Children are exposed to the global online environment of the internet at an ever younger age, it seems. Luckily, due to their impressive ability to keep up with today’s ever-evolving digital technologies - an ability that tends to surpass that of adults - children have very quickly adapted to this new environment. Still, any action carried out on the internet involves certain risks, especially if children are involved. Let’s have a quick look therefore at the online dangers to which a child can become exposed.
As the internet has become an integral part of everyday life, it also facilites many online activities that children can benefit from, especially in terms of education, leisure activities, and interaction with other children. Moreover, digital education is a component of the right to education as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). As such, children's access to the internet cannot be prohibited, as this would clearly not be in their best interest.
Children’s internet activities
Though there are many advantages to internet use by children, if uncontrolled or irresponsible, certain risks and dangers may arise, causing more harm than good. To gain a better understanding of those risks and dangers, we need to identify the activities that children could partake in on the internet. By doing this, we can direct our attention and resources in the right direction.
Children’s online activities range from creating social media accounts and downloading messaging apps to connect and communicate with their friends and family, to playing video games. Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), which allow real-time interaction in a virtual world, are especially popular among children. Also included in that broad range are activities such as downloading other apps, documents, and multimedia content, searching for information and viewing multimedia content, as well as publishing their activities, location, photos, and videos or sharing private information with others.
Internet risks and dangers
Chances are that children do not yet have the necessary experience or knowledge to avoid the internet risks and dangers below and to behave responsibly online. Additionally, their emotional vulnerability can be easily exploited online, either by other internet users or by online service providers.
- Accessing prohibited or age-inappropriate content
There are two dimensions to this danger. On the one hand, children can be exposed to this type of content involuntarily. Think of ads that appear automatically on a webpage, for example or photos posted by other people on social media networks. All these scenarios might involve explicit sexual content, encourage the consumption of unhealthy food or drinks, or include swearing or incitement to hatred and discrimination. On the other hand, children may voluntarily expose themselves to such content if left unsupervised, by actively searching for it.
- Publishing content or information that can damage one’s reputation or cause suffering to others
In the rush for recognition and validation from others on social media, children may be tempted to publish personal, even intimate, information about themselves or others, or content that is indecent. Obviously, such publications can seriously damage their reputation, both in the short and long run. Also, in the future, the child who has become an adult may no longer wish to be associated with the people he spent time with, the language he used, and/or the behaviour he adopted on social networks from when he was a child and did not have the ability to realise the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, nothing is deleted from the internet without explicit intervention. But in this case, you can make use of the “right to be forgotten” under the GDPR, and request social media platforms or search engines to erase your personal data.
- Publishing or otherwise disclosing personal data that can be used maliciously
Examples include photos or videos published on social networks accompanied by their location; the divulging of addresses or phone numbers to strangers online, an imprudence which can lead to harassment; the disclosure of their parent's bank details in order to purchase games, apps or content, resulting in online scams.
- Contact with malicious people
Examples include photos or videos published on social networks accompanied by their location; the divulging of addresses or phone numbers to strangers online, an imprudence which can lead to harassment; the disclosure of their parents' bank details in order to purchase games, apps or content, resulting in online scams.
- Financial losses for the family
The unauthorised payments made by minors on the internet can cause
financial losses for their family. And the same goes for their downloading or
accessing of unsafe content that can infect personal devices with malicious
software.
- Compromised data and IT systems and identity theft
Cyberthreats in the online environment are constantly increasing. Examples include phishing, identity theft, and search engine manipulation (SEM). Of course, minors are most prone to cyberattacks. Attackers know this and exploit their vulnerability and inexperience.
- Engaging in immoral conduct or in illegal activities
Cyberthreats in the online environment are constantly increasing. Examples include phishing, identity theft, and search engine manipulation (SEM). Of course, minors are most prone to cyberattacks. Attackers know this and exploit their vulnerability and inexperience.
- Spending excessive time online
An unsupervised minor may be tempted to spend hours in front of a computer/tablet or mobile phone. This can lead to addiction, lack of sleep, eye problems, low school performance, self-isolation, and social anxiety.
I realise this long list might make the internet seem like an extremely dangerous place to be for a child. But this does not necessarily have to be the case, as my next blog post will hopefully prove to you.
In that follow-up article, I will provide some actionable ways in which parents can ensure a safer online environment for their children to navigate. In doing so, we can, all of us, contribute to the shaping of future generations, so that they turn out to be more responsible, take accountability, better understand the dangers of the internet and how to avoid them, in order to unleash and explore all of the advantages of the internet. As GRC consultants, it is our duty to raise awareness on these topics in society and contribute to a safer online environment for all.
On March 16, for the fourth consecutive year, employees of Sopra Steria Benelux, trained by Child Focus, will be participating in an “Internet Safe & Fun” workshop. This volunteer initiative is aimed at raising awareness among primary school children about the importance of safer and better use of the Internet and social networks. Read all about last year’s edition.