Keeping our children safe online
CHILDREN nowadays seem to be born with the ability to use computers – all forms of digital tech, really.
And Malaysia punches above its weight when it comes to the Internet penetration rate – we have the 10th highest penetration rate in the world, just behind Britain and even ahead of Singapore, according to statista.com.
You put these two things together with a relatively young population and what you get is a lot of young people online.
What are we doing to keep them safe there?
The virtual world is just as dangerous for young people as the real world. In fact, it can be even scarier because our child might be facing a paedophile on a screen in the next room and we might not know about it.
Yes, there are parental controls and apps. And we could forbid Internet access. But the reality is, kids live online nowadays, not only on social media but also on the World Wide Web for school work.
So instead of forbidding them access, we need to teach them how to stay safe online. While there are pretty intensive ongoing efforts to alert adults to cybercrime, we need to look more into digital literacy among children.
This should be treated like traditional literacy with a comprehensive programme tailored to children’s developmental stages.
The foundation could be laid as early as kindergarten using engaging and age-appropriate materials. Older children, the tweens and teens, must be taught that not everything on the Internet is gospel.
They must learn to recognise the more nuanced dangers online, such as privacy breaches, cyberbullying, and the subtle lures of online predators.
Interactive platforms and tools that encourage safe online practices, offering practical experiences in a controlled environment, could be deployed as they are in other countries.
And collaboration with tech companies and Internet service providers can amplify these efforts, creating safer digital spaces.
For example, earlier this month the government announced that it will meet with a social media platform over findings that Malaysian children under 13 are using the site despite the fact that the platform’s own community guidelines state that users must be above that age.
This emphasises the point of education. You can tell kids it’s not safe to play near bodies of water but you need to follow that up with swimming lessons because kids don’t always obey the rules.
It would help, though, if rules are made clear: The government should establish clear guidelines and standards for online content and interactions involving minors.
These standards, developed with child psychologists, educators, and digital experts, should create a balanced online ecosystem that nurtures growth and learning while minimising risks.
Two ministries in particular must lead this monumental task: the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Digital Ministry.
The safety of our youngest citizens online must be a paramount concern. A whole-of-society approach involving not only children but also parents, educators, and the wider community could create a collective shield against online dangers.