The internet can be a dangerous place, or at least that is the idea behind Safer Internet Day, a day created by the European Commission to make “a better [internet] for everyone, in particular, the youngest users out there.” Celebrated around the globe, stakeholders registered for Safer Internet Day are holding events this Tuesday, February 6, to raise awareness of the safety issues hindering our online culture.
In the United States, according to the official Safer Internet Day map, that level of participation is unfortunately limited to but two events, both of which are located in Austin, Texas. However, there are other ways to get involved. For instance, you can use Facebook and Twitter to use the hashtags #SID2018 and #SaferInternetDay interchangeably.
If that is not enough, you can do so bearing in mind the theme for this year’s campaign, namely, “Create, connect and share respect: A better internet starts with you,” the goal of which is to open up a dialogue.
As divulged in a press release issued by European Schoolnet, Safer Internet Day is “an invitation for everyone to join in and engage with others in a respectful way in order to ensure a better digital experience.”
An example of the events taking place includes a kick-off live-stream for 250 middle and high school students in the United States. In the U.K., resources are simply being providing to educational administrators to reach students and families on their own.
BetterInternetForKids.eu has its own resource gallery as well, complete with everything from educational games to videos about how to stay safe online. Better yet, they are available in a wide range of languages, making it clear that internet security truly is for everyone.
A Thunderclap for Safer Internet Day was launched this morning, having reached more than 9 million people at the time of this writing. What’s more, it achieved 190 percent of its supporter goal in the process.
Safer Internet Day appears to take on different meanings for different individuals, but the clear consensus is that parents should take this time to talk to their children about the importance of what they say and do online. If the firing of the Subnautica sound designer was anything to go by earlier today, it’s that there are severe consequences to hateful behavior on the web.
In other words, there are ways to do good online.
