Safer Internet Day 2022: Activities to Inspire Global Change

Each year, on the second day of the second week of the second month, schools and communities around the globe celebrate Safer Internet Day (SID). The aim is to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively.

On February 8th, 2022, schools all over the world, with the support of the European Commission, will unite to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology among children and young people.

Ready to band together for a better internet? Use these Safer Internet Day resources and activities to participate in the worldwide movement.

How to Get Involved: Join SID

What started as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 has grown and evolved to approximately 200 countries and territories worldwide. Now spearheaded by the Insafe network, Safer Internet Day invites schools to get involved – not just on SID but all year round.

In this year’s key campaign messaging, SID acknowledges that “While celebrations may continue to be online or hybrid events as a result of the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that SID 2022 will still be a vibrant and engaging celebration.”

It also encourages everyone to understand and accept their role in creating a better internet. That includes children and young people, parents and carers, teachers, educators, and social workers, as well as industry decision-makers and politicians.

Suggested SID School Events and Activities

While anyone looking to celebrate the positive power of the internet can participate in SID, schools play an especially critical part.

Pick any combination of the following recommendations to celebrate at home or in school and make the most of the internet’s potential to bring people together:

• Plan themed events, such as dress like your favourite TikTok creator or pyjama day, for a week leading up to Safer Internet Day.
• Host a night of presentations just for parents.
• Show films about topics like online grooming and have a roundtable discussion after.
• Invite an internet safety speaker or social media influencer to come to talk with the students in your school.
• Have a “day of silence” to honour the victims of online violence.
• Organise an internet safety fair with refreshments, games, and demonstrations.
• Hold a competition for the most creative SID social media post.
• Give lessons on how other schools around the world are celebrating.
• Set up a debate about issues relating to internet safety using a lesson plan like this one from WebWise.
• Connect students in your school with those in a different region or country for a digital pen-pal exchange.
• Instruct students in creating and designing an online safety avatar of themselves.
• Reach out to your local SID Committee or start one yourself if it doesn’t exist yet!
• Mobilise a volunteer day where students teach seniors about technology.

Online adventure games like Google’s Interland, can also teach critical digital safety skills. It covers a wide array of situations including being kind online, recognising scams, and securing one’s personal information.

Consider These SID Resources

Visit the Safer Internet Day resource gallery to view hundreds of pieces of educational content on everything from combating hate speech and managing sexting incidents to keeping pupils safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in school. They make it easy to sort by topic, language, or region.

UK Safer Internet Centre and Teaching Ideas UK both have a large collection of personal, social and health education (PSHE) teaching ideas and resources that you can use in your primary and secondary classrooms.

Improving digital well-being takes everyone. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, don’t miss an opportunity to help create a better internet for those that are most vulnerable: our children.

‍