The use of the internet is already commonplace for many students due to the constant availability of smartphones and tablets. In an effort to prepare for the diverse challenges of the digital world, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, is supporting the work of Safer Internet Centres across the EU with her #Saferinternet4EU campaign, launched on Safer Internet Day 2018. The campaign aims to draw attention to topics such as online safety, media literacy and cyber hygiene, and to show how young people, in particular, can be supported in this regard.
The current Back2School campaign is delivered under the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) umbrella through which Safer Internet Centres in Europe, operating as part of the Insafe network, have been offering information, workshops and resources on online safety topics for many years – see the Better Internet for Kids portal for more information.
Saferternet.at, the Austrian Safer Internet Centre (SIC), together with Commissioner Gabriel and the Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, Heinz Faßmann, organised a speed dating-style discussion session with pupils at the Bundesrealgymnasium Feldgasse. During short sessions, current topics such as cyberbullying, the influence of social networks, bring-your-own-device, and the use of learning management systems in the classroom were discussed. The findings were then presented and further discussed in plenary. The Commissioner was impressed by the students' good ideas and suggestions, stressing the importance of investing in digital literacy, especially by young people.
Find out more about the work of the Austrian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services.