In the 66th municipal council meeting, the Viennese progress coalition brought a trend-setting red-pink application for the expansion offensive for digital offers in Vienna’s child and youth work. The aim is to strengthen, protect and protect young Viennese in a rapidly developing digital world as best as possible and prepare for self -determined, safe use of digital media.
„Today we set a clear commitment: young people should not be alone online in the children’s room either. We are already accompanying children and adolescents in Vienna in a variety of ways- in schools, in extracurricular child and youth work, in parking and in youth centers. But reality shows that digitization does not stop at the apartment door. At least 65 percent of children and adolescents spend their free time online – often alone, with their cell phones in their hands, in the children’s room
“, Said SPÖ councilor Jörg Neumayer, spokesman for education and media and digitization.
“Phenomena such as radicalization, cyberbullying, data protection problems or psychological stress are now part of everyday digital life. What previously happened in dizzy backyard facilities is often done alone – about the algorithm, about private chat groups, about video platforms. Radicalization no longer takes place on the street – it does not take place on the cell phone. And that does not make it more harmless, but more dangerous”, but that is not more dangerous. So new.
Cyberbullying, digital exclusion and hatred online have a dramatic effect on the mental health of children and adolescents. Many parents face this helplessly because digital change falls over all at a rapid pace. Once the cell phone turns up – and the whole world is already in the children’s room. This offers many opportunities, but also risks that are no longer overview for individuals.
“We know: The progressive digitization does not become less-on the contrary. That is why we are targeting the expansion of digital child and youth work in Vienna.
What our application includes:
- Targeted training courses for youth work so that they can react professionally to digital challenges.
- Strengthening digital skills in the entire child and youth work.
- Media literacy, media literacy, media literacy – as a central key qualification in the digital age.
- Building a new monitoring point that recognizes digital trends early on, prepared pedagogically and provides recommendations for action.
“We want our children and adolescents to become self -confident, independent and responsible citizens – without fanatical imbalance, without being harmful to themselves or others,” continued Neumayer.
We are once more committed to children’s rights in digital space and for the active protection of our children and young people. With this application we set the course for a targeted expansion of digital formats, through which young people can contact experts and social workers – low -threshold, competent, safe.
“And whenever it comes to these topics, I would like to thank those who make out -of -day things in Vienna:
The Vienna youth centers, the Vienna Education Server, Council on Wire, Zara-Civil Courage and Anti-Racism work, Saferternet.at, Epicenter.Works and many more. I know that many subject areas overlap here – but I also know how much the people in Vienna benefit from your work and how closely our clubs work with you to accompany all people in our city on the way through digitization, ”emphasizes Neumayer.
Marina Hanke, SPÖ councilor and youth spokeswoman in the club, supports the application with emphasis and emphasizes the central role of open youth work: “Digital rooms have long been an integral part of everyday life young people-and the structures of youth work are growing. Targeted support is needed so that young Viennese can certainly grow up online. it our common responsibility to protect and strengthen them. “
In the same way, however, it is important to accompany young people in the positive aspects of digital media and to create offers. Online youth cultures, own content creation and much more, offer a wide range of opportunities and promote creativity, technical knowledge and self-efficacy.
“Especially when it comes to the protection of our children and adolescence, we are not allowed to lose time. These measures are not only strengthening child and youth work- they are a contribution to more social justice, equal opportunities and security in the digital space. With today’s application, as a Viennese progress coalition, we underline again how determined Vienna to actively shape the future- shoulder on shoulder with the Viennese, and with a clear focus on the quality of life, and with a clear focus, and with a clear focus Solidarity, ”said Neumayer and Hanke.