April 22, 2016
Our children are said to be the ‘digital generation’. They are a generation born into, and growing up with technology at their fingertips, which has rapidly and incessantly influenced their mental and behavioural development.
Not only has our language therefore developed and expanded, with the addition of words such as “selfie” and “hashtag” to the dictionary, but similarly, habits and hobbies have been shaped by new technologies. It has been said that social media websites, such as Facebook and Instagram have had such a great influence, that they are said to be linked to a surprising number of mental health issues in children and young people.
Social media has become as much about creating an identity as it is about connecting people together. The expectation to appear ‘perfect’ has created a generation who are constantly under huge pressures, as the Internet and technologies are now with us everywhere we go, and profiles can be seen by huge numbers of people. This has brought with it cyber-bullying and trolling – issues which many argue contribute greatly to this rise in the diagnosis of mental illness in children and teenagers.
Our ‘Ugly’ production focuses on these dangers and suggests advice in the event that children do encounter any sort of cyber-bullying or abuse. According to the UK Safer Internet Centre, 30% of young people had been on the receiving end of mean online behaviour in the previous year. So whilst the Internet is a great way to connect with friends, we want to make this ‘digital generation’ (and their parents) aware of the dangers and to equip them with tools for how to deal with them.
‘Level Up’, our brand new production, touring in Spring 2017, focuses on Online Gaming and the dangers associated with this popular hobby and also the online world more generally. ‘Level Up’ tackles social engineering or identity theft, pop-ups, ‘Cookies’, inappropriate (18+) content and in-app purchases.
Together with our online character JoJo, pupils will interactively help her through the levels, as we demystify the wonderful world of online gaming to ultimately become gaming champions! One Day Performance are back with fast-paced animations, exciting songs and larger-than-life characters, and we’re now taking bookings for next year!
Touring around Internet Safety Week (6th February – 12th February 2017), this tour is already booking up very quickly, so please do not hesitate to get in touch for more information and availability in your area!
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Aimee and the One Day Team.