Making rules is easy. But what about following them?

Following Safer Internet Day 2017, we've heard from a number of SID Supporters on how they marked the day. Here, Silja Nielsen, Head of Community and Safety at Momio, comments on their actions for a better internet.

Date 2017-03-03 Author Momio Section awareness, industry

Children are always being told what to do and what not to do – both online and offline. We wanted to challenge that. Children are smart and capable, so why not let them be the teachers?

To celebrate the annual, global Safer Internet Day and to partner with the Media Literacy Week arranged by National Audiovisual Institute in Finland, we are once again devoting a full week for activities that make children think of the internet in a new light. This time we hope it also influences their parents.

Do you follow your rules?

Many children have clear rules about what they are allowed to share on the internet. But do their parents follow the rules? It can be really awkward if your picture gets shared without permission – especially if it's your own parent doing it! We will ask Momio users to share their thoughts and experiences on the topic.

Emojis are a big deal and a kind of a language in and of itself, so we are putting focus on them. We're asking the children to pick an emoji and explain it so that even their grandparents would understand. That will be fun and educational! We will share the best explanations on Twitter. We are also asking if the kids have ever misunderstood an emoji, and what happened afterwards.

It can be hard to understand what the internet actually is – and if you don't know that, how can you aim for a better internet? One of the challenges we give to the kids is to explain the internet… to a cat! Having to explain something is a great way to discover what you lack in knowledge, and it makes you intrigued to find out more.

Let's be the change!

We started the week by asking the Momio kids what "Be the change: Unite for a better internet", Safer Internet Day's slogan for 2017, means. Our favourite answer so far is this:

"I think it means that you have to help: Make sure others don't get hacked or bullied, and that you don't bully others either."

This 10-year-old girl couldn't have put it better!

And our challenge to you, the parents, is: Ask your child to teach you something about the internet. You will both be surprised by how much you can learn!

Visit the Momio Safer Internet Day Supporter profile page for further information.

This article was originally published on the Momio blog and is reproduced here with permission.

Picture: Abi from Momio Denmark

About the author:
Silja Nielsen is Head of Community and Safety at Momio. She has worked at the company since 2010. Silja has a master's degree in Media Studies and is interested in privacy, online behaviour and online communities.

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