Digital is an essential part of our daily lives, including those of primary school students. It has expanded methods of learning and creativity; however, it also introduces risks such as cyberbullying, sexual extortion, and privacy violations.
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According to the Unicef SA Kids Online Study, 95% of South African children regularly use the internet but are unaware of the risks and how to manage them. Even more shocking, 70% of children do not share what they have been exposed to.
Social Kids South Africa is a programme that helps guide and protect children under the age of 11 as they navigate the online world. This digital adventure is essential training for children to ensure they understand what information they should share online, how to protect their privacy, how algorithms work, and how to deal with cyberbullies. They learn proper online etiquette, how to recognise fake news, and how to ensure that the website they are visiting is secure.
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‘The reality is children are being exposed to the digital world from a young age. But what are we doing to show them the right way to surf the net, know their rights and how to handle situations they may find themselves in? We can monitor their online behaviour and try being online 24/ 7 but ensuring a child is aware of the threats, comfortable to communicate and empowered with knowledge, the more likely they are to steer away from dangerous situations’, says Cheryl Barnett, Co-founder of Social Kids ZA.
Building digital literacy at a young age provides your child with the necessary tools and knowledge to assist them when they grow older and enter the infamous teenage years. Rather than allowing your child to learn from their peers or through trial and error, Social Kids’ mascot, Codey Crawler, teaches children how to stay safe online and think before clicking. If your child is playing phone games or watching YouTube, they are vulnerable to master manipulators on the internet.
The programme consists of five adventure levels, each of which concludes with an activity that must be completed in order to earn a digital badge. Codey Crawler and his best friend Miss Nadie take young adventurers on a journey to upskill them through fun and age-appropriate pre-recorded lessons.
- Adventure level 1 starts with the dos and don’ts of digital safety. Children are taught about their digital fingerprints and the online trials they complete.
- Adventure level 2 teaches the little adventurer about cyberbullying and how to navigate and stop it by sharing with their circle of trust. This adventure level teaches them how to protect their information and determine what details are appropriate to share.
- Adventure level 3: In this lesson, Codey and Miss Nadie discuss how to spot fake stories, the importance of asking questions, and how to fact-check before sharing.
- Codey explains online etiquette, what specific messages and symbols on the internet mean, and how to interpret them. He goes into detail about how to play games safely and when to show or hide your true colours!
- Adventure level 5 is the final level, and Codey reinforces the main topics covered to ensure the brave adventurers can confidently connect with the world. It ensures that they understand the potential dangers and highlights the benefits that the digital world can provide.
Parents can access in-depth parent guides, which were created to provide value to parents. Showing them step by step how to protect their privacy, educating them on the best ways to set boundaries from an early age, and improving their relationships as they grow and learn online. The programme can be completed together or as a Jump in-Jump out online class with Miss Nadie in the afternoons every weekday.
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‘Social Kids is an excellent resource for future-proofing your children against online threats. Not only does it educate them, but it also provides parent guides to help set boundaries in place. I found the course useful because it opened up conversations with my son about online bullies and how he would handle them. Creating a safe family space (which Codey teaches us are people we can trust) is a good grounding for kids for that online world out there’ says Heather Step https://samomblogs.co.za/
Cheryl and Bryan Barnett developed this programme to protect their son, ‘We have seen how fast this digital world is changing and how our children are being exposed to this world, with little to no guidance. The focus only comes into place after they are well into their teens, the bad habits have already been formed. Hence our focus is on the younger generation.’
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Picture: Thomas Park /Unsplash