Too little efforts to protect kids online — UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said too little has been done to protect children from the perils of the digital world and increase their access to safe online content.

Its flagship “State of the World’s Children” report focusing on children in a digital world, explores how digital technology is affecting children’s lives and life chances, identifying dangers as well as opportunities.

Young people are the most connected age group worldwide: nearly 7 in 10 young people are online, compared with half of the total population.

It said governments and the private sector have not kept up with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harms while leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children behind.

“For better and for worse, digital technology is now an irreversible fact of our lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

For disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty of affected by humanitarian emergencies, digital technology offers access to information, builds skills for the digital workplace, and gives them a platform to connect and communicate their views.

But one in every three youth around the world, around 346 million people, are not online, worsening inequities and reducing their ability to take part in a digital economy.

African youth are the least connected: around 3 in 5 youth are offline, compared with one in 25 in Europe.

UNICEF said only collective action can “level the digital playing field” and make internet safer and more accessible.

It recommends affordable access to high-quality online resources, protecting children from harm online, safeguarding their privacy and identities, and teaching digital literacy to keep children informed, engaged and safe.