School children from across Perth and Kinross have been thinking about their digital footprint in partnership with Nil by Mouth.
The charity has been touring across Perthshire as part of its ‘Pause B4U Post’ programme which helps children consider the consequences of online prejudice and bullying.
Running across January and kicking of at Robert Douglas Memorial School in Scone, more than 200 P7 pupils took part in specially designed workshops examining the pitfalls and consequences of negative behaviours on social media/mobile devices. Pupils were encouraged to discuss their online habits and consider how things they post can be viewed by others. The workshop also included specific case studies looking at discriminatory comments including things that may be seen sectarian, racist or homophobic. Pupils also looked at the positive impact social media can have, when used appropriately, and pitted their wits against each other in a social media quiz.
Nil By Mouth’s Education Officer, Jamie Lithgow, said:
‘The purpose of ‘Pause B4U Post’ workshops is to provide pupils with an environment where they can feel comfortable talking about their own online habits, rather than being talked at by an adult telling them what they should or shouldn’t be doing. We are not naïve enough to think that just because these school pupils do not meet the minimum age requirement to have a social media account that they are not already using these platforms. We just want these young people to feel safe and understand the potential consequences of actions, its important children can feel they can talk to adults about what is happening online as so much of our lives now occurs there. We hope this can help create a space where children can make informed decisions and not feel that they have to hide things from the adults in their lives. It’s been fantastic to visit Tayside with this project and we hope to return later in the year to work in more schools.’