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FLOW helping children, seniors boost online safety

Published:Tuesday | February 5, 2019 | 12:00 AM
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Grade five student Corie- Ann Hutchinson beams as as she shows off a tablet she won during a Safer Internet Day presentation hosted at the Alpha Primary School on February 1.
Students from the Alpha Primary School smile for the camera they participate in an online safety workshop conducted by Flow.
Yvette Samuels-Brown ( second left), principal of the Alpha Primary School, beams as her students receive their Safer Internet Monitor badges from Flow's Susanna O'sullivan (right), senior director of IT. Grades three to six students at the school were given the opportunity to participate in an online safety workshop led by the telecommunications firm.
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More than 250 students in primary schools across the island are now being trained by the FLOW Foundation to become online safety monitors for their peers and in their communities.

Today, the telecommunications firm joins thousands of entities across the globe to observe Safer Internet Day under the theme ‘Together for a Better Internet’. FLOW will be focusing on two key at-risk stakeholder groups in the online space – children and the elderly.

On February 1, the company began hosting workshops with children between the ages of seven and 11, while a session is planned with senior citizens for February 7 that will also educate them about safe practices while in the online space.

In addition, the FLOW Foundation has also partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to heighten awareness among adolescents and young adults about dangers that lurk in the online space. UNICEF has issued a poll via its U-Report social messaging platform to measure experiences and attitudes with regard to online safety among children and youth ages 13-29 across the island.

POLL RESULTS

Preliminary results of the poll, which is open until midnight on Safer Internet Day, highlight some major online risks. Forty-five per cent said they have agreed to meet up with someone they did not know. Fifty-seven per cent admitted having ‘sexted’ – sent or received sexually explicit images. Ninety per cent of the respondents said they would take action if they saw someone being attacked, threatened or victimised online.

Kayon Mitchell, director of corporate communications and stakeholder management, shared that educating persons, particularly youth, about responsible use of the Internet remains an annual priority for the company.

“We are continuing the national conversation about Internet safety. While it provides many great opportunities to connect and create moments with our friends and family, like any other tool, responsible usage is encouraged, especially among children. We also celebrate that more and more of our senior citizens are getting online. However, we recognise that they, too, may also face significant risks while navigating the online world,” Mitchell said.

She further informed that during the sessions with the children, the importance of protecting personal information, refusing requests for meeting up with persons they meet online and escalating issues to responsible adults is shared.

“We are very happy to partner with FLOW to help spread the message of safer Internet use. We are inviting young people to be kinder online, and to make the Internet a safer place for everyone. Growing up online provides tremendous possibilities for children and young people, but at the same time, it also has perils. By protecting young people from the worst the Internet has to offer and expanding access to its best, we can each help tip the balance for good,” said Mariko Kagoshima, UNICEF Jamaica country representative.

Following each training workshop, the students will also be asked to complete the UNICEF Smart Connect quiz, also available online, which is used worldwide to help students and youth navigate the Internet safely – to prevent risk and take appropriate action.

For the seniors, currently being identified through the National Senior Citizens Council, exposure to various tools available online for their general utility and entertainment will be provided and the Safer Internet message will also be incorporated. FLOW and UNICEF will be engaging students in the parishes of Kingston, St Ann, St James and Manchester as part of this year’s thrust, while the seniors’ session will be hosted at FLOW’s corporate headquarters in Kingston.