In this HERMMES learning journey you are invited to explore some aspects of Well-being, attention, safety and security.

In educational settings the various modes of media (analogue and digital) are used to support learning and communication between children, youngsters and adults. Identity formation and social skills are very much influenced in these learning environments. With the rise of digital technology, the social spaces in which these developmental processes take place have rapidly changed in the last decade. Hence it is our aim to foster the awareness of how both, direct and indirect exposure to digital media,  affects the individual development and social life children, teenagers and young adults.

The ability to focus and hold attention is one aspect that, according to research, is challenged by the omnipresence of digital media in all ages.  Therefore it is a crucial task of parental as well as formal education to choose an age-appropriate and context-appropriate use of media and ensure safe and secure spaces in which children  and teenagers can grow up and explore the world in healthy settings.

This course links to the first competence of HERMMES curriculum grid that shows a holistic pathway of developing media competences centred around the well-being of children and youth. It is designed to help educational professionals as well as parents to become more aware of media use in their educational setting and home. At the same time it offers examples of how they can transform their setting into communities of lived presence and supportive attention in which children and youth feel secure and safe.