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Welcome to the Insafe Newsletter!
Humans are often considered as "social animals". Unsurprisingly, the internet is constantly developing from static publishing towards participation and social interaction. Buzzwords like social networking, web 2.0, social software, user-generated content have marked this evolution.
As a result, "new" types of platforms have become some of the most visited websites. We are talking about platforms where users present themselves with their interests, tastes and friends, share pictures and movies, get to know new people with similar preferences, flirt and play games together. Creating and expressing one's identity as well as being part of a community are key motivators for participation. Needless to say, these places are highly attractive for teens.
The most popular social networking sites to be found in different countries are quite disparate. Examples of highly frequented sites by young Austrians would be: uboot.com, oe4.com or websingles.at. Entering "social networking websites" in the Wikipedia, offers a comprehensive, but not necessarily exhaustive, list of online communities.
Looking at social networking platforms from an internet safety perspective, one discovers that the core issues obviously stay the same. As internet safety awareness raisers, we have to promote teens' competences to deal with privacy, bullying, copyright issues, harmful content, anonymity and mobile access in a responsible, critical and self-confident way.
An excellent opportunity for teens to actively acquire these competences is the Safer Internet Day 2007 competition. Pupils are invited to produce awareness materials with a partner class from a different country about the ethical and safe use of internet and mobiles - focusing on one of three topics: e-privacy, netiquette or power of image. Detailed information: www.saferinternet.org
Bernhard Jungwirth, Saferinternet.at, Austria
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News
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Danish children use online tools to sustain local communities
Online communities are primarily "virtual" and based on internet users' common interests, ideas and values rather than their geographical proximity. Read more
Sociability research of an online youth community
In the past years, online communities have become increasingly popular. This can partly be explained in terms of the sociability concept and the communication possibilities it entails. Read more
Launch of Think U Know in Australia
An internet safety education initiative named Think U Know was recently launched in Australia. Read more
Social networking trends in Germany
Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites are gaining popularity among German adolescents, but only slowly. Read more 
Protegeles supports Mo1
Protegeles considers the Mo1 to be a good choice for parents once they decide to provide their children with a mobile phone, given that it includes all the necessary safety elements for children.
Read more
i-SAFE brings internet safety education to EU schools
A "digital divide" exists between what students, their teachers, and parents know about computers, technology and the internet. Educating all of them bridges the digital divide.
Read more
The youth protection roundtable-YPRT
The Youth Protection Roundtable is a network of technical and pedagogical experts from all over Europe set up by German Digital Opportunities Foundation, "Stiftung Digitale Chancen". Read more 
Help make the internet safer for our children
Help make the internet safer for our children and start by protecting your children or the children that you look after! You can now test a tool for free. Read more
Joys and drawbacks of social networking
The majority of Finnish adolescents use social networking sites as a regular part of their daily life. Read more |
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Events |
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"Safer Internet Day 2007"
Competition deadline extended until 15 December 2006!
Read more |
"Insafe plus training meeting"
7 & 8 December 2006
Bruges, Belgium
Read more
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Country Focus: Austria |
Online consumer protection
Saferinternet.at and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Security, Generations and Consumer Protection presented the teachers' handbook "Think first, then click", "Erst denken, dann klicken" about consumer protection on the internet. Read more |
"Do you see what your child sees?!"
In conjunction with Saferinternet.at, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, ORF, organised a widely supported awareness-raising campaign on media-related risks to children. Read more 
handywissen.at for safe mobile phone use
Handywissen.at is an initiative offering information and support for parents and teachers with questions about the safe and inexpensive use of mobile phones.
Read more
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Insafe is a European network of 26 nodes in 24 countries that are dedicated to raising awareness of internet safety. It is coordinated by the European Schoolnet and supported by the European Commission through the Safer Internet Programme.
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