Online – Safe and Sound !
Digital Security for Children
Never before have kids been online as much and as intensively as in the year of the coronavirus pandemic 2020 . This fact raises awareness towards the issue of digital security for the net ’ s youngest users . Not only tech companies are working on solutions , but also toy manufacturers such as Lego .
Consequences of the pandemic : Media usage amongst kids is booming
Classes via video conference , meeting up with friends in chatrooms , only visiting grandparents online : Due to the restrictions imposed in 2020 in connection with Covid-19 , digital media has become more important to children and teens than ever before . This claim is supported by a study conducted by the Danish toy manufacturer Lego 1 this year , for which 1,000 parents were surveyed . Above all , conversations with friends ( plus 43 percent ) and media consumption ( plus 31 percent ) were the most important factors for the increase in usage .
The question of online security in children ’ s media is becoming louder . However , this digital boom is also bringing the question of the security of digital channels and platforms into the spotlight . The study EU Kids Online 2020 2 explores this issue and has interviewed children and teens from 19 countries . In particular , it examines the security of communication in social media as well as protection from age-inappropriate media and data security .
An initiative in the UK shows just how important these goals really are . Starting in autumn 2021 , a new Code of Practice 3 will be enforced in the UK to protect children better whilst they are online . In addition to that , the latest Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations ( IGF ) 4 held in November 2020 has been dealing with the issue for years : More and more children across the world are becoming digital citizens who use the Internet to learn , communicate , and play .
Digital natives and support from parents
Most parents support their children on their way to a responsible use of the digital world . That is what the authors of the Lego study found out : around 80 % of young users receive targeted advice from their parents concerning safe use of the Internet . The Children ’ s Internet Usage Study 5 conducted by the Americ an Center for Cyber Safety and Education supports such findings : The survey of students in grades four to eight resulted in 87 percent of the children saying that they are taught how to use the internet safely .
On the other hand , however , there is an increasing and blatant difference in the ability to use digital communication
Kids India Magazine - Dec 2021 | Page 17