Protecting Children in the Digital World
Overview:
While digital technology can open doors to education, jobs, etc. it is not without its attendant problems. Protecting children in the digital world is imperative if we are to derive the benefits of digital technology. The blog throws light on this important subject.
Digital technology is advancing at a rapid pace and one-third of the users of the world wide web are children. Because of the rapid advancement, legislations on safe use are yet to be updated/put into place. Hence, it is imperative that we protect our children from the many threats the digital world can pose. The benefits of digital technology are many, but if we fail to protect our children from the possible risks, those benefits will be pointless.
Ensuring children’s digital safety is more complicated than ensuring a safe digital environment for adults. This is because the digital landscape is inherently riskier for children due to many reasons ranging from children’s distinct developmental stages to their limited political voice.
Protecting children requires a concerted effort from parents, educational institutions, digital transformation companies and the government.
The Digital World – The Risks Involved
Understanding the risks children face is key to coming up with solutions.
Debarring them from using the internet will not work; not only will we be depriving them of useful online educational resources, but they might just continue using it without anyone’s knowledge and this is even more dangerous.
Let us take a look at some of the dangers the digital world poses.
- Cyberbullying
- Cyberbullying refers to a person posting mean or harmful content about someone else.
- The posts can be made on public platforms or can be sent directly to the person concerned.
- Cyberbullying makes the victim feel embarrassed or ashamed and affects his/her mental health.
- With children’s presence on social media platforms increasing day by day, protecting them from cyberbullying is imperative.
- Online Child Abuse
- Online child abuse refers to using internet and communication technology to sexually abuse or exploit children.
- Also called cyber molestation, it happens without any physical contact. Hence it becomes hard for parents to detect it when it happens.
- Here, the perpetrators typically identify vulnerable children and target them.
- They might use social media platforms to learn more about the child and then proceed to befriending them.
- After gaining the child’s trust, they resort to various means including bribes, threats, force, etc. to abuse/exploit them.
- Hate Speech
- Hate speech refers to the use of offensive language to target people/groups.
- It incites hatred, divides the society and has a profound effect on the targeted individual’s mental well-being.
- Hate speech can affect children in a number of ways.
- Just exposure to it can cause mental distress.
- Continued exposure may desensitize children and they may start to think hate speeches are normal and accepted.
- When children are a part of the group targeted by a hate speech, they may experience feelings of fear, anxiety and anger.
- Self-confidence reduces and they may end up isolating themselves socially.
- Fake News
- It is only too easy in the digital world to spread fake news that can have a negative impact on everyone, especially on children.
- Children do not have the skills to judge which news is true and which is not.
- As a result, they end up confused and do not know whom to trust.
- Scams and Malware
- The privacy threats in the online world only get more sophisticated with time.
- Children may get lured into installing malicious software in their devices.
- While the software may seem harmless and fun, it could actually be malware that can gain access to the camera, the images folder, etc.
- Digital Addiction
- Typically, the term digital addiction is used to refer to people who spend a lot of time on digital devices and neglect other aspects of life.
- For children, digital addiction poses a number of risks including bad sleep quality, reduced physical activity, decline in academic performance and social withdrawal.
Protecting Our Children
Being aware of the risks our kids face is the first step in protecting them. Given below are a few pointers for parents which will help keep their children safe. However, parents need to constantly update themselves on the possible risks as well as the ways to digitally protect their children.
- Get to know the device’s privacy and security settings. If there is something you do not understand, ask people who are knowledgeable about it for help. You can even get information from trusted sources online.
- Help your child choose strong passwords. Set up a 2-step verification process to enhance security.
- Turn on the Safe Search setting in search engines. This will help filter inappropriate content.
- Make sure your child’s social media settings are set to private. This will help protect their photos and personal information.
- Parental controls can help immensely in protecting your child. You can monitor the kind of content your child is accessing, block harmful websites and filter improper content.
- Also make sure location services in all your devices are turned off. When they are kept on, people might use it to gain knowledge of your child’s whereabouts.
- There are child-friendly search engines you can introduce your child to, to protect him/her from age-inappropriate information.
- Streaming platforms too have options to set up a children’s account so that the movies and shows suggested are withing age ratings.
- Keep track of the games your child is downloading/playing. Do check out the age-rating and reviews for the games. Try to choose games that do not have any form of advertising.
- Protect your devices with anti-virus software and make sure to update them regularly.
- Install regular operating system software updates as these will also have updated security features.
- Keep your camera covered so that webcam hackers cannot misuse it.
- Talk to your child about online safety issues. Make them understand that you are enforcing rules regarding internet use for the sake of their safety.
- Have a limit on the time your children spend online. Explain clearly how their physical health is affected when they do not have time limits.
- Encourage your child to communicate with you and when they do, listen with an open mind. Avoid judgmental responses. When they know that you will not judge them, they will feel more comfortable sharing their online experiences with you.
- Finally, teach your child to be kind towards others online. Explain to them that just because they are not face-to-face, it does not mean that their actions/words do not hurt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main digital risks children face?
Children encounter risks like cyberbullying, online abuse, exposure to hate speech, fake news, scams, malware, and digital addiction.
How does cyberbullying affect children online?
Cyberbullying involves harmful posts or messages that damage a child’s mental well-being, causing feelings of shame, anxiety, and isolation.
What is online child abuse and how can it occur?
Online child abuse (or cyber molestation) occurs when predators use digital platforms to gain a child’s trust and exploit them without physical contact.
How can parents protect their children from digital threats?
Parents can enhance digital safety by using strong passwords, enabling parental controls, activating Safe Search, and regularly updating privacy settings.
What role do scams and malware play in digital risks for kids?
Scams and malware can trick children into downloading harmful software, compromising their device security and personal privacy.
How does digital addiction impact children’s health?
Digital addiction may lead to poor sleep, reduced physical activity, academic decline, and social withdrawal, affecting both mental and physical health.
- Mar 28, 2025