How an innovative mini-series is supporting young people in Colombia
A recent study by EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia, revealed that 12 per cent of young people have been bullied online, 30 per cent have talked to strangers online and 35 per cent have received hate messages online. In response to the growing need to support young people, Tigo Colombia has produced its own video mini-series called Patchers (Guardians of the Internet) that focuses on the opportunities and challenges of digital technology.
The five chapter series, which was launched in August 2019, tells the story of various young people who experience situations related to cyberbullying, sexuality, excessive internet use and other online issues. It is available on the company’s Contigo Conectados website and YouTube channel. The name Patchers was chosen for two reasons – in Colombia, ‘patch’ refers to a group of friends and, in computer science, it means to fix errors.
Commenting on the launch of Patchers, Marcelo Cataldo, CEO of Tigo Colombia, said, “Through this content, we have the opportunity to keep in touch with young people and give them explanations about the responsible use of the internet. It is very important for us to be able to reach children and young people through a documentary or video – something natural for them”. Patchers has already had more than 3.5 million views on YouTube.
