Save Children from the Net

Image from Freepik

‘Net’ and ‘Web’ are two words associated with the digital world. They are apt too because they carry a hint of the traps linked with that world. Children are often the victims of the digital snares which have protean forms. We need to be aware of these dangers so that we can save our children from them.

Cyberbullying

Bullying is a common problem almost everywhere in the children’s world. Cyberbullying is usually found in the form of harsh, insulting or teasing messages posted on various digital platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Any child can become a target of this assault on his/her dignity because of anything from physical appearance and economic background to psychological make-up and religious inclinations. The impact of cyberbullying can be phenomenal. It can lead a child to withdrawal, depression, aggression, and many other behavioural problems.

There are far too many cyber predators in the virtual world just as there are criminals in the real world. They find easy targets in children who can be manipulated with simple strategies such as gifts, praises, and sympathy.

Cyberstalking

This threat can be as haunting as that of a ghost in a nightmare that repeats itself with some variations. The child feels that he/she is being constantly watched or followed by an invisible shadowy figure. This shadow may send annoying or even threatening messages. The perpetrator may gain access to the victim physically. Girls are particularly vulnerable in this sector. Some stalkers hack the accounts of the child’s social media and email and thus gain total control over the child.

Phishing

The most common form of this crime is the use of email to lure a child into clicking links or attachments that promise easy money or some such rewards. Children will end up parting with precious personal data like address and identity details.

Games are fun and children love to play them online. Many of them are innocuous too. But some games require the purchase of certain virtual items. Children enter the details of their parents’ credit or debit cards and may eventually get into all sorts of financial troubles.

Gambling

Speaking about games, we are quickly reminded of the ominous evil called gambling. Children do not possess the wisdom to realise when to play and when to stay away. Gambling is not only about money; it is perhaps more about the thrill of the risk. That thrill is what leads many children to addiction to gambling. Eventually, a lot of child-gamblers end up with a drop in self-esteem. A child cannot take too many losses one after the other and gambling hardly lets anyone win easily.

Grooming

Online abusers can pretend to be benefactors. They start playing the role of parents or other elders who appear to be helpful with counsels and guidance. Children tend to put their trust in such people and then land in appalling situations because of the manipulations perpetrated by these virtual do-gooders. These manipulators may also extract a lot of private information from the children.

Sexual abuse

The digital technology is extremely misused by criminals to abuse children sexually in myriad forms. Production and sharing of child sexual abuse material online is just one of them. Engaging a child in a chat about sexual acts, an adult sending nude or pornographic images of himself to a child or exposing himself via live-streaming, asking a child to view pornographic material, and getting a child to perform certain sexual acts or to share a sexual image are some of the most common criminal practices.

Online child trafficking

Recently, The Hindu newspaper reported that child traffickers are making increasing use of the digital world. The report says that in states which are already known as hotbeds of trafficking such as Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, women and children are being abused, blackmailed and trafficked through the web. The predators lure children through friendships and then blackmail them by morphing their social media photographs. The Hindu goes on to say that India is leading in this crime.

Save our children

It is obviously a dangerous world especially for children who are easy targets in the digital sphere. A UNICEF report says that “some 80% of children in 25 countries report feeling in danger of sexual abuse or exploitation online.” Children have whole-heartedly embraced a lot of digital platforms. Hence they generate a lot of images of themselves meant for various purposes including friendships. But many of these images end up being widely shared without consent.

We, the adults, need to be ever-cautious. We need to take preventive measures. One easy solution is to reduce the online time of our children by getting them to read real books instead of virtual ones, play real games instead of online ones, and so on. But this is easier said than done. The blunt truth is that our children have entered the digital world with their whole heart and soul. What we can do now is to ensure their safety there.

There are certain technologies that ensure children’s safety in the digital world. Happinetz is one such technology that was launched recently. It makes the internet safe for kids by connecting to your home router without installing any apps on your children’s devices. It filters out age-inappropriate content and phishing attacks. This device is compatible with all routers and internet service providers and you can manage as many as ten devices including laptops, tablets, smart TVs and phones. It is as good as a guardian angel in a world of leering demons.

Let us ensure the safety of our children. It is our sacred duty.

PS. This post is a part of Happinetz – Safe Internet for Kids