04.02.2009

The Safer Internet Day supports parents in media education in 2009: Mother or father, find out how your child uses the media!

The Safer Internet Day Week is launched on 4 February 2009 and culminates in the national Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, 10 February 2009. Supporting parents in media education is one of the main themes of the project this year.

The many challenges of media education at home

Many parents feel insecure about their children's use of the media and the internet, in particular. The insecurity results from the difference between the children's and parents' habits of using the electronic media. While parents experience the internet as a virtual world, separate from the daily life, children see the internet as a daily forum where they spend time with old and new friends. For the children and the young, the internet is a significant environment for growing and learning. On the internet, their face happiness and sorrow, fear and thrill, relaxation and much more.

In 2009, the objective of the national Safer Internet Day is to encourage parents to become interested in the electronic media services used by children and the young. 'It is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the services used by the young. Unnecessary fears give way to actual information and parents will have a realistic conception of how their children spend their spare time,' reminds the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare Youth Work Manager Juuso Peura.

Although children often top their parents as users of the electronic media, they lack the life experience their parents have. As in life in general, the internet has its pros and cons. Therefore, it is essentially important that parents are interested in the services used by their children, discuss with their children what they have experienced on the web and in other media, and, above all, create the family's own rules for using the electronic media.

The media educator’s field guide

According to a recent report by OAJ, the Trade Union of Education in Finland, and the Educa Fair, teachers wish that parents would take a bigger responsibility for the internet education of the children and the young. The Safer Internet Day and the Mediafoorum, launched by the Minister of Communications Suvi Lindén, have together prepared the Media educator's field guides to support parents in media education. The brochures give parents of young children, schoolchildren and the young tips on media education. The brochures can be obtained at child welfare clinics and schools.

'The media educator's field guide was posted to the parents of children turning 13 years this year,' says Anna Lauttamus-Kauppila, Chairperson of the project and Communications Director at FICORA.

The message is also reinforced by a media education test intended for parents. The test can be found at www.tietoturvakoulu.fi in Finnish and Swedish. The site also has a lot of other useful information about the internet and media education for parents, teachers and schoolchildren.

Events during the Information Security Week

The public is welcome to ask experts about media education and information security on Saturday, 7 February 2009 at 10-16. This public event is part of the Information Security Week and arranged at the Kamppi shopping centre in Helsinki.

A rock concert will be arranged for the young at Kulttuuriareena Gloria (Pieni Roobertinkatu 12, Helsinki) on the Safer Internet Day on 10 February 2009, at 18-22. Free admittance, required minimum age is 13 years. The performers are Happoradio, Phoenix Effect and Pin Ion.

The Safer Internet Day is an annual campaign, which aims at informing the citizens of how to use the internet and other electronic media in the safest and smartest possible way. The campaign uses the means of communications and social advertising for this purpose. Thirty-six companies, organisations and authorities participate in the Safer Information Security Day.

Further information:
Anna Lauttamus-Kauppila, Chairperson of the project, Communications Director, +358 50 563 5724, anna.lauttamus-kauppila@ficora.fi
Heli Alanko, Project Coordinator, +358 40 581 1188, heli.alanko@ficora.fi
Juuso Peura, Youth Work Manager, the Mannerheim League for Child, tel. +358 075 324 5513, juuso.peura@mll.fi
Nora Elers, Chairperson for the Parents working group, Communications Director, FiCom ry, +358 50 5746977, nora.elers@ficom.fi

Members of the Safer Internet Day: D-Fence Oy, DNA Oy, Elisa Corporation, Enter ry, F-Secure Corporation, fiMUG, the Federation of Finnish Financial Services, Finnet Association, the National Emergency Supply Agency, the Central Chamber of Commerce, the Consumer Agency, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, the Media Education Centre, Microsoft Corporation, the National Board of Education, the Ministry of Education, Save the Children Finland, Sulake Corporation, the Federation of Finnish Municipalities, the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, TeliaSonera Finland Oyj,TIEKE Finnish Information Society Association, FiCom - the Finnish Federation for Communications and Teleinformatics, the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, the Finnish Information Security Association, VTT, the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, the Population Register Centre, the University of Jyväskylä, Office of the Ombudsman for Children in Finland, Lähivakuutus, Macecraft Software, the Ministry of the Interior, Stonesoft Oyj and the Finnish Parents' Association.

The 'Turvallinen opinahjo?' (A safe school?) report by OAJ and Educa is available in Finnish at www.oaj.fi/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/OAJ_INTERNET/01FI/01OAJ_ETUSIVU/TURVALLINEN%20OPINAHJO_FINAL.PDF