A Filipino online store for books and gifts offers two books designed to empower children and teens who spend most of their time online.
Looking for Juan now carries the two new releases from the Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), namely Safe Space: A Kid’s Guide to Data Privacy and #YouThink: Fight Fake News.
Safe Space: A Kid’s Guide to Data Privacy is a 60-page activity book that introduces the concept of personal data to children, aged 6 to 12, and teaches them how to protect themselves.
The book breaks down, in child-friendly language, how social media and online gaming platforms work when they sign up to them, how their information can be used, and how and why they should strengthen their privacy settings.
The information presented in Safe Space is eye-opening as it explains what personal details we actually reveal when we use our gadgets online—our location, the time we spend online, what photos or posts we “like,” and so on. Yet the book does not read heavy, it is not too technical either. The illustrations on each page are whimsical, and the color-and-play activities are fun and engaging.
#YouThink: Fight Fake News, on the other hand, is geared for older kids, aged 12 to 18.
Presented zine style, it unpacks false information and the many forms that it may take such as misleading information, fake photos, and deepfakes (fake videos or audio recordings).
The 42-pager also discusses how context matters and how our emotional reaction to posts can be a sign that it is fake. The layout of #YouThink is light-hearted and entertaining.
“Explaining data privacy and fake news to children can be challenging,” says Gigo Alampay, CANVAS executive director and author of the books, “but we think this is important information that children and teens should know. These books will help them build their skills in keeping themselves and their data safe, as well as differentiating what is fact or fake.”
Alampay further asserts, “We also hope that these books can become an opportunity for children and their guardians to talk meaningfully to each other about things they see online, or things in general.”
Safe Space: A Kid’s Guide to Data Privacy has a section with pointers for teachers and parents on how to use the book. #YouThink: Fight Fake News includes letters from experts on misinformation and fake news.
Both books feature illustrations provided by Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) as well as book design by Studio Dialogo. CANVAS says copies of the books will be donated to the National Data Privacy Commission in support of its information and education efforts. The paper cut illustration by artist Liza Flores, which serves as the book cover of Safe Space, will also be donated to the National Data Privacy Commission.
Safe Space: A Kid’s Guide to Data Privacy and #YouThink: Fight Fake News are sold at P300 each at www.lookingforjuan.com.
