement with children’s internet use is least among 9-10 year olds.
- 36 per cent of 9-16 year olds claim that they definitely know more about the internet than their parents.
- 73 per cent of children say their peers have helped or supported their internet use.
- 44 per cent of children claim to have received some guidance on safe internet use from their friends, and 35 per cent say that they have also provided such advice to their friends.
- Yet, children say they receive most online safety advice from parents (63 per cent), then teachers (58 per cent), other relatives (47 per cent), then peers (44 per cent).
- Parents get internet safety advice first and foremost from family and friends (48 per cent).
- 87 per cent of children use the internet at home.
So let us collectively dig in and help make the internet safer, not only on Safer Internet Day, but everyday.