Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. New research has revealed that images and video play a central role in young people’s digital lives and are powerful tools of communication, self-expression and creativity. The majority (84%) of 8-17-year-olds have shared a photo online, rising from 73% of 8-12-year-olds to 95% of 13-17-year-olds. In the last hour, 1 in 8 young people (12%) surveyed said they had shared a selfie, almost 1 in 3 had used YouTube (31%), 1 in 4 had used Snapchat (25%), and more than 1 in 5 had used Instagram (22%).
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As a result Tavistock College places great emphasis on educating and encouraging our students to use the Internet and their mobile technology in a positive but safe way. A series of resources have been delivered by all tutors across the College which have encouraged students to consider their response to various scenarios. The Tavistock College tutor programme is built around the ‘golden threads’ of the co-operative values, the British values and the ethical values that all the stakeholders at the College agree we should operate by. The focus has been on students relating this topical issue to the golden threads of self-responsibility, social responsibility and the rule of law. This has culminated in the students producing collaborative videos that they have filmed as tutor groups, conveying the important messages behind Safer Internet Day.