Internet and Child Safety
| Internet and Child Safety Improvement of communication between people either familiar or unfamiliar with each other is common especially with the popularity associated with social media. Among the users of the internet are children who are the most susceptible to its negative effects. While internet use may be very beneficial, a number of dangers are associated with it. It is therefore important for both parents and guardians to be watchful of their children’s internet activity to avoid incidences such as cyber bullying, access to inappropriate content, pedophiles among others. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014) states that children access the internet through computers, mobile devices, set top boxes connected to their TVs and game machines. Internet access has increased overtime especially among older children (EOCD 2012). According to Holloway, Green, and Livingstone (2013), in the UK, close to a third of children aged 3-4 year access the internet using desktops, laptops or notebooks, 6% use tablets whereas 3% use mobile phones. Moreover, 87% of children aged 5-7 years up from 68% in 2007 use the internet. In Germany, 21% of children aged 6-7 years and 48% of 8-9 year olds rarely use the internet. In Finland 64% of 7 year olds utilize the internet, Belgium has 70% of Flemish preschoolers aged 3-4 online regularly. Sweden records 70% of 3-4 year olds occasionally accessing the internet (Holloway, Green, & Livingstone 2013). In Netherlands 78% of infants go online, whereas Austria records almost 50% of 3-6 year old children use the internet regularly. Much as internet use is advantageous, there are several challenges that children may face when using the internet. This include; access to inappropriate material such as pornographic, violent or highly graphic material, grooming and sexual abuse, gambling, contact with strangers as well as privacy concerns. Therefore, parents and guardians are obliged to protect children from negative effects of the internet. According to raisingchildren.net.au (2015), parents should monitor their steps, protect them, and teach them on how to use the internet as well as personally learning the complexities of the internet. Cyberethics (2011) website explains that monitoring involves having frank discussions with children pertaining to their internet activity, restricting internet access to a family area, switching off all internet enabled devices at night, and jointly agreeing to set rules on the limits to internet access. It also includes keeping track of all the accessed sites on the history tabs and finally educating children under 13 years on particular online sites that are age-friendly. According to NSPCC (2015), protecting the children involves implementing steps, such as using a family friendly internet provider, and assisting your child in identify unsuitable content, taking note of all the privacy setting of the sites your child is signed up to. Other steps are instructing children not to share personal information as well as notifying you of any stranger who contacts him/her by any means (raisingchildren.net.au, 2015). While teaching children on safe and responsible use of the internet, educate them on ways to relate with others online, explain on the importance of questioning the credibility of internet content, make him/her understand that some sites are particularly restricted for adults as well as help him/her find interesting, educative and fun websites (raisingchildren.net.au, 2015). There are a number of websites that are useful in helping parents protect their children from internet effects. Such websites are inclusive of raisingchildren.net.au, Computer hope, San Diego County District Attorney, Child Development Institute, parents protect, NSPCC and cyberethics. References Cyberethics (2011). Tips of parents of younger children on safer use of the internet. Retrieved from http://www.cyberethics.info/cyethics1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129&Itemid=15&lang=en EOCD Council (2012). The protection of children online: report on the risks faced by children online and policies to protect them. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/childrenonline_with_cover.pdf Holloway, D., Green, L. and Livingstone, S. (2013). Zero to eight: Young children and their internet use. LSE, London: EU Kids Online. Retrieved from http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ NSPCC. (2015). Every Childhood is worth fighting for: Online safety. Retrieved from http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ Raisingchildren.net.au (2015). Internet safety: children and pre-teens. Retrieved from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/internet_safety.html The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014). 4102.0- Australian Social Trends, Jun 2011. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features60Jun+2011 | ||