How the UK Safer Internet Centre Celebrated Safer Internet Day in Liverpool!
The 6th February saw thousands of events taking place across the UK for this year’s Safer Internet Day. As UK coordinators for Safer Internet Day, the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) team hosted events in London, Glasgow, and Liverpool, where in particular we were joined by hundreds of pupils and their teachers at Anfield Stadium and Everton FC!
Over at Anfield, students (and mascot Mighty Red) joined some of our team to familiarise themselves with new technology, online scenarios, and what they can do if they find themselves facing difficult situations on their favourite platforms.
Pupils and teachers joined in with two assemblies to gain a better understanding of how to navigate the online world. Reporting and talking to a trusted adult about the content they see and use online were key pieces of guidance for the young pupils. Teachers were also introduced to the Report Harmful Content service and the Professionals Online Safety Helpline; helping them to understand how they utilise each of these avenues to better protect their young communities. Â
Online Safety Workshops
A number of engaging workshops then took place to explore this year’s Safer Internet Day theme of change and influence online, with those involved being asked ‘How does the internet influence us?’ Each workshop allowed discussions to take place about various online scenarios, developing critical thinking and allowing pupils to think about the impact of content such as fake accounts, and videos showing dares or ‘’crazy stunts’’. The discussions they were having gave the UKSIC team a small insight into the understanding that these young groups already have about the online world.
With these sessions showing the need for greater digital literacy education and online safety provisions, teachers joined Ken Corish to explore ProjectEVOLVE and how the digital literacy toolkit can support and improve learning and understanding of the online world within classrooms. Teachers were also provided with a variety of UKSIC and partner resources that will allow them to further support the young people in their care.
Sessions concluded with stadium tours, met with great excitement. Overall, the event proved to be a success in providing key guidance to pupils which they can then explore further with teachers, parents or carers.
There’s Still Time to Get Involved
We would like to thank everyone who came to this event and those who made it possible. Support such as this helps to make Safer Internet Day one of the most renowned events in the online safety calendar.
If you were like us and held an event for Safer Internet Day, you can let us know how you got involved by registering your support . Finally, you can also find new research, published exclusively for the day, which highlights latest impact of online technology, concerns, and considerations.