Safer Internet Day 2024

What is Safer Internet Day? 

Celebrated in approximately 180 countries worldwide, Safer Internet Day (SID) is a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Last year, almost 200,000 people in Ireland took part in Safer Internet Day activities, events and campaigns to explore a range of online safety topics including cyberbullying, rights online, mis/disinformation online, privacy and more.

Everyone including children/young people, parents/caregivers, teacher/schools, policymakers, industry and others plays a role in helping to encourage safe, positive use of digital technology and the Internet, and to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people.

Safer Internet Day 2024 takes place on Tuesday, February 6th.

 

Why is it important?

With so much of our time spent online, it has never been more important to empower people, especially children and teenagers, with the knowledge and skills to know how to be safe, responsible and positive users of digital technology and the internet. 

                           

 

What is happening for Safer Internet Day 2024?

There are a wide range of events and initiatives taking place for Safer Internet Day 2024 involving schools, parents, industry, and policy makers.

 

 

“Tech in Our World” Event, February 6^th, Safer Internet Day 2024; (Audience: educators, policy makers, industry)

On Safer Internet Day 2024, the Irish Safer Internet Centre is hosting a youth-led event focusing on the theme “Tech in Our World”. This will put the voice of children and young people at the heart of conversations and reflections on significant recent developments in new and emerging technologies. Led by teenagers on the Webwise Youth Panel, event will feature discussions involving post-primary school students, educators, regulators, industry representatives, and online safety stakeholders.

Potential areas of interest for media:

• This event is guided and led by young people. Key areas of concern for them are around trust in technology; developing the right critical thinking skills to navigate new technology (eg. Generative AI); understanding rights and privacy online; the potential for new technology improve lives and solve problems (education, climate change, health), but also the potential to create problems (unemployment, social isolation)
• Key stakeholders in attendance, including Ireland’s new Online Safety Commissioner, industry representatives, educators, researchers, and online safety stakeholders.
• The event will have a 50/50 split, with Post-Primary school students making up half of those in attendance. This ensures that young people are at the heart of the event.
• Why the theme “Tech in Our World” is topical/relevant in the current online safety context

 

SID Ambassador Programme (Audience: students, teachers/schools, parents/guardians)

Over 100 Post-Primary students from schools in different counties around Ireland are taking part in the SID Ambassador Training Programme. Following the programme, they will lead online safety campaigns in their own schools and communities.

Potential areas of interest for media:

• Students involved in programme will run campaigns in their own schools, which may be of interest to local media. What are they tackling? Why? Why are they interested in online safety? Why is peer-to-peer element important in raising awareness of online safety? What activities will they be doing for the campaign?
• The programme is peer-led, so the students have been trained by other teenagers (Webwise Youth Panel)

 

School activities all around Ireland: (Audience: students, teachers/schools, parents/guardians)

Schools all over Ireland will be running lessons, activities, and event to mark Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, February 6^th.

These can be viewed on the Safer Internet Day events map on webwise.ie/saferinternetday

Potential areas of interest for media:

• How can schools in the locality get involved? What supports and resources are available?
• What types of topics do they address? Topics include safety and privacy; cyberbullying; tackling mis/disinformation; rights online; and more.

 

Parent/Guardian activities: (Audience: Parents/carers)

Parents/guardians have a vital role to play in helping to keep their children safe online, but for many parents/guardians it can be difficult to know where to start, or what supports, and advice is available to them. With Safer Internet Day approaching, now is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of online safety amongst parents/guardians.

Potential areas of interest for media:

• Top tips for keeping my child/teenager safe online
• My child/teen knows more than I do about tech/internet – what can I do?
• How can I talk to my child/teen about being safe online.
• Is my child spending too much time online? How can I strike a healthy balance?
• A series of free online safety webinars will take place across February, and will include contributions from the Safety Teams in Snapchat/TikTok/Apple

 

Potential spokespeople: Jane McGarrigle (Webwise), Fiona Jennings (ISPCC), Áine Lynch (National Parents Council), Niamh Hodnett (Online Safety Commissioner), Webwise Youth Panellists.

 

About Webwise

Webwise is the online safety initiative of the Department of Education and is co-funded by the European Commission. Webwise promotes safer, better internet use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, children, young people and parents. Webwise also coordinates Safer Internet Day in Ireland.

 

Irish Safer Internet Centre

• A partnership of Hotline.ie, ISPCC, National Parents Council Primary and Webwise coordinated by the Department of Justice and co-funded by the European Union.
• The partners work together towards a shared mission of making the Internet a safer and more inclusive place for children and young people.

 

Supported by Midlands 103 and Coimisiún na Meán