Students’ drawings reveal growing awareness of digital dangers

Close to 500 schoolchildren tapped into their creativity to draw cautionary scenes about online safety as part of a nationwide art competition across Malta’s schools, aimed at inspiring action and policy changes through visual storytelling.

One drawing depicts a dark, hooded figure with glowing white eyes sitting ominously behind a laptop, as a young child chats with a stranger. Another portrays a happy, welcoming bedroom with the message, ‘Your child’s online world should be as safe as home’.

The competition, which was open to students aged six to 14 from Church, State and independent schools, sought to stimulate national dialogue around digital safety from the child’s perspective, and encourage children to think critically about their online experiences.

It formed part of a series of initiatives organised by the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society’s Promoting Online Protection Project (P.O.P-UP) to mark Safer Internet Day in February.

A young student viewing the artworks on display at MICAS, in Floriana.

The initiative follows the launch earlier this month of the Foundation’s nationally representative survey, which found that more than half of students interviewed (51%) had received unwanted or inappropriate online messages.

The study also showed that while awareness of online abuse was high − 87.3% of children had heard of the term − this had not translated into meaningful harm reduction or increased reporting.

The message to authorities is simple: young people’s voices must be central to decisions about their digital lives- Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca

Exhibited at MICAS, Floriana, the children’s artworks demonstrated a strong understanding of the dangers that lurked online.

MFWS founder and chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the children’s artworks offered a powerful reflection of the issues at the heart of the Social Media Green Paper consultation.

“They move the discussion beyond policy language and show the real, lived impact social media has on young people’s well-being, identity and sense of belonging. What resonated most was the honesty in their work; the clear tension between connection and pressure, and a strong call for kindness and respect online.

One of the artworks on display.

“The message to authorities is simple: young people’s voices must be central to decisions about their digital lives. Any response must prioritise safety, accountability and environments that genuinely support children to thrive,” Coleiro Preca stressed.

The art competition was announced in late 2025, inviting children to express what online safety and protection meant to them. Submissions had to highlight aspects like safe internet use, cyberbullying, protecting personal information, healthy online friendships, and the portrayal of both positive and negative digital experiences.

The children’s submissions provide valuable insights that policymakers, educators and parents can use to better understand and safeguard youngsters’ digital experiences.

The competition sought to stimulate national dialogue about online safety from the child's perspective.

The winners

Primary

1st: Ella Castillo, 6, St Joseph’s School, Sliema, Grade 2A – No title

2nd: Elise Mizzi, 7, St Thomas More Zejtun Primary A – Title: Your Child's Online World Should be as Safe as Home

3rd: Daniel Xuereb, 9, Archbishop Minor Seminary, Year 5 – Title: Stop, Think, and Go

Middle School

1st: Yaryna Biliuga, 12, MVPA, Year 8 – No title

2nd: Kyrone Zammit, 12, St Michael's School, Santa Venera, Year 8 – No title

3rd: Kaya Curmi, 12, MVPA, Year 8 – Think Before You Click

Secondary School

1st: Giosiana Cardona, 14, Bishop's Conservatory Secondary School, Form 4 – The Weight of a Message

2nd: Aiden Mercieca, 13, Gozo College, Ninu Cremona Secondary School Rabat – No title

3rd: Elena Curmi, 14, Girls Secondary, Bishop Conservatory Secondary School, Form 4 – The Mask Behind the Message