Children and youths are among the biggest users of online and mobile technologies. While we undertake every effort to ensure the safety and wellbeing of ourselves and others in the real world, the same has to be done in the virtual world.
Statistical research carried out among students aged 11 to 14 in 2014 and 2015 has shown that up to 72 per cent of Maltese youths aged between 11 and 12 have a Facebook profile, even though this is against the rules of the popular social networking site. More than 90 per cent of youths aged 13 to 14 also make heavy use of social networking and 56 per cent have internet access on their smartphones.
A project called Be Smart Online project, which is co-funded by the European Commission, is aimed at raising awareness and educating children and young people, parents, carers and educators on the safer use of the internet by children.
In Malta the project is implemented through a consortium coordinated by the Malta Communications Authority which includes the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, the Office of the Commissioner for Children and the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education.
72 per cent of Maltese youths aged 11 to 12 have a Facebook profile even though this is against the rules of the social networking site
Thanks to the funding obtained through the project, PSCD education officers, in collaboration with PSCD peripatetic teachers, have developed three different workbooks entitled Communicating Respectfully, Choosing Wisely, and Making Good Use of Digital Technology, for pupils in Years 3 to 5.
The workbooks, which are interactive, fun and thought-provoking, aim to develop the pupils’ digital citizenship skills from an early age. Various areas related to digital citizenship education are being explored. Using the workbooks, PSCD teachers are helping the pupils learn how to communicate and collaborate safely and responsibly online. The workbooks compare online and offline citizenship so that pupils become aware that the virtual community to which they belong also has its rules and regulations.
Children and youths often embrace technology without examining the consequences of what they post, search or download. Therefore, emphasis on the importance of protecting one’s private information, communicating respectfully, being careful on what one posts are all given due importance.
Importance is given to the creation of online personas that project a positive and constructive image, how to prevent, protect and report cyberbullying and how to look up, select and streamline information from the internet and choose authentic information sources.
The workbooks are a proactive way on how to deal with students’ engagement with the digital world. The workbooks are also a tool to help students acquire other media literacy skills and communication and critical skills.
Stephen Camilleri is an education officer for personal, social and career development.