Focus on body image and influencers' impact on teenagers for SID 2020 in Greece

In Greece, the 2020 edition of Safer Internet Day (SID) has been one of the most successful yearly events thanks to everyone's support and excitement. More people than ever have expressed their support, participated in events organised either by the Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC) or in schools and municipalities using material provided by the SIC. 

Date 2020-04-09 Author Greek Safer Internet Centre
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Infographic depicting online habits of children in Greece according to a Safer Internet Day 2020 survey

Moreover, the media coverage of the day was great, and many politicians and celebrities sent their own message for SID via social media. It was a great celebration that brought everyone together for a better internet.

At the heart of the event were topical issues such as the way young people are influenced by influencers, and their continued exposure to ostensibly ideal people and situations on their social networks.

An important tool for initiating discussion and reflection on such important issues was the results of a new survey conducted by the Greek SIC, involving 13,000 students across the country. According to the report, two out of ten children aged 13-18 are concerned about the number of likes they will receive on the content they upload on a social network, 19 per cent have deleted a photo that did not receive a satisfactory number of likes and 28 per cent systematically uses filters on the photos they share.

The self-confidence of 33 per cent of high school students is affected by photos/materials shared by their friends. Indeed, what they see in their friends' profiles affects them more (60 per cent) than what they see in the profiles of the celebrities they follow (40 per cent). In addition, about one in three children follow nutritional advice they find online.

The Greek SIC's Youth Panel, in an effort to awaken their peers across the country to this issue, has created a guide with thoughts, concerns and suggestions on how young people can pause and reflect on how much time they spend on social networks daily, instead of investing in real friendships, human relationships and creative activities.

For more information about Safer Internet Day activities in Greece, visit the Greek Safer Internet Centre's Safer Internet Day profile page.

Find out more information about the work of the Greek Safer Internet Centre (SIC) generally, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services, or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.

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