DIGIDEM - promoting digital citizenship to foster democracy

Insight has joined forces with Universities in Auvergne, Calabria and Malta and Innovative Prison Systems (IPS) in Portugal to work with digital citizens in higher and vocational education. The goals of this 3-year Erasmus+ project are described in an article by IPS at https://prisonsystems.eu/leading-the-way-in-fostering-education-in-digital-democracy-and-citizenship/

Young people and Gen AI

True to its vocation as an educational research hub, Insight is constantly seeking to understand the digital practices of young people and their take-up of emerging tools and platforms. One effective way of doing this is through SmartBus sessions, an internet safety programme in schools launched in partnership with Huawei in 2019. Before each session, Insight uses its own dedicated, GDPR-compliant platform to quiz the 11 to 14-year-old participants on their digital practices. Local magicians then deliver educational content developed by Insight to help pupils go online more creatively and safely.

One hot topic on the SmartBus agenda for 2024 is Generative AI. Despite the global media hype around this topic, our 2024 findings from 1000 students in Iceland show that only 1 in 3 students have actually tried out Gen AI tools. Even more surprisingly, 56% of these young people say their top concern is that they don’t really understand how AI works. It seems that Gen(erative) AI continues to exacerbate the growing gap between what children are learning at school and the high-powered digital tools they have at their fingertips.

The SmartBus has visited almost 200 schools since its launch, and approximately 12,000 school students have benefited from this face-to-face and hybrid programme. In Finland, almost 600 pupils have visited the SmartBus so far this year. A report will be published in early 2025 to inform policy makers, educators and the general public about the most recent ways young people are using digital technology, as well as their concerns and expectations. In the meantime, readers can discover interesting findings on last year’s trends in the 2023 SmartBus report.

SmartBus feedback survey

Click here to fill in the SmartBus feedback survey

If your students or your child has recently attended a SmartBus session, we would love to hear from you. Your input will help shape upcoming internet safety initiatives. Please fill in the survey linked above.

The SmartBus was launched in 2019 by Insight as part of Huawei's Tech4all program, and has already benefited more than 10,000 teens in Scandinavia and northern Europe. In 2023, 3,400 young people attended SmartBus sessions in Finland, Iceland and Sweden, and you can read the latest report here.

 

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European Economic Forum

This week, Insight is participating in panels on cybersecurity (read our research report here) and violence prevention (find one of our antibullying resources here) at the European Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland.

EuroDIG meeting in Tampere

Insight is a member of the IS3C, an internet standards, safety and security coalition (https://is3coalition.org/) within the UN’s Internet Governance Forum, and Chair of the coalition’s Education and skills working group. On 20 June, we organised and chaired an interactive session on cybersecurity education at the EuroDIG meeting held in the Tampere University in Finland. Together with panelists Wout de Natris (IS3C coordinator), Julia Piechna (NASK, Poland) and Kseniia Gnitko (ISOC Youth), the audience discussed and voted on ways to best meet the growing cybersecurity challenges the world is facing. Improved collaboration between industry and education sectors emerged as an essential starting point, with two thirds of the public also underlining the need to teach cybersecurity from early childhood onwards and to facilitate mid-career changes for employees interested in working in cybersecurity. In coming months, Insight will join forces with the IS3C and NASK to build a cybersecurity hub, building on findings from a worldwide study conducted by Insight (https://is3coalition.org/docs/study-report-is3c-cybersecurity-skills-gap/) and released at the IGF in Ethiopia last year. The hub would not only strive to foster collaboration between all key stakeholders, but also open training opportunities for underserved populations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Learn more at https://IS3coalition.org.

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Kids Corner

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  • Digital Citizenship

    Digital CitizenshipDigital citizenship competences (values, attitudes, skills and knowledge) shape how we act in the digital world, and how ethically it will evolve. We work in multi-stakeholder partnership with institutions, industry, national governments, universities and NGOs worldwide to develop educational tools and services to empower young people as responsible digital citizens. 2019 has seen the launch of the Council of Europe’s Digital Citizenship Education Handbook co-authored by Insight experts and, on November 21, the adoption of a recommendation to integrate digital citizenship education into school curricula in its 47 member countries.

  • Data Protection

    HaveYourSayEducation alone is not enough to protect children. It’s necessary to be involved in research in digital technology, and work hand in hand with industry, governments and international institutions to future-proof tools and platforms, shape policy and ensure broad reach. Insight is part of Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board, Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council, and the Council of Europe’s Digital Citizenship Education working group. It’s proud to be recognised as a source of creative ideas and a trusted partner to dozens of such entities, yet to speak out loudly and clearly when children’s rights are at stake.

  • Anti Bullying

    Bullying2Anti-bullying initiatives include the EU-funded programme ENABLE, subject of a publication with the Council of Europe entitled Bullying: perspectives, practice and insights. 

    We actively support the NoBully Power of Zero Power of Zero anti-bullying programme (USA-based), and implemented workshops and more with the Ministry of Education in Seychelles.

  • Child Protection

    ProtectionThe most powerful way to help children become responsible internet users and stay safe online is through education. We create and implement innovative approaches, tools and publications for children and their families, teachers and community. One such tool is the Council of Europe’s Internet Literacy Handbook (4th revised edition), co-authored by Insight experts since its inception in 2003. The 2019 SMART bus tour is another example, now being rolled out by magicians in secondary schools in the Netherlands and Belgium. SMART sums up the Insight approach - Social sense; My footprint; Access to opportunities; Rights and responsibilities; Trust.