Save the Children has collaborated yet again with Meta (formerly Facebook) to expand on the ‘I Am Digital’ educational initiative into seven Pacific Island countries.
First launched in February 2021 in Fiji, PNG, Samoa and Tonga, the digital literacy and safety initiative ‘I Am Digital’ aims to deliver targeted and localized information to educate and empower Pacific Island teenagers, youth and parents on how to have safer and positive online experiences.
The pilot phase of the initiative ran for five weeks and reached 7.1 million people in that time with a viewership of 12.65 million times on Facebook alone.
A new and expanded phase of the ‘I Am Digital’ social media campaign was launched on 1 December across seven Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The campaign will run until 12 January 2022 sharing a series of educational fact sheets, videos, quick tips, and advice addressing a range of digital literacy and safety topics including account security, communicating respectfully and online bullying, harassment and abuse.
Additional resources of I Am Digital have been produced to increase the accessibility of the initiatives for those with vision and hearing impairment, and this includes sign language interpretation and closed captions for videos based on the educational fact sheets and the inclusion of alternative text on social media posts.
Since its inception, the development of I Am Digital has been shaped and guided by a Pacific Islands Advisory Group established by Save the Children and Meta in mid-2020. It comprises of government and youth representatives from the region, as well as child and online safety experts.
Save the Children PNG Country Director Fiu Williame-Igara said, “Promoting a safe and positive online environment free from cyberbullying and harassment will give young people, especially young women and girls, those with disability and minorities the opportunity to have respectful and empowering online experiences. In addition, to be able to add their voices to encourage appropriate behaviors amongst them and their peers.”
He added, “Save the Children PNG is looking forward in continuing to play its part in creating awareness about online safety with youth in the country and the Pacific.”