With kids turning to the internet during quarantine, how can parents teach them about online safety? Through online storybooks, of course—like the ones from Child Rights Network and Stairway Foundation.
The two organizations teamed up with Facebook to produce the GIF Learning Library: a series of storybooks that help spark conversations between parents and children about the importance of staying home during the pandemic and how to stay safe in the online space.
These storybooks are available for viewing on Child Rights Network’s Instagram highlights, and combine colorful animations with easy-to-read text. Parents and children can also look forward to GIF coloring books and quizzes in the future.
As of writing, GIF Learning Library released storybooks titled “Stuck in the Castle” and “Can I Click This?” These are also available in Filipino, in the form of “Sarado ang Mahiwagang Kaharian” and “Pwede Ba I-click Ito?”
“We recognize that not only are we in this unique situation where parents are finding it challenging to speak with their kids about the COVID-19 pandemic, the new reality is that kids need to stay home and they’re online more often—whether for education or entertainment,” Amber Hawkes, Facebook head of security for Asia-Pacific, said during the launch of GIF Learning Library.
“At Facebook, we understand that we have a responsibility to do what we can to keep the teens that are on our platforms safe, and to provide tools and resources that can help parents engage in conversations about online safety with their kids.”
Header photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash
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Read more:
How to talk to children about COVID-19, according to the CDC
For young readers, here’s an online library of Filipino children’s books you can access for free
Reminder from WHO: Despite easing of quarantine restrictions, staying home still more important