Be Internet Awesome; what does it mean?

The evolving nature of the internet has taken a toll on several youngsters in the past, leading them into the dark. Over the years, we have heard many disturbing stories about how the young have been consumed by the wrong use of the internet, for instance, illegal hacking, surfing the dark web, victimizing themselves to various internet scams, and many more untold stories. As one of the largest search engines used by audiences of various ages, Google recognized this gap in internet awareness among internet users, especially the young ones, and has taken the initiative to bridge the gap by initiating the ‘Be Internet Awesome’ campaign in 2017. The goal of this program was to bring about an awareness to the generation born into the digital world, on ‘being internet alert, internet strong, internet kind and internet brave.’

The theme for this campaign was birthed from numerous insights provided by parents and educators worldwide. It concentrates on communicating the importance of teaching safe internet usage to kids. The program offers a ‘downloadable classroom curriculum’ to achieve its vision. The program also provides a downloadable ‘Be Internet Awesome Pledge’ that grown-ups in the family can sign and agree on to follow the same at home, encouraging the family to be accountable and responsible for the online activities of their children.

What is the ‘Interland?’

Following the campaign, Google created a free downloadable software program called ‘Interland,’ an interactive desktop game designed to educate kids aged between eight to twelve on the 4 important aspects of the ‘Be Internet Awesome’ program. The game teaches children online safety and online etiquette. It is a colorful eye-capturing game that transports the kids into a different world to teach them the necessary points to keep in mind every time they use the internet. The game encompasses four floating islands: Kind Kingdom, Reality River, Mindful Mountain, and Tower of Treasure, each offering unique mini-games with essential Internet lessons. The game teaches the kids how to manage cyberbullies, learn how to avoid and identify predators and hackers, and other online risks.

The game engages the kids with unique mind games and puzzles to keep them going and challenge them to learn more. It also introduces to the kids five major themes, which are – share with care, don’t fall for fake, secure your secrets, it’s cool to be kind and when in doubt, talk it out – to explore many different topics.

Takeaways

The completion of this game empowers kids to embrace safe technology usage and best practices. It equips them to discern between safe and unsafe online behavior all by themselves.