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Why Safer Internet Day Matters
What’s in your school diary for February and March? The question might be better phrased “What isn’t?” Fasten your seatbelts; here’s mine.
Parents Meetings (x2), World Book Day (need to get a costume sorted), Assessment Week, Booster groups, Author visits, Review meetings (must update my paperwork), Curriculum deep dives, Science Week, Extra Curricular Sport, Half term (phew!) and… Safer Internet Day.
So is Safer Internet Day just one more thing to do? The Computing Lead ticking something off their to do list by burdening colleagues with yet more work? At this time of year, teacher workload can feel overwhelming. But while we are bustling through tasks before the children arrive and into the evening, what are our children doing? They are probably online.
If you are feeling brave, ask your class who spent time online last night. Gaming, messaging, watching videos, using the latest social media apps. Then ask them if they have ever experienced something unpleasant online. The stories they tell may shock you.
In 2020, while teaching a ‘bubble’ of key workers’ children, I observed that friendships were being formed over the love for one, at the time ubiquitous, online game. Children loved to talk about the online pets they had raised and traded. I asked about how the game mechanics worked, and why it was such fun. Then I asked the children whether they had encountered anyone scary or had an unpleasant experienced while playing this game. Every single child raised their hand…
Large scale research into children’s online activity paints a worrying picture. The UK Parliament suggests a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, and that nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction. One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, increasing to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age twelve. The amount of time those aged 5–15 years old spent online rose from an average of 9 hours per week in 2009, to 15 hours per week in 2018. The University of Edinburgh estimates that one in eight (over 300 million) children have been subjected to online solicitation, which might involve unwanted sexual talk or sexting. In addition, children have to contend with fake news, digital influencers, gambling style loot boxes in mainstream video games and online scams.
Statistics such as these will force even the busiest teacher to put down their highlighter pens, push aside their paperwork and take notice. Safer Internet Day happens just once a year (on the second Tuesday in February). This year it is on Tuesday 11th February. Time to add another note to your diary…
Too good to be true?
First established in 2004, Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for young people. Each year is themed, with children learning about respect and relationships online in 2022, and making changes in 2024.
This year’s theme is “Too good to be true?” Within this, children will learn how to recognise online scams. The excellent resources provided by the UK Safer Internet Centre indicate key signs of an online scam, such as contact from unexpected usernames, unusual spellings and requests for personal information. The vocabulary used is excellent; terms such as ‘password’ and ‘pop up’ are used in lessons for Key Stage One children, while Key Stage 2 will discuss phishing and protecting your profile. Lessons for older children also explore scams as well as explaining sextortion. Crucially, they explain what young people can do to report scams if they are targeted.
In addition to lessons, Safer Internet Day resources include online quizzes and role play scenarios that use images not too far removed from the games and apps our children use.
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2025
Top Tips for Online Safety
It seems appropriate to close an article about Safer Internet Day with some tips on online safety that you might share with your classes. As a Primary School teacher, pitching top tips can be difficult since many primary aged children are using apps and playing games that are aged rated 13 and above. In addition, the game or app that your class are crazy about this month may have fallen out of favour by March. With that said, here are mine:
For children:
1) Use a secure password.
2) Think carefully about when and where you share your personal information.
3) Not everyone online can be trusted, including in games.
4) Think before you post or press send. Ask yourself “Would I say this face to face?”
5) Most important of all… if you are unsure, feel unsafe, or see something that worries you, tell a trusted adult.
For schools and teachers:
1) Know what your pupils are up against. Which apps, devices and platforms are they using? How are you teaching them to navigate the online world safely?
2) Share online safety tips with parents and carers through newsletters and social media.
3) Use a secure password.
4) The Department of Education’s “Teaching Online Safety in Schools” document is well worth reading.
5) Make time and space in your curriculum for Safer Internet Day.
In the vast, online world our children so frequently inhabit, we need to help our children navigate the way safely. Even though we are all very busy, Safer Internet Day does matter. Enjoy teaching your lessons on 11th February.
With many thanks to Mike Kinnear for writing this article.
Mike is a primary teacher and a member of the EuHu teacher board.
