Children’s access to technology and the Internet from
\na very early age is an obvious and widespread phenomenon today. This is also
\nconfirmed by official statistics, a recent survey compiled by UNICEF has revealed.
\nWorldwide, young people aged between 15 and 24 represent the most connected age
\ngroup, with children and adolescents accounting for an estimated one in three
\nInternet users around the world. For them, the Internet brings a lot of
\nadvantages, but it also exposes them to dangers. Moreover, young people who
\nmiss out on the benefits of technology are at a disadvantage. <\/p>\n
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Also according to UNICEF, roughly 28% of the world’s
\nyouth, accounting for around 345 million people, do not have access to the
\nInternet. Around 60% of Africa’s young people do not even have online
\nconnection, compared with only 4% of young people in Europe. So access to
\nInternet also mirrors economic and cultural gaps, which is an obvious state of
\naffairs in Romania as well, according to Pieter Bult, UNICEF representative to
\nRomania:<\/p>\n
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This affects especially children living in remote
\nlocations, or those held back by poverty, exclusion and emergencies. Also in
\nRomania, which ranks among the countries with the fastest speeds, we see major
\ndifferences in access. Last week’s report that was released by the Romanian
\nGovernment shows that the share of people ever having used the Internet ranges
\nfrom about 90% in the Bucharest region to less that 70% in the northeastern
\nregion, a region that is much more rural and which already has a much higher
\nlevel of poverty.<\/p>\n
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The digital gap is therefore another reason for
\nconcern when it comes to the access to the Internet, to add to the known issues
\nsuch as aggression and cyber crimes, as Peter Bult has also pointed out:<\/p>\n
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Wealso know that technology can make
\nchildren more susceptible to harm, online and offline. Threats include cyber
\nbullying, new forms of child violence, abuse and exploitation, such as the mail
\nto order and live streaming of child sexual abuse, and predators can more
\neasily contact unsuspecting children through anonymous and unprotected social
\nmedia profiles in game forms. Again vulnerable children, so as for example those
\nwith a low level of literacy, may be at greater risk of harm.<\/p>\n
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In Romania,
\naccording to a survey conducted by the Save the Children foundation, 78% of
\nchildren access the Internet daily or almost daily, while 90% of them use at
\nleast one social network. Only 17% of them say, however, that they devote less
\ntime to their families, friends and homework because of the time spent online.
\nAt the same time, 45% of them said they experiences some form of harassment
\nonline. Under the circumstances, protecting children on the Internet is a must,
\nprecisely because the Internet should become more of an educational resource
\nand an opportunity for a harmonious development. Children themselves are aware
\nof the ambivalence of the Internet. Constantin Eugen Gheorghe, who in year 6 at
\nthe Ferdinand I School in Bucharest:<\/p>\n
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For me the Internet is a source of inspiration and
\ninformation. I believe the Internet can be a useful tool but at the same time
\nit can be dangerous. We can use it, for example, to do our homework and find
\nthe right information for various projects as it provides quick access to
\ncomplex information and data. We can also socialise with other young people,
\nlike us. On the other hand, we should be careful with it because there are some
\nwebsites that can be harmful. I think it’s important that our parents and
\nteachers don’t forbid us to use the Internet but support us in using it. <\/p>\n
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In order to come to the aid of adults, parents and
\neducators and help them better monitor children’s online activity, the Romanian
\nauthorities have published a guideline entitled The First Safe Steps in the
\nDigital World. Published by the National Centre for Response to Cyber Security
\nIncidents (CERT.RO), the brochure contains basic information and guidelines for
\nsafe Internet surfing. Let’s find out more from Catalin Arama, the director
\ngeneral CERT.RO:<\/p>\n
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We have structured the information and the
\nactivities children engage into on the Internet into three large groups: online
\nrelationships, sharing personal data and accessing content data. The guide
\npresents for each of these categories a series of identified threats, suggests
\nmeasures and draws some conclusions. Of course it only comes up with technical
\nsolutions. The guide contains useful addresses and links, which adults can
\naccess for an improved monitoring of their children’s online activities.<\/p>\n
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At the same time, UNICEF recommends placing
\nchildren’s safety at the core of digital policies, both in terms of optimal use
\nof the Internet and reducing online threats. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Childrens access to technology and the Internet from a very early age is an obvious and widespread phenomenon today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":142537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42997],"tags":[29948,34365,32470],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-142536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-today","tag-children","tag-internet","tag-unicef"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n