Safer Internet Day 2017 will take place on Tuesday 07th February with the theme ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’.

Coordinated in the UK, by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees hundreds of schools and organisations join together to raise awareness of online safety issues and run events and activities right across the UK. As a result of their collective action #SaferInternetDay 2016 reached 2.8 million UK children and 2.5 million UK parents.

The online safety landscape has evolved over recent years from a focus on creating a ‘safer’ internet to creating a ‘better’ internet. Whether we are children and young people, parents and carers, educators or social care workers, or indeed industry, decision makers or politicians, we can all be the change and unite for a better internet.

In championing a better internet, the theme aims to encourage people to be the change and make the most of the positive opportunities offered online, while giving them the resilience, skills, knowledge and support they need to navigate any online risks they may come across.

How you can help 

Young people can help to create a better internet by being kind and respectful to others online, by protecting their online reputations (and those of others), and by seeking out positive opportunities to create, engage and share online. They can help to respond to the negative by being ‘helpful bystanders’: supporting peers if they encounter issues online, taking a stand against cyber-bullying, and reporting any inappropriate or illegal content they find. Above all, children and young people should be encouraged to take their stand as digital citizens of the future – participating in debates on the future of the internet, and making their voices heard.

As a student of The Engineering College, if you can think of any ways that we can promote #SaferInternetDay, please speak to Olivia in the MIS Office.

Find out more and get involved! www.saferinternetday.org.uk #SID2017