Their responsibility towards society makes big companies contribute to community development, create better life conditions for people and help where needed. An important channel for this tends to be grant programmes and short-term or long-term partnerships with non-governmental organisations, but also various charity and philanthropy projects. Orange belongs among the leaders in corporate responsibility in Slovakia. As a leader in the Slovak telecommunications market, it does not neglect the education of children, or that of parents and teachers, in modern technologies which have seen an unprecedented boom in recent years.
Pioneer in the sphere of education and enlightenment
Multi-media have become a solid part of our professional and private life. They are not just a source of entertainment, but also a tool to alleviate everyday duties. Currently, modern communication technologies are used by ever younger children whose skills in this sphere exceed those of their parents. On the one hand, managing work with modern technologies is an advantage; but on the other hand, it can bring risks that are not necessarily evident at a first sight. In its years of activities in Slovakia, Orange has established itself among pioneers in the field of education and enlightenment when it comes to using modern communication technologies like mobile phones or the internet correctly. Since 2006, when it organised its first information campaign, it has systematically explored topical trends which have gradually come with the ever more intensive use of mobile phones and the internet, but also television. It collects and brings important facts and crucial tips that help parents, children and teachers prevent inappropriate behaviour and traps. These can include various threats, from seemingly harmless chat to cyber-bullying or internet addiction.
Specific help
Long-term information-educational activities were added this year with new teaching materials and instruction brochures for schools, but also a new educational campaign, e-deti / e-children, within which Orange again mobilises children and young people, parents and teachers. The more people know about potentially risky behaviour, and the more the issue is discussed, the bigger the probability that they can realistically estimate what can be a potential danger for them and what cannot. Orange also cooperates in the long term with expert lectors and psychologists who have trained – since 2008 – almost 25,000 children and almost a thousand parents directly at schools about the pitfalls of communication technologies. Nowadays, we see new types of addictions among children and young people – and one that they face is internet or mobile phone addiction. However, new threats are still emerging. It is very important to react to this development and to inform people about the importance of prevention of this issue. Since February, a new website is thus also available for the wider public – www.e-deti.sk – where anyone who wants to learn more about the risks but also the advantages of modern technologies can find advice.
Our choice
Modern children grow up with modern technologies, which are something natural for them. They cannot – and don’t want to – imagine their life without the internet. It is a source of information for them and is also a means to deepen contacts and connection to the world. They use e-encyclopaedias to learn, language or graphic programmes, and programmes to create projects that help them when learning. Thanks to the speed and easy access of connection, they can communicate with their family and friends virtually anywhere in the world. They can seek help when solving problems via the internet; but also relax and have fun. Nothing can be more natural than to watch one’s favourite film, chat with friends, or quickly finish homework or a project on the way to school on a train or bus. Prompt exchange of information is an absolute must. Children acquire technical skills which their parents cannot even imagine, in one third of cases. We live in the third millennium. We have a choice. But responsibility comes with it, too. Modern technologies represent huge progress, whether from the point of view of practical help when searching for information of various kinds, or from the social point of view. It is up to us how we use this tool. With its activities, Orange strives to contribute, for the whole of society, to the young generation having the biggest benefit possible from the use of means of communication.
