According to the UNICEF, 1 in 3 internet users is a minor

We all know that the moment we post personal information online, we expose ourselves to certain threats and possibilities of abuse by others. This is particularly relevant to adolescents who grew up with the Internet and have never known a world without social networks such as Facebook, Snapchat or Youtube, and the possibilities they offer.

According to the UNICEF, 1 in 3 internet users is a minor. Each year, the Colombian Ministry of Information Technology receives thousands of complaints about cases of sexual abuse and harassment online where victims are minors, and the number is increasing each year.  

In order to help young people understand how best to protect their personal data online, Corpovisionarios, with the support of Google and MinTic, developed a free online game that allows adolescents over the age of 10 to discover the way they act online, including the extent to which they expose their personal information to others, and how they manage risk. The game, called “Mision Anicca” (mission Anicca), was developed over two years of intense research through focus groups and interviews with young people, and draws on their online experiences and preferences.

According to Ruben Stegbauer, researcher of Corpovisionarios,

“is based on the insight that young people do not all act in the same way online, but different; some have more digital skills and knowledge, others less, some expose a lot of their personal information without worrying too much about it, others are very selective about what they post and whom they share it with. This is something most attempts to enable young people to protect their personal data online, don’t take IGNORE INTO account. We want to enable the users of Mision Anicca to learn about their strengths and weaknesses, but without judging them. What counts is that we are aware when we leave our comfort zone, and that we take measures to protect ourselves when that happens”.

Besides providing a personalized score to each user in four dimensions of risk management, visibility, prevention, anticipation and reaction, the online platform provides access to educational contents provided by MinTic on its online platform “En Tic te confio”, that enables one to practice and learn about skills in which one scored lowest.

“There already is a huge amount of great educational content online, so rather than developing new material, the platform aims at helping young internet users find information that is actually useful to them, and that corresponds to their learning preferences”, explains Ruben Stegbauer.

“We hope to continue improving the platform and are open to ideas and suggestions from the users. If we want to make the internet safer for young users, we first and foremost have to listen to what they can teach us. Then change can happen.”

Latin American Post | Susana Cicchetto