New animation series aims to teach children about online safety and empathy

The first episode of Alva’s World, a new Irish animation series which aims to teach children about online safety and empathy, has broadcast on RTÉjr.

Created by award-winning Irish animation studio Kavaleer Productions, Alva’s World is a world’s first for TV as it places internet safety at the heart of programming for younger children.

Recent research by CyberSafeKids shows that even by age eight, almost 50% of kids have some form of internet accessible device and 45% are already using some form of social media.

At a time when many kids are online more than ever before, Alva’s World explores themes that have been developed in conjunction with CyberSafeKids and Crandall Consulting in the format of magical tales to teach kids about appropriate behaviour online, including interaction, as well as preparing them for common childhood problems they may encounter through social media.

ABOUT ALVA’S WORLD

When Alva isn’t hanging out with her digitally connected family in real life, she loves to visit the magical land of Gizmo, which is full of incredible creatures and places, and where anything is possible.

You can sled up mountains, fly an umbrella up into the clouds, invent your own toy-growing trees and talk with friendly, furry beasts as big as houses! Most of all, though, Alva loves visiting her friends the Oolies, the cute, elven race who live in Gizmo. Together, Alva and the Oolies have oodles of fun, but also solve problems and overcome obstacles – every trip to Gizmo is a new adventure!

But no place is without its problems – and in Gizmo, those problems are usually started by the Trolls. They delight in stirring up trouble amongst all the different communities in Gizmo, and it’s up to Alva to save the day!

AGE-APPROPRIATE

Philip Arneill from Irish Charity CyberSafeKids said, “Alva's World is an exciting new project which we at CyberSafeKids were happy to have been able to be involved in. It's an engaging, direct and age-appropriate way to target younger children, through a medium they love, to start developing healthy online habits and responsible digital citizenship as they begin their online journeys.”

The first episode broadcasted on RTÉjr on September 6th and the series will also be broadcast on Sky Kids on October 18th.