Prof. Kanižaj, PhD, appeared on HRT on the occasion of Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day has been marked every year since 2004 on the second Tuesday of February, with the aim of promoting safer and more responsible use of digital technologies and mobile devices, especially among children and young people. This year, the focus is on artificial intelligence - how to use it responsibly and how to recognize fake content created with its help.

HRT marked the day with a discussion featuring numerous guests, among them Prof. Igor Kanižaj, PhD, full professor at the Communication Studies program of the Catholic University of Croatia, who emphasized the importance of the presence of parents and other adults.

• There are an incredible number of challenges. Trends change from year to year, and even we find it difficult to keep up. When you look at how much we ourselves have to educate ourselves just to understand how certain apps work, what the specifics of communication via Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are, or how advanced tools, chatbots, and similar technologies are used - it requires great effort, and children are often lost in all of this. It is the role of all of us to help them, and that is what this day is for - at least once a year - to stop as a society and say that we face many challenges, that we are not doing enough, that we have a strong need for communication, but that we are communicating in the wrong way.

He pointed out that the problem arises when all communication is moved online.

• Today, there are children who do not socialize with their peers at all - they do not go for walks together, they do not spend time together, they do not meet for coffee, they do not socialize in public spaces. Instead, it is easier for them to stay at home within four walls, lower their heads toward a screen, and live in endless scrolling.

The full appearance can be watched HERE.