Youngsters learn about online dangers for Safer Internet Day

STAYING SAFE: Louise Babych, community impact partner at KCOM, speaking to children on Safer Internet Day

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

Hull youngsters were able to learn about staying safe online when they joined the KCOM Community Team for Safer Internet Day at the MKM Stadium.

Forty children from four city schools joined KCOM and Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University to mark the day.

As well as learning about the history of telecommunications and how it has changed rapidly in the 120 years since KCOM was formed, they also learned tips that can help them to spot dangerous situations online and what to do about them.

The international day is designed for children and young people who have grown up immersed in technology, including life online, from a young age. The aim behind the day is to create a better internet for all and raise awareness of online dangers while helping children to learn the tools they need to stay safe.

As well as learning lots throughout the day the group also got to visit Hull City’s stadium, and had a meet and greet with Tigers mascot Roary The Tiger.

Sarah Brodie, partnership manager at Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, said: “Nowadays being online is part of a child’s everyday life, and it’s a constantly changing environment, so it’s important for them to be kept aware of the dangers of the things they’re doing every day.

“It’s about allowing them to use this new technology in a positive way, whilst making them aware of the potential danger behind what they’re doing.”

Year Six pupil Roxy, 10, of Newington Academy, said: “We learned that you shouldn’t copy any of the trends you see online if you haven’t asked an adult about it first.”

Another Year Six attendee, Ashley, said: “You don’t always know who people are online, even if they say they’re your friend or they go to your school, so we learned that you always need to be careful and not just trust people.”

The day began with a series of presentations and activities, with an emphasis on how quickly technology can change. The children attending first learned about the origins of computing and the internet, as well as when various media were invented and how far technology has moved on in a short space of time. After lunch, it was time to tackle a variety of scenarios in an interactive task that had attendees decide whether each potential interaction was positive, negative or neutral.

TAKING PART: Children at the MKM Stadium

Louise Babych, community impact partner at KCOM, said: “At KCOM we’re celebrating our 120th anniversary this year, so this is a perfect time to look back with the children in attendance at just how much technology has changed in that time.

“As a technology company at the heart of our community in Hull and East Yorkshire, it’s part of our responsibility to the region to do our bit to help young people use our services in a safe and fun way.

“We love having the opportunity to get in front of schools, and to make internet safety as much a part of their education as maths or geography, to prepare them for the modern world.”

KCOM holds annual events on Safer Internet Day, as well as a wide variety of other community events throughout the year, often in conjunction with partners Hull City.

For more information and resources on how to keep children safe online visit www.saferinternetday.org.