Fiction series to raise young people’s awareness on digitalisation

Research shows that young people need digital media education more than ever. Which is why itsme^® has now joined forces with the educational school broadcaster ED TV. The aim of this digital platform for the young is to make it easier for socially sensitive topics to be discussed in the classroom.

Series One, about digital buddies, shows how young people can become a support and adviser for people who experience difficulty with digital tools, such as their grandparents or a neighbour. For example, they teach these (older) people how to attach a file to an e-mail. Thijs Antonneau (25), who plays the role of Youssef, finds out through his own life that young people can also become digital buddies. “These days, everything runs on a smartphone, so I try to keep my granddad up to date with what’s going on. He has itsme^®, but hasn’t really used it yet. He’s never been used to this sort of digital tool, so it’s harder for him to learn.” “For an older person, everything seems to go so fast,” adds Laure Ven (25), who plays the role of Amalia in the ED TV series. “We have grown up in a digital world, but for them it’s only happened in the last few years. Some things can be pretty hard to figure out when you get old. So there is certainly a part for young people to play there.” Nevertheless, it is not always easy for young people themselves to navigate their way through the digital world, even if they grew up in it.

The second series from ED TV and itsme^®, about Cybersecurity, points out the dangers of the Internet to youngsters, giving them tips about including more cybersecurity in their dealings online. According to Laure Ven, education can certainly do a more to make young people more media-savvy. “At the moment, the content of the lessons available is not focused on what you encounter in real life. I take part myself in a number of educational features and in one, for example, it’s about using media photos. Young people often don’t realise that a photo can be posted online very quickly, but then it remains out there forever. Schools should prepare them better for what really happens in practice.”