In September 2017, the second part of “T-Mobile Secure Internet Laboratory” was launched. This educational project, released with the Digital University Foundation, aims to educate primary school pupils as to how unlimited the Internet is. By participating in workshops children learn the rules of safe use of the network. The Ministry of Digitalization is the patron of the action.
According to the Central Statistical Office, in 2016 80 percent of households had access to the Internet. Mostly families with children who, as shown by the same study, parents (90 percent) were free to use home computers. According to the same study, 44 percent of children aged 5-15 years used smartphones. Easy access to the Internet is, on the one hand, a chance to gain knowledge and develop contacts, but on the other hand it is a threat, especially amongst young people who often do not realise it. That is why it is so important to teach young children responsible ways of using the Internet, allowing them to move safely around the virtual world. The mission of a new technology company should be to ensure that, following innovative products and services, knowledge of how to use these products and services should be provided.
As a socially responsible company, we care that the technology we create is primarily for the public. In September, T-Mobile Poland, in collaboration with the Digital University Foundation, launched the second part of the T-Mobile Internet Security Lab. This is a series of workshops aimed at pupils of primary schools, located in towns with populations up to 50 thousand residents. During classes, students and their teachers learn about the potential threats they may encounter in the network and at the same time learn how to consciously and safely use its resources.
“The Internet is actually used today by everyone. As adults, however, do so consciously and are aware of the potential dangers they may encounter on the Web, children who are generally confident do not know that the virtual world is not always safe. Regular information and educational activities are needed to educate parents, teachers and the children themselves. Schools and companies operating in the area of modern technology should be responsible for their implementation.” says Małgorzata Rybak-Dowżyk, Director of Corporate Communications at T-Mobile Poland.
“As an Internet-based company, we know what opportunities it creates for users, but also what risks it entails. But we also have access to knowledge that allows these risks to be minimised. And that’s what we want to share with children, teachers, and parents in the Secure Internet Lab. Not by chance we also chose smaller towns. We wanted to reach the schools in which such actions were not previously implemented, and whose pupils have free access to the network. In the first part of the campaign, we trained a few hundred students in 20 schools.” adds Małgorzata Rybak-Dowżyk.
T-Mobile Internet Safety Lab classes aim to raise awareness among youngsters about the dangers of using the Internet and to increase teachers’ knowledge of modern methods of preparing students for informed use of the Internet. During the classes, children learn how to avoid intercepting computer data, what content should not be posted on the Internet, why should not you upload pictures of someone who is ridiculous and how to defend yourself when you try to hurt yourself. Meetings will take place in schools throughout the country.
