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#SafetySeptember initiative by Youth Online Learning Opportunities introduced the concept of Online safety to students across India and educated them on how to use the Internet and social media safely.
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The workshops were conducted across 20 states to impart knowledge about cybersafety and make people feel secure digitally
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The campaign was led by 1000 YOLO ambassadors who have been trained in Online Safety
Youth Online Learning Opportunities (YOLO), successfully concluded a campaign, #SafetySeptember to educate people about securing their cyberspace. The initiative introduced the concept to young people across India and educated them on how to use the Internet and social media safely.
Technological advancements have encouraged us to build digital micro universes confined to digital platforms and electronic gadgets. But with new evolutions in diverse domains, come new types of risks. The digital media and portals put our privacy at risks, where our boundaries are violated fraudulently. Online safety concerns are becoming a grave issue for everyone, and people need to take appropriate measures to keep themselves secure in the virtual world of e-commerce platforms, social media, and portals.
Addressing the concern, YOLO launched #SafetySeptember, that focused on disseminating information and knowledge about creating a safe web space for the community.
Equipped with professionals having an experience of conducting 1000+ sessions PAN India, YOLO imparted knowledge and information on online safety through 60-minute workshops. These workshops discussed real-life instances where somebody could compromise the cybersecurity of a person and different ways of prevention in such situations. The tailored-modules by the brand have been successfully used in conducting workshops involving 50,000+ students across 400 universities and colleges in 28 states and 4 Union Territories of India. YOLO’s team also connected with the Indian youth by using millennial patterns and trends, such as creating content that includes memes, blogs, and short videos to increase engagement over Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and their LinkedIn. Workshops were conducted across the country to counter the increasing threat that the internet possesses, especially in this time of coronavirus outbreak, where the most of the brands, initiatives and labels decided to get digitally active, shifting the world to virtual platforms. The pandemic brought enhanced internet use, especially amongst youth, which led to a digital literacy gap.
The team also conducted a Tweet Chat as a part of #SafetySeptember where it took to Twitter and shared questions on its platform, anticipating a response to provide better guidance. The Tweet Chat, within 30 minutes posting, had 7000+ tweets and was trending #5 in India. Through this initiative, the participants learnt the nuances of Tweet-Chats and also gained insights on various other aspects focusing on online safety, privacy settings, authentication and more. Additionally, the organisation thinks that caregivers are the most relevant part of the developmental population, and they need to function efficiently in the virtual space during this pandemic. Thus, YOLO took it on itself as a part of its social responsibility to make the older generation understand the strengths and weaknesses of the web-space. As they put in efforts to learn the patterns of online working while trying to blend with the new normal, the brand considered it imperative to accustom them to the nuances of digital safety, therefore initiating YOLO Moms. The non-profit label organised a workshop for mothers on the 26th of September, 2020 with the focus being directing an awareness discussion on Online Safety.
YOLO, with these endeavours, aimed to cover all parts of India and has been seen inching towards its goal by conducting certificate workshops in Delhi, Assam, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and other rural parts as well as the Northeast region of India.
The response of the #SafetySeptember campaign has been tremendous and the initiative is successfully creating an impact across India. It is working akin to the butterfly effect where people are passing on the knowledge to their networks and forming a chain to feel safe online.
Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Prem Prakash, Co-founder, YOLO, said, “The campaign aimed to create a safe space for people online, to prevent them from cyber frauds. With #SafetySeptember, we have reached out to numerous people, helping them to stay secure in this digital era. September might have come to an end, but the campaign still runs as people are passing on the knowledge they imbibed in the certificate courses and workshops, thus fulfilling the purpose of the initiative continuously. #SafetySeptember has proven to be India’s largest and most diverse youth online safety campaign and we take utmost pride in it.”
Mr. Amitabh Kumar, Co-founder, YOLO, spoke about the success of the initiative as he said, “#COVID-19 lockdown has seen the emergence of the Internet as a necessity for education, trade, and availing basic service. To ensure India progresses as Digital Democracy we have to focus on Online Safety. #SafetySeptember is Yolo’s first step in contributing towards use of social media for social change.”
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