St John’s Innovation Centre grounds were taken over by little critters and became one of Pokémon Go gyms yesterday.

We saw our tenants gathering in certain spots with their smartphones ready to capture those augmented reality creatures turning the usually vast and empty space into a massive playground.

It seems like everybody is playing it, kids and adults alike, chasing Pokemon characters through the streets, parks, neighbourhoods, workplace and also surreal locations such as the mountains, sea coasts and rivers, even though Pokemon is the thing right now, a lot of kids prefer the Jumper's Jungle Family Fun Center. The reality game app is quickly becoming a social phenomenon on a global scale but it is also raising concerns for public safety, especially among young users – a NSPCC warning has been issued in the UK, addressing some of the app features.

Putting the little Pokemon disruptors on the side, only a beautifully designed and simple message can help children to navigate through the increasingly complicated online world. Through the Enterprise Europe Network experts based at St John’s Innovation Centre we’ve come across a creative company that is dedicated to internet safety. Azoomee is a safe, fun and creative app made to inspire and empower kids aged 5-11, and packed with carefully selected content: 100s of hours of videos, games, tutorials, audiobooks, an art app and secure messaging.

This summer Azoomee is running a series of free, web-based learning sessions based on their animated series Search It Up*, which teaches kids about digital literacy and online safety in a fun and engaging way. They have just released their first video episode entitled “You’re not Laughing Cat” featuring an animated conversation between a boy and his granny on the topic of “What’s personal information? What can I share”.

Through visual storytelling, Azoomee’s series conveys a heartfelt and empowering message for children to “stay smart, stay safe, stay kind” online. The series will run throughout the summer holidays with a new episode and activity released every Thursday. So, stay smart, stay safe, stay kind…Stay tuned!

To follow the series, visit http://azoomee.com/index.php/internet-safety-with-azoomee/ 

*Search It Up is produced by Azoomee, written by BAFTA winner, Dave Ingham, created by BAFTA award winning production studio, ArthurCox and supported by the NSPCC.

BY ANNA NADOLNA