Google launches an initiative to teach kids about online safety

Advancing technology with ever increasing digital push across the globe means that one in every three children below the age of 8 years has access to the Internet. But given the vulnerability of the digital world, it is important to teach our kids some values about internet safety.

Google has come up with an initiative to counter the same. The tech-giant is introducing a program- “Be Internet Awesome” that includes a classroom curriculum and a web-based, fun and informative video game regarding how to be safe online from hackers.

“It’s critical that the most influential people in our kids’ lives—parents and teachers, especially—help kids learn how to be smart, positive and kind online, just like we teach them to be offline. It’s something we all need to reinforce together,” Google said in a statement.

Interland- the web-based video game launched under the program- is an interactive training tool that will help kids to learn about online safety practices such that they can answer questions to pass the four levels of Interland, which contain challenges, puzzles, as well as quizzes. Each level is different from the other and tackles a different aspect of online privacy and security. Interland takes kids into a fictional world where they can tackle hackers, phishers and cyber-bullies.

With the launch of Interland, Google is trying to cultivate five core principles in the kids around being “internet smart-share with care”  “internet alert-don’t fall for fake”  “internet strong-secure your secrets”  “internet kind-it’s cool to be kind” and  “internet brave-when in doubt, talk it out”.

Google is encouraging teachers to use this program in the classrooms too. It has a range of specific resources for kids, tutors and parents so that everyone has the tools to learn it and participate in the conversation. Pavni Diwanji, Vice President of  Engineering for kids and families said in a blog post that “For the kids to make most out of the web, we need to provide proper guidance as they learn to make their own decisions online. “With the ongoing summer break, kids would be spending more time on the internet and its great time to introduce the Be Internet Awesome initiative,” he further added.