Safer Internet day February 11th 2020
In a months’ time the UK will be focusing on maintaining a safer internet for young people. The educator’s campaign and resources can be found below.
In an increasingly digitised world, with young people sharing a variety of content every day, 65% say they would feel disconnected from the world if they couldn’t be online. Helping them to make sense of their daily lives and wider society, 70% of young people say being online helps them understand what’s happening in the world and 60% only know about certain issues or news because of the internet.
Crucially, young people are using the internet as a safe space to understand and navigate topics they’re nervous to ask about, with 67% saying it’s easier to learn about them online. Encouragingly, the internet has helped almost half (46%) through a difficult time.
With technology enabling us to connect and learn faster than ever, 48% of young people say being online makes them feel like their voices and actions matter. Maximising on the collective power of the internet, 42% have been inspired to take positive action by sharing support for a campaign, social movement or petition.
84% young believe they have a responsibility to respect other online
However, the myriad of ways in which young people connect online means they must also navigate the complexities of asking for and giving permission before sharing. Young people have a strong sense of right and wrong online, with an overwhelming 84% believing everyone has a responsibility to respect others. However, in practice almost half (48%) admit their peers don’t always think before they post.
36% of young people are sharing screenshots of other peoples’ photos, comments or messages at least weekly.
This exposes young people to a confusing landscape when it comes to online consent, and a lack of consensus on how to navigate this.
Half of young people (51%) think their friends should ask for permission before tagging them or sharing a photo or video of them, while 37% think their parents should ask. Furthermore, 27% are likely to read a friend’s messages without their permission.
Young people are also not asking permission before posting, despite 81% knowing when and how to ask. Consequently, in the last year over half of young people
(52%) said someone they know shared a photo or video of them without asking.
Follow the link to educator’s resources for February 11th which focuses on youth identity online
Comments