Source: New Zealand Government
Kids have a new friend to teach them about online safety with Gunther the Inter-yeti and his trusty friend Byte, Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti announced today.
“The Inter-yeti is an interactive ebook to help kids understand what to do when they come across bullying trolls, scary content, and ‘friends’ who may not be who they say they are,” Jan Tinetti said.
“The Inter-yeti is the follow-up to the hugely successful Keep it Real Online campaign and The Eggplant mini-series to help build the foundations for a digitally savvy future, and help keep people – especially young people – safe online.
“Parents, teachers and principals are very familiar with the barrage of information offered to our children through online channels. While we do our best to shield children, it can be difficult to manage.
“As a former school principal, I know how important it is to support our children and keep them safe from harms, like those they may encounter online.”
“The nature of online harms is evolving quickly, so we need to inform and equip young New Zealanders with tools to rebuff negative information and provide them with support to be safe online.
“The Inter-yeti appeals to young children themselves, and will help to prevent online harms from leading to feelings of vulnerability, isolation, depression and anxiety and, in some cases, to physical harm offline,” Jan Tinetti said.
$2.1 million was granted from the Covid-19 Recovery Fund to develop this phase of the Keep It Real Online, with the help of young Kiwis aged 5-12 years old. The story is narrated by Stan Walker.
