Together for a better Internet...

Is there a need to make social media safer for teens and young adults? Are we going paranoia with the broad variety of content that can be harmful? The discussion is getting louder after a series of studies and reportage on teenagers harming themselves, committing suicide or killing after seeing content that influence in a negative way. Social media platforms carry overwhelming pressure on people in general — and the youngsters in particular — to show success, to look good, to show that one is doing well and having a great life. Studies reveal that social media can create anxiety on people to gain popularity and to have a high number of likes. Besides the youth is highly vulnerable to bullying and other types of abuse online. It could all be a bubble of fantasy with a potential for serious mental health consequences. There is no doubt that the Internet and digital technologies are fantastic resources. They have changed the way we communicate and have a huge impact on increased creativity. Like everyone else, teens and young adults use the Internet for a variety of reasons: online gaming, social communities, news, and entertainment. Never before, teens had the opportunity to express so freely. Every time a kid “Snap” a picture to a friend or comment on Instagram, he is contributing to the media landscape. These age groups use technology in immersive ways to create online communities and to shape their identities. They keep up-to-date with each other, share their own youth-led language, and participate in global communities. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. However, studies look mostly into general apps such as Facebook, and Instagram with limited studies on video games. For example, the online game known as Momo has spread to several social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube. Momo like Slenderman and Blue Whale has been reported as responsible to lead young people to commit suicide or attempt murder. The 2019 Safer Internet Day — celebrated at the beginning of February — provided the chance to reflect on the role each of us can have to educate teens and young adults. The theme this year is Together for A Better Internet — it’s essentially a call to come together in creating a better and safer Internet for everyone. Then, who should be responsible for a safer Internet environment: social media organisations, the parents, schools or the government? It is an issue for debate. It is also an appeal to parents and counsellors to observe children and students with signs of stress or depression. To educate the youth is one way to respond to the appeal. Knowing how to use computer technology is already an essential life skill but we need to complement it with media and digital literacies. Both are some of the most important topics of our time. Digital literacy requires critical thinking skills, an awareness of the necessary standards of behaviour expected in online environments, and an understanding of the shared social issues created by digital technologies. Media literacy, on the other hand, is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the message they are sending. Fair enough, but how teens can understand what is to behave well online? What does it mean to them to think ethically online? How to recognise what is public and private online? These concerns must be addressed. There isn’t a need for a scare campaign about online dangers; what is needed is to ensure that children, teens, and young adults have the competence to engage in the digital environment wisely. For that, we can promote digital literacy education from the earliest years — taking into account their evolving abilities. Adults can also benefit! soniambrosio@gmail.com