Digital Citizenship Week
Maria Nasioulas - ICT Learning Systems Leader
During Week 3 of this term, Homeroom Teachers and students explored the world of media and technology, its successes and challenges, and how each one of us could use technology in a more balanced, thoughtful and responsible manner.
The main areas explored were:
- Media Balance and Well Being
- Relationships & Communication
- Digital Footprint
- Privacy & Security
- News Media & Media Literacy
- Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech
The importance of sleep was also emphasised. A research report from VicHealth and the Sleep Health Foundation found Australian teenagers were missing out on crucial sleep, with screen time, caffeine and stress keeping them awake. The research found that the average teenager only got between 6.5 and 7.5 hours of sleep a night, well under the recommended 8-10 hours, and it was seriously impacting their mental wellbeing, with increased rates of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem among sleep-deprived teens.
Top tips for sleep for teenagers:
- Set a regular bedtime and wake up time
- Try to relax before bed – mindfulness activities like meditation or gentle yoga may help
- Avoid stimulants in the evening like coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks
- Set up a comfortable sleep environment
- Try to switch off screens an hour before bed light exposure cues the brain to stay awake. Instead read a book or listen to music. In the evening, lights from televisions, mobile phones and computers can prevent adequate production of melatonin, the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) responsible for sleep
- Get active during the day
- Try to spend time together as a family in the evening
“As some may know, the third week of term 4 was Digital Citizenship Week. The purpose of the week was to encourage students to reach out to a person in need of help online, as well as to look after themselves when using social media applications. Not only did the Digital Citizenship Week teach us how to behave when using public platforms, it also gave us the opportunity to learn through an online ‘choose your own path’ game called ‘Digital Compass’. This game was played during either our homeroom times or STEP times. My experience with this game was a 10/10. It allowed us to choose a character, and to choose between 2 choices that would appear on the screen when you encounter a situation. The good thing about Digital Compass is that it did not focus on just one age group, people of all ages could interact with the characters.
If you prefer to read rather than to play a game, we could also visit the front page of Seqta to see the websites listed. The websites listed were resources to help you with what to do when you see someone creating unnecessary drama online, someone spreading lies or rumours online, or when you need to clarify if your sleep schedule is healthy for your wellbeing. At the end of the day, the primary objective of Digital Citizenship Week was to keep students and adults safe from the possible dangers of the internet, and to help improve the wellbeing of people by encouraging them to stick to the recommendations of professionals”
Parent Resources
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents