Is there a young person in your life who is fixated on social network and video-sharing sites, online games and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones? If so, you may want to take notice of the Media Literacy Week, which is taking place this week, from November 2 to 6, 2009.
This year’s theme is Media Literacy in the Digital Age, emphasizing the multiple levels of literacy that young people today need to access, evaluate, repurpose, create and distribute media content if they are to successfully navigate their digital media world.
Young people face many new challenges in this environment, but they also need to know how to protect their privacy while they are online and how to stay safe when using social networks.
This week, take a moment to familiarize yourself with all the great tools that are out there for you to share with your kids, students or other young people in your life. Here is a short list that we’ve compiled for you:
From This Office
If you haven’t already done this, spend some time on our site for young people, parents and educators, youthprivacy.ca. It’s full of tips about how young people can enjoy digital tools while staying safe and protecting their privacy. We are also featuring a video contest for 12-18-year-olds and a youth blog which discusses privacy issues that young people face. The site also features two teaching lessons on privacy (for grades 7 to 9 and 9 to 12) that were developed in partnership with the Media Awareness Network.
Their web site is full of valuable tools, including a Passport to the Internet, an online tutorial to help students in grades four to eight develop the critical thinking skills they need to navigate the web in a secure and ethical manner; and the Media Education: Make it Happen! program, which is a series of free resources to help educators understand and facilitate media literacy in their classrooms.
Our international partners face the same challenges and are working on various projects in order to reach youth. Check out the youth privacy web sites of some of our international partners:
Australia’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner – Whether you never think about privacy or always do, they have created a publication for you. They will tell you what some of the privacy issues are that you might face, some of the pitfalls to avoid, and who to turn to for help if your privacy has been affected.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data of Hong Kong has developed an interactive web site that aims to provide access to information regarding the execution of the Ordinance. It offers unparalleled user-friendly functions and a Privacy Zone for Youngsters that includes a few games.
The Information Commissioner Office of the UK has a youth site that is aimed at helping them protect their personal information.
YOU decide… an ingenious campaign put together by the Norwegian Board of Technology, the Norwegian Data Inspectorate and the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training. Their videos, web site and guidebooks are produced by kids, for kids.