Just as a news story can take on a large scale and be carried in many different ways, altering its original message, so too on the internet, personal information can be used and/or altered in many different ways by third parties: a photo, for example, even if a teenager decides to delete it, may already have been retrieved by someone, altered and shared with even more people. This can have unfortunate results: from discrediting a student in the school and wider environment to consequences in future circumstances where the person is trying to make a ‘fresh start’ yet is followed by old posts that offend or at least do not express them. Cases of information tampering exist nowadays with increasing instances of stripping a person using AI. Abroad it is now so widespread that measures are already being taken, but in Greece it has recently started. The victim has no other way but to report the incident directly to someone in charge.
The school is in a position to inform children of the legal consequences of such an incident, as the display or distribution of such material is considered distribution of pornography and is prosecuted separately and in addition to the act of stripping itself.
Make minors aware of the ease of spreading and tampering with information or even an entire digital identity online.
“Fame: a ball that grows”
The facilitator distributes different colours of plasticine to the children and each one chooses and cuts a piece of the colour of their choice. The facilitator starts the game in the circle by giving his own piece of plasticine to the child sitting next to him and asks him to join it with his own. The child then passes it to the child next to him and each child adds his piece and at the end the pieces of plasticine are joined together to form a colourful ball which is returned to the coordinator. Now he asks them each to remove the piece they added starting the game in the opposite direction. Reframing: they discuss the transformation of the small piece of plasticine into a large colorful ball that the piece they each put in cannot be gathered back together and the ball becomes smaller. The correlation is made with online fame and how everyone contributes to it growing to dimensions we can’t control. This brings up the necessity of having rules and personal values to prevent and deal with cyber bullying. Makaroni, S. & Siafarika, E., (nd).
Youth Tech. Guide for facilitators of experiential workshops on the safe use of technology , Ed. A. Tsitsika. Adolescent Health Unit (AHU) and “Together for Adolescent Health” scientific organization, Pp.57-58.
Online identity theft
Sometimes a photo, information or even an entire digital identity can be stolen online and then used in any way the “offender” wishes. It is not unlikely that a teenager will come across a “fake” profile of his or her own on social media, which is in the hands of a stranger and used in any way he or she wants. Be sure to inform students of this risk and the ways in which they can minimise the possibility of theft through the “Privacy Settings” found in the MDB profile creation. The most important thing here is to stress that if they wish to create a profile on a MDB, this should be done with the consent of their guardians and with their guidance.
“the shuttles in the air”
Each child makes a paper shuttle and writes their name and a personal information about them on the bottom of each wing. Then the facilitator gives the signal and all the children throw their shuttles in the air as far as they can. They catch any shuttle that is close to them and throw it in the air and this is repeated for 2-3 minutes. The facilitator gives the signal to stop and take the shuttle that is closest to them. Then, he asks the students how they feel that someone else has a personal information in his hands and can use it as he wants: tear it up, give it to others, make several copies, change the information next to his name, etc. Variant from: Giourka, G., Dracopoulou M., Mavromichalis A. and Meletidou, L. (2020) Material “Games and the Internet: Preventing the risks of use” Health Education Program for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students, Centre for the Prevention of Addictions and Promotion of Psychosocial Health “Elpida”.
