Andreea participated in the Training Course “Stay safe in cyber space” organized by PROJUVEN in Torremolinos, Spain
Hello Andreea! Can you give us your opinion about the project “Stay safe in cyber space“?
An important part of online safety is knowledge. The more you know, the safer you will be. This project learned me some great tips on how to stay safe in cyberspace. The project was an endeavour to create mass awareness and offer ways to avoid the dangers, both seen and unseen, faced by children, teenagers and young adults, when they are online or not. This was achieved through a series of interactive educational workshops and acitivities created for the participants. The project used the power of word, videos, photos and interactive workshops to encourage young people to be safe in cyberspace. The organizators made the right connection with the participants, showing them the dangers of the digital world and creating awareness about their rights and responsabilities in the cyber world.
What are your tips on staying safe online?
Cyberbullying may be more harmful than traditional bullying because there is no escape from it and it is an intense form of psychological abuse, whose victims are more than twice as likely to suffer from mental disorders compared to traditional bullying. Cyberbullying will become a serious problem in the future with an increase in the internet and mobile usage among young people. If preventive action are not taken against cyberbulying, younger children in addition to teenagers will feel more lonely and depressed. Education is the key given to European Union to aware adolescents, childrens and population about the negattive effects. This project teach me to never share my phone number or plans, to never give away my password and address, to respect others opinios. Now, I think twice before clicking on links or opening attachments, verify requests for private information, protect my passwords and delete sensitive information when it is no longer needed. If something looks suspicious, I will report it, act, be carefull what I post, and think wisely.
What is the most important thing you have learned during the training? How do you plan to share and use your knowledge?
Cyber threats are still one of the greatest concerns of the contemporary society. One thing that seems to be a crucial issue here is the fact that interner users tend to rely on technology to protem them, while they also carry a significant degree of responsability in this sence. Educating people on the importance of this issue may bring even more beneficial results. The more the younger generation is familiar with the ways they could be protected on the internet, the greater the chances of achieving stability in cyber space they have.
This project learn me how to be more responsible, not only with me but also with others. In fact, people remain the decision – makers when it comes to both choosing and implementing security systems. Because the internet has become increasingly important, it is equally important to know how to stay SAFE when you are in/out cyberspace. I will provide support to victims and families through social media interaction, email and helpline support and I will run a annual event to draw attention to the issue. Also, in partenership with the government, I will try to create a new public service advertising campaign designed to educate preteens and teens about how they can play a role in ending cyberbullying.
