Plymouth University promotes Safer Internet Day

A series of fun activities and informative sessions encouraging people to surf cyberspace safely is being held at Plymouth University as part of Safer Internet Day.

The international event on Tuesday, February 7 carries the theme this year of ‘Connecting Generations and Educating Each Other’.

On the University campus, staff and students are organising sessions in conjunction with agencies including Devon and Cornwall Police, Plymouth City Council and the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board (PCSB).

Shirley Atkinson, Lecturer in Information Systems within the University’s School of Computing and Mathematics, said: “There are a lot of myths out there surrounding the threats posed by the internet, and we want to use Safer Internet Day to demystify them. We want to bring people together in a range of events to show good practice, but also to do so in an enjoyable way.

“There is a huge amount of expertise in this field within the University and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to share some of that with the wider community.”

The events will be based around the University’s Rolle Building and begin with a session called Safely Me, running from 10am-12noon, which is aimed at under-fives from local nursery and primary schools.

Computing students from the University will be working with the youngsters, using digital cameras and teaching them to store images safely.

From 12.30-3pm, the focus will shift to primary and secondary age children, exploring issues such as safe gaming, social networking and storing data online.

They will also take part in activities dealing with password security, led by the University’s Centre for Security and Network Research (CSCAN).

Students from City College Plymouth will also be on campus to assist with activities planned by the UK Safer Internet Centre.

Then from 3-5pm, University students and staff will be running a series of myth-busting sessions for older people. It is free and open to members of the public.

Another event open to the public is a Practitioners Forum from 5.30-7pm. Academics will be available to talk about latest issues and developments, along with child protection experts including Tony Staunton from the PCSB and Clive Collier from Devon and Cornwall Police. Anyone wanting to attend the forum can email Shirley Atkinson at shirley.atkinson [a] plymouth.ac (p) uk.

Professor Steven Furnell, Professor of IT Security, said: “What we would like is for people of all ages to walk away from the day’s events more informed and able to be, and feel, safer when they are online.”

The final event of the day is an open debate called Digital Natives or Digital Captives: Is Technology Changing Young People?

The free session is taking place from 6.30pm in the University’s Roland Levinsky Building, and will examine young people’s attitudes to technology including texting, social networking and gaming.

Guest speakers will include the University’s Andy Phippen, Professor of Social Responsibility in IT, Alan Earl, a police officer working with the South West Grid for Learning, secondary school Media Advanced Skills teacher Darren Towers and a representative from the Plymouth Parent Partnership.