New stories from everyday digital life

Biel/Bienne, 12.05.2020 - The national prevention campaign to highlight the dangers posed by everyday digital life is being expanded to include twelve new comic strip stories. Through its adventures, the fictional Webster family makes the population aware of how information and communication technologies (ICT) can be used sensibly and safely. The comics are published in all four national languages of Switzerland and in English.

The adventures of an ordinary family, which falls victim to many of the digital world’s traps, serve to promote awareness among the population of the challenges of everyday digital life and the use of information and communication technologies. The stories told in the comics touch on topics such as fake news, sexting, bullying, image rights, the influence of social media, data protection and being overly dependent on smartphones.

A tool for schools and families

The prevention campaign, which is being conducted by various federal agencies and Swiss Crime Prevention, is to make the population aware of what constitutes responsible behaviour on the Internet and how to use mobile phones, computers and their own data in a safe and sensible manner. The comics act as guidelines for teachers, parents and grandparents wishing to discuss all aspects of everyday digital life with young people and offer them practical advice.

The comics are published as a printed brochure and also in digital form; they are available in the four national languages of Switzerland and in English. The stories are available at www.websters.swiss and are published on an ongoing basis on Instagram. OFCOM’s Digital Switzerland Business Office collaborated with the Swiss illustrator Matthias Leutwyler to produce the visualisations.

Inter-agency campaign

The new edition complements the previous stories about the Webster family that were published in 2010 and 2015 and builds on the success of the previous editions. The first two editions have been used in educational campaigns in many other countries (e.g. Belgium, Germany, Canada and Bosnia) and have been translated into several other languages.

Order the brochure free of charge

The comics can be ordered free of charge for use in schools, for display in suitable locations or for personal use. They are available in German, French, Italian, Romansh and English (see the link at the bottom of this page).

The following organisations were involved in creating the new stories:

  • Lead: Digital Switzerland Business Office (GSD)
  • Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM)
  • Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau (FCAB)
  • Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC)
  • Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI) 
  • STOP PIRACY – Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Platform
  • Swiss Crime Prevention (SCP)
  • Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), Youth and Media
  • Federal Commission for Children and Youth Affairs (EKKJ)
 


Address for enquiries

Federal Office of Communications OFCOM
Press service, +41 58 460 55 50, media@bakom.admin.ch



Publisher

Federal Office of Communications
http://www.ofcom.admin.ch

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-79071.html