An awareness campaign is needed to educate not only children but also their parents about the dangers of the internet, writes Anesh Maniraj Singh
Parents and children are not equipped to be internet-safe. So says a study conducted among MBA students and lecturers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on “whether parents are aware of online dangers and if they are doing enough to protect their children online”.
The study found that some parents were aware of a few of the online dangers and were taking whatever measures they could to protect their children online. However, more can be done to make both parents and children aware of online dangers and the mechanisms to protect children online.
In the global information society children use cellphones and the internet to access the world’s largest library containing information on just about any subject. However, lurking among the plethora of valuable information is an equally large library of propaganda, paedophilia and pornography.
Furthermore, there are millions of perverts waiting silently to take advantage of the innocence of children through chat rooms, email and instant messaging on mobile devices.
In the normal world parents control their children’s access to pornography and literature of an unacceptable nature and go to lengths to protect them from physical harm and exploitation. But do they take the same precautions online?
How can parents who are not fully safety aware themselves provide proper protection for their children? This suggests that lack of awareness is a major problem and needs to be addressed.
The study made the following proposals:
n The South African ministry of communications needs to initiate an awareness campaign of the dangers lurking on the internet. This could be provided through schools and higher education institutions to educate children and the youth. Mass media campaigns and road shows could be conducted to educate parents and broader society. Posters could be placed in public places, such as libraries, museums and post offices, to keep the message in the minds of the consumer.
n A longer-term solution is to amend the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and include a chapter on online child safety and protection. Alternatively, like the Child Online Protection Act and Children’s Internet Protection Act, a separate Act could be passed that specifically addresses online child safety and protection.
n Manufacturers of electronic controls could provide more information about their products and explain their role and function in layman’s terms so that an average parent can read and understand the benefits of such controls.
n Software and hardware retailers need to take a proactive role in protecting their “future customers” by providing easy-to-understand pamphlets for parents and children.
n Internet service providers and other telecommunications providers, such as Telkom, need to update their clients regularly on recent online dangers and recommend what they believe are the best and latest electronic controls that can be used to secure children’s internet activities and communications.
n Schools and other educational institutions need to have policies in place that regulate online activities of minors. They need to provide supervision when and where possible and, in the absence of supervision, have proper electronic monitoring and control systems in place to ensure children are protected at all times.
n Penalties and sanctions need to be in place to ensure compliance and prevent children bypassing existing controls.
n Parents must take a proactive role by talking to their children openly to address uncomfortable subjects. They need to take their children on a journey of discovery on the internet and point out clearly what the dos and don’ts are while online. The adverse consequences must be explained clearly and reinforced so the child can look after him/herself while unsupervised online.
But laws and electronic controls are no replacement for caring, proactive and protective parents. The internet is an important part of a child’s armoury and should be used for the good that it has to offer. But parents must protect their children from the evil lurking online.
Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh is head of the graduate school of business at the University of KwaZulu-Natal