Hector's World

Netsafe is New Zealand's leading online safety non-profit organisation and is dedicated to empowering people with the tools for positive and safe digital experiences. In 2024 Netsafe launched a new educational programme for primary school students aged between 5 and 10 years old based on a fun and enchanting animated series called Hector's World. This programme was developed to meet a significant need, as the majority of online safety education to date tends to focus on children aged from 10 - 12 and above (presumably in preparation for when they come of age and start exploring social media platforms). However, through Netsafe's research and helpline reports it was evident that children far younger were regularly online and exposed to the risk of online harms.

So, Hector's World was developed to start building foundational digital citizenship skills in our youngest online users. Combining creativity, education, and originality, Hector's World captures children's imaginations and equips them with skills to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. This initiative marks a significant step forward in our efforts to protect and educate the digital citizens of tomorrow.

Hector's World consists of seven episodes, available in both English and te reo Māori, ensuring cultural inclusivity. Characters were inspired by sea creature found local to New Zealand waters and their personalities and interests were developed to represent all walks of kiwi kids and how they like to engage in the online world. Storylines were developed to address contemporary issues like privacy, digital footprints, cyberbullying, misinformation, and digital citizenship with a generous dose of humour and relatability.

In addition to the animated series, Hector's World is supported by over 60 curriculum-aligned resources for classroom integration, giving educators the tools to reinforce its messages. Parents are also supported to have online safety discussions at home with the suite of accompanying parent conversation guides on each safety topic addressed in the episodes.

Freely accessible via www.hectorsworld.com, Hector's World is set to become a treasured resource to digital literacy and online safe education for a long time to come.