Children's Rights Online: Ongoing Debate, Ongoing Change

My most recent step on my webwise journey was an opportunity to take part in a panel discussion as part of the two-day EMEA Child Safety Summit, hosted jointly by tech giants Google and Facebook this week.

New Fact Alert: EMEA=Europe, Middle Asia and Africa (thanks Google search 😊)

This event, now in its third year brings together academics, the Government, NGOs and experts to share their knowledge and understanding and discuss the critical issue of child safety online. In their introduction to the Child Safety Summit 2018, Google and Facebook write that they are 'working together to meet the challenge of empowering parents and children with the tools and skills they need to make the most of all the internet has to offer'.

The EMEA Child Safety Summit was a two-venue event on April 18th and 19th, with the first day hosted in Facebook in Grand Canal Dock and the second in the Foundry, Google's digital innovation centre in their European Headquarters on Barrow Street. I was invited by webwise to represent the student voice on a panel discussion on Day 2 which focused on children's rights online and was chaired by Professor Brian O' Neill, director of research in DIT.

The intention of the panel discussion was to broadly explore the rights that young people have,  in terms of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and how these can be impacted on in the online environment. I am relatively familiar with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as this frames a lot of the work we do in Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg but it was certainly interesting and definitely challenging to look at the Convention through the lens of the internet and the online environment.

The panel also included my fellow Webwise ambassador Muireann Whelan from Newbridge College and UNICEF were represented by Patrick Geary who is a children's rights advocate. Jutta Croll came from Germany to share her experience of empowering people to benefit from the internet and being online while Hannah Witton, a Youtuber brought the perspective of the online creator to the discussion. John Carr joined the panel in role with the UK Children's Charities Coalition on Internet Safety. This was privileged company to be in!

Lauren, Muireann and myself before the panel discussion

At the outset of the panel discussion, Brian introduced myself and Muireann and referred to our roles as Webwise ambassadors. He spoke of how I had been part of the recent Open Debate on Online Safety in March (read my blogpost here) while Muireann had addressed the Oireachtas Committee to give the young person's perspective on online safety. It really made me think (as I sat their perspiring under the glare of the Google lights 😁) how being an ambassador really helps to bring the student voice to the debate and to ensure that our perspectives are heard and hopefully considered. 

Our fellow Webwise ambassador Lauren Reynolds with Tracy and Jane from Webwise take their places in the audience

For us, as young advocates for online safety, the panel discussion gave us some really useful insights into how different organisations are trying to make the internet a safer place for young people while also trying to respect their rights. Jutta spoke of the need to look at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to see what this might look like in the digital world and how her organisation were looking at how children could need extra safeguards online. They hope to conclude this work in May and will make the information available to countries. This information could be useful for groups who want to lobby the Government to make the internet a safer place for children. 

The panel discussion in full flow

Patrick from UNICEF explained how the UNICEF thinking has evolved - especially in light of technology. The UNCRC was adopted in 1989- long before the internet became the world that we partially live in today. This digital world challenges the UNCRC to continue to protect children - in particular rights such as the right to privacy and the right to free speech. UNICEF are working on this and developing a toolkit to explain how everyone can support children's rights and also to ensure that industry can support and respect children's rights especially with the advent of GDPR.

YouTuber Hannah Witton

'When I grow up I want to be a YouTuber'  as a concept drew smiles and giggles from the audience. I'm not sure if that is because this isn't really seen as a serious career or because we are all unsure about the potential of the online environment. Hannah Witton spoke about her role as a You Tuber and compared it to the blue-sky thinking ambitions of those who want to be F1 drivers, film stars or astronauts. That is the thing about digital technology- it is the future and we need to look at the possibilities and potential as well as being mindful and protecting against the dangers. 

Muireann and I onstage in the Foundry

Muireann and I shared our own experiences of being online. For me, it is a contrast between the risks and rewards. Schoolwork takes on new dimensions when you can research online and access information in real-time. On the other hand, I firmly believe that the wealth of useful information is matched by an equal amount of biased information or 'fake news' and we need more training to empower us to become more digitally literate. Equally, the internet and social media give us a voice - as an occasional blogger, instagrammer and tweeter I appreciate how social media offers me the opportunity to promote issues that are important to me such as positive mental health and online safety. The other side of the coin in this case is how this freedom of speech can be abused and used to abuse and bully others as I found out to my peril in my first experiences with Snapchat. In this situation, education is key to help us to use the internet responsibly and to support resilience. Muireann rightly pointed out that a lot of the media coverage focuses on the 'bad news' stories of what happens online - it is, as she rightly pointed out, equally important to focus on the positives. 

Webwise offer a wide range of free resources and information for parents - Check out www.webwise.ie 

Brian as chair of the panel also invited audience contributions and Lauren added a further student perspective. The question of education was directed at myself and Muireann and we both agreed that there is a lot being done but potential for so much more. Webwise provide a huge range of free resources to schools that are tailored to different age  groups. The new area of wellbeing as part of the new Junior Cycle programme offers significant opportunities- I would love to see digital citizenship or online safety education becoming a mandatory part of this programme and would encourage schools to look at the webwise resources and use these to support the student wellbeing.

'Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you'...the words of philosopher Jean Paul Sartre in a recent article on digital rights in the Irish Times. This is where education comes in - helping us to learn to use the freedom of the internet as responsible digital citizens. This must start early as Muireann pointed out so that responsibility and how to stay safe is learned from the start.

The impending GDPR and the significant changes to parental consent under Article 8 were also discussed. This is another contrast in terms of rights, privacy and protection. What strikes me though is that all of the talk around GDPR is in terms of companies being fined for data breaches with the tag line 'is your business GDPR ready?' used in the media. For me ... I wonder are parents GDPR ready? 

Checking out my name in lights on the famous Foundry stairs! 

The panel discussion was an hour in length but it flew by - so much more than I have covered in my blog here was discussed. My initial nerves as I was being miked up for the debate and in the initial exchanges were soon overcome by my desire to have my voice and the voice of the young people of Ireland heard.

It was also great to share and discuss issues affecting young people with people from across the UK, Europe and as far afield as Kenya

Thanks to everyone who made the day possible especially to Brian for chairing the panel and Jane, Tracy and the Webwise team for inviting me to take part. 

My final word...

Google like all Silicon Valley companies is an inspirational place for me as a young person hoping for a dream job. The walls in the Foundry hold many inspirational quotes but for me this one was appropriate given the day that was in it. 'The most dangerous phrase is... 'We've always done it this way'... 

We can't do it 'this way' anymore because the online world we live in is changing all the time and we have to adapt - how we think, how we talk, how we work and what we learn...

Open Policy Debate - Online Safety : The Student Voice

Thursday morning was an extra early start. Not the bus to Borrisokane Community College for a change. Up and out early to catch the 6.28am train from Templemore to Dublin for the Open Policy Debate on Internet Safety organised by Minister Denis Naughten and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. I was invited along to represent the student voice by WEBWISE as I am a member of the Youth Advisory Panel (more on this later). 

Minister Naughten speaking at the Open Policy Debate (source DCCAE)

Minister Naughten and his department organised this open debate as there are a number of Government Departments actively working in the area of online safety such as the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Justice & Equality; the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation; the Department of Health; and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

This was a chance for the Government Departments to discuss the burning issue of online safety with industry and key stakeholders and to explore how we can all work together to make the internet and digital technologies safer and to safeguard against the risks. We are stronger together!

Read the press release about the event here: 

https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/Releases/Naughten_hosts_Government%E2%80%99s_Open_Policy_Debate_on_Digital_Safety.html

My train journey was an opportunity to ensure that I was well-prepared for the debate that lay ahead. Bleary-eyed I went over the notes for the day about the role of the youth panel and my own ideas to ensure that I would reflect the student voice and ensure that we, the future generation were heard in the debate.

IMMA, Kilmainham (source Royal Hospital website)

The salubrious surroundings of the Irish Museum of Modern Art in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham was the setting for the event. This building looks a lot like Les Invalides in Paris and  that is no surprise as it was built for the same purpose of being a military hospital. It is a beautiful  and very historic building and added a sense of importance to the day.

The importance of the theme for the day – online safety was reflected in the team of Government Ministers and TDs that attended, spoke and took part. An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave the opening address to the packed room. He spoke of how the forum was a ‘valuable opportunity to discuss how we can better protect our young people online’.

An Taoiseach's Opening Address (source DCCAE)

The Taoiseach spoke of both the benefits and risks involved in being online. I was personally pleased to hear him acknowledge that ‘a wide range of stakeholders including parents, educators, tech firms and law enforcement have roles to play in making the internet a safer place’.
I firmly believe that we all need to work together to ensure that our own and future generations can benefit from being online and using digital technology while also addressing the growing risks and dangers.

My role on the day as I mentioned at the start of my blog was to represent the voice of young people. I’m lucky to be a member of the Webwise Youth Panel. We are a group of young people from around Ireland who play an active role in ensuring that the student voice is heard in all things digital and in relation to internet safety. We also play a key role in organising Safer Internet Day campaigns in schools annually for Safer Internet Day. After the Open Policy debate myself and some of the youth panellists took part in research into the opportunities and risks of digitalisation for young people with Professor Brian O' Neill in DIT. You can read more about this experience on www.webwise.ie

Webwise have a wide range of supports for teachers and parents, they are free and available online. There are resources suitable for primary and secondary school students - check out www.webwise.ie 

Síofra on the Q&A at the debate (image from webwise)

As part of the open policy debate, myself and a number of my fellow youth panelists took part in breakout sessions and table discussions. It was refreshing to bring the student voice to the debate and I was struck by how interested the other stakeholders at my table were in my opinions and my experiences. My fellow youth panelists Síofra Harkin and Cillian Fogarty brought the student voice to the panel Q and A that followed the table discussions. Reflecting on the day, I am delighted with how the student voice was recognised and respected. We are the future generation and we are addressing internet safety not only for ourselves but for others. Grania Long from the ISPCC described online safety as ‘the child protection issue of our time’. A stark reminder of how serious this is.

We also got an opportunity to speak with An Taoiseach, Minister Bruton, Minister Naughten, Minister Zappone, Minister Daly and Minister Stanton, all of whom were interested in hearing our opinions and experiences to inform their own Department’s thinking. Minister Bruton and Minister Naughten spoke with me at length about my role and were both very interested in the student voice in our schools, and how we as students can play our part in being more responsible online.

Webwise Youth Panel members with Minister Daly, Minister Zappone, Minister Naughten, An Taoiseach, Minister Bruton and Minister Stanton (source webwise) 

The debate throughout the day was robust at times, but everyone in attendance was in agreement that this was an issue of huge importance. We all have a role to play - parents, students, schools, industry and Government.
Minister Naughten brought the debate to a close with a clear determination to develop a comprehensive action plan for online safety. One commentator on my Twitter feed described him as a ‘man on a mission’. We need this mission and we need a successful outcome for everyone.  I hope we succeed and I hope that we students can be part of that mission too!

Thank you to Tracy, Jane, the Webwise Team, Minister Naughten and the DCCAE, Professor Brian O' Neill, DIT and everyone who supported us in sharing our student voices!