Healthy Steps To Digitalization

We applied for this project recognizing the need to address the widespread and harmful effects of excessive digital media usage, particularly among our students. The prevalence of technological devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers, among more than 90% of our youth necessitates a proactive response. Uncontrolled usage has resulted in physical and mental health issues, negatively affecting daily life, social relationships, and academic achievements. We also applied for this project because, despite being labeled "Digital Natives," a significant number of students use technology primarily for entertainment, lacking essential skills for responsible usage. Furthermore, our students lack crucial knowledge about cyberbullying, protection of personal data online, digital media literacy, and efficient time management. Recognizing that teachers and families also lack the necessary knowledge to guide students through these challenges, our project aims to empower them through activities, seminars, workshops, and conferences. By addressing these needs, our initiative seeks to equip educators and families with the knowledge and skills to guide students effectively, fostering a healthier and more balanced relationship.

With this project we wanted to: - Raise awareness about preventing new technological diseases caused by internet and device overuse among participants. - Identify symptoms, and therapeutic approaches, and reduce school failure due to these diseases. - Increase awareness about cyberbullying and internet data protection. - Raise awareness about risks like addiction, fraud, and pornography. - Improve critical thinking and digital literacy skills in participants. - Enhance time management skills for effective device use. - Develop an international strategy to combat technology and internet addiction. - Encourage youth to engage in alternative activities to technology overuse. - Our goal was to address health challenges arising from digital changes. Through combating and preventing these diseases, we wanted to enhance participants' knowledge and experience and remove barriers to digital progress. - We aimed to develop key qualifications, including ICT, WEB 2.0/3.0, and media literacy skills, as well as skills in social, scientific, sports, and artistic fields.

The participants gained awareness about the positive and negative aspects of social media and the internet, the importance of interpreting the information obtained on the internet and social media correctly, and internet addiction. Еach partner school established a media literacy club in its own school and opened a course on efficient time management for the students. Also, each partner institution prepared booklets on efficient time management and media literacy. Participants gained deep knowledge about cyberbullying (its causes, symptoms, and consequences), characteristics of cyberbully-victims, cybersecurity, and the protection of personal data on the internet, and this knowledge and experience was shared with other teachers and students in their schools through coaching and workshops, and with parents through seminars. Participants increased their knowledge and experience on correct communication techniques with victims of cyberbullying and directing their families correctly. Each institution created an e-security policy plan for the fight against cyberbullying, prevention, and protection of personal data on the Internet. Each institution prepared short movies such as public service announcements on cyberbullying.

Participants learned detailed information about the EU 2030 Digital Compass targets and the steps necessary to raise successful young people of “Digital Europe” who are successful in every field especially on the path of digitalization. Our participants gained deep knowledge of the technological physical and mental diseases, symptoms, causes, struggles, and treatment methods and by knowing the symptoms of these diseases, they became able to identify students with these diseases and their problems. Thanks to the gained knowledge and experience in correct communication and approach techniques, they can support students’ problems and direct them to a specialist when necessary. Each institution prepared a digital handbook, wallpapers, and posters on technological physical, and mental diseases (symptoms, causes, struggle, and treatment methods) in their mother language and in English. Participants deepened their knowledge and experience on efficient time management, media literacy, internet addiction, and access to accurate information on the internet and they shared this knowledge results of a survey to measure the satisfaction of the project subject and project organization and experience with other teachers and with students.