“Start the Chat”- This years Safer Internet Day is all about asking and answering the hard questions of Internet Safety

Tuesday 11 February 2020 is Safer Internet Day - a worldwide program designed to promote a safer, more respectful and more resilient online community.

Since its inception as part of the EU’s wider SafeBorders project in 2004, Safer Internet Day has grown into an internationally recognised initiative that’s celebrated in over 150 countries. The main focus of the day is to bring to light many prevalent issues throughout the internet, like cyberbullying, image-based abuse, online money scams and deciphering misinformation online.

Each year Safer Internet Day (SID) has a theme that informs the kinds of discussions and initiatives that are presented throughout the day and the weeks leading up to it. This year the theme is centred around the slogan ‘Start the Chat’  that aims to tackle the hard questions about online safety.

‘Start the Chat’ this year is encouraging individuals and communities to engage with the harder conversations about the potential dangers and threats lurking on the internet. To this end the eSafety Commission has created some handy tips and tricks for starting the chat with everyone from children to seniors about their online safety.

Many of the issues of ‘Start the Chat’ are centred on the role that parents and educators can play in preparing young people and children for the dangers of the digital age. This includes how to deal with cyberbullying, sensitive content, and balancing screen time. There are also a number of tips available for seniors and adults - especially women- on handling online safety, banking and social media.

In addition to these resources State Library of Queensland members have access to Lynda.com - an online video training platform that has video tutorials for everything from video editing and software design to developing your social media and understanding cybersecurity. If you are not a member, sign up is free. It takes less than 15 minutes to join. 

Another key theme of #SID2020 is asking the hard questions about the reliability of information on the internet and wading through misinformation to find the trustworthy sources. Libraries are a fantastic resource for facilitating this conversation. Our friendly staff are always willing to help find the best and most reliable sources of information, both online and from our free and extensive physical and digital archives. 

So get involved in the spirit of the day and ‘start the
chat’ with those around you to make a safer and more informed digital
community!

#SID2020

Andrew Binyon
Visitor Services

To learn more about Safer Internet Day 2020 and State Library check out the helpful links below.

Safer Internet Day: https://www.esafety.gov.au/saferinternetday

Telstra’s Tech Savvy Seniors: https://www.telstra.com.au/tech-savvy-seniors

Lynda.com: /search/eresources/lynda

Office of the eSafety Commissioner: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Visit us: /visit-us

Membership: /services/membership/how-to-join

Ask us: /services/ask-us