Dark side of Internet for children

The sight of mobile phones easily irks some culture warriors, including the parents and teachers who cannot bear unregulated access to the worldwide web by minors.

In their minds, the custodians of children’s morals ban primary and secondary school learners from using smartphones they deem as distractions.

However, the school shutdowns and lockdowns conceived to stop the Covid-19 outbreak challenged this perspective as children worldwide turned to the Internet to keep learning.

In this way, the banned mobile phones became a blessing for learners.

At a click of a button, they could connect with their teachers and study at home.

Yet, the internet became a curse, shows the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report to the United Nations.

The human rights defenders allege that online learning rolled out by the Malawi Government violated children’s privacy and other rights by sharing their data with companies such as Facebook.

Yes, the concern illustrates how ICT, one of the enablers of the Malawi 2063 vision, can also hurt children.

Recently, United Nations Children Fund executive director Henrietta Fore backed the rising calls for child protection online.

She said while digital solutions can keep children learning, entertained and connected, they increasingly expose them to numerous risks.

Fore warned: “Even before the pandemic, online sexual exploitation, harmful content, misinformation and cyberbullying, all threatened children’s rights, safety and mental wellbeing.

“For children already experiencing harm or hurt – online or offline, the rise in screen time may have exacerbated their anguish”

As a concern is mounting globally for children’s physical and emotional health, some evidence suggests that more time online leads to less outdoor activity, reduced sleep quality, increased anxiety and unhealthy eating habits.

A new global report released by Boston Consulting Group at the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) shows that 72 percent of children globally experience at least one type of cyber threat online.

The report, titled Why Children Are Unsafe in Cyberspace, highlights the need to protect children online as over 90 percent of those aged at least eight and above are active on the internet.

The 2023  National Survey on ICT Access and Use by the Malawi Communications and Regulatory  Authority (Macra) indicates that four percent of children in the country access the internet, albeit amid enormous exposure to cyber-attacks. The figure has risen from 2.5 percent recorded in 2019.

“The urban population has a higher proportion of children accessing the internet at 14.3 percent [an increase from 10.2 percent reported in 2019] than counterparts in rural areas at 2.7 percent (an increase from 1.3 percent reported in 2019) (Figure 11.1),” noted that report.

However, the survey warns that most of them are not just talking to strangers, but also meeting them face-to-face.

About a third of the children (31 percent) reported having ever met someone via the web and the risk was higher in urban settings where about 35 percent did.

According to the findings, 23.2 percent of the children experienced online incidents that bothered or upset them.

Analysis by place of settlement shows that internet uneasiness has declined in children resident in both rural and urban areas since 2019. In rural areas, it declined from 25.7 percent to 18.8 percent in 2023.

Meanwhile, the report reveals that almost half of the children (46.1 percent) do not report such incidents to anyone and a fifth complain to their peers and 16 percent to their parents.

Macra director general Daud Suleman says eenhancing child online protection is a multifaceted endeavour that calls for concerted efforts.

He states: “First of all, children need to be educated about online risks and responsible behaviour to ensure their safety online.

Parents need to be sensitised to the dangers or risks that children are exposed to while online. Service providers also need to foster safer online communities that prioritise child safety, allowing them to interact and learn with minimal online risks.”

He says enforcement of laws and penalties against cybercriminals is also essential.

Child rights activists Boniface Mandele says the situation is getting out of hand, calling for close monitoring of what children access on the internet and in video showrooms.

He states: “We cannot deny children access to social media, but there is a need to ensure that they are safe.

Our children face a lot of violence and the internet has turned into one of the violent platforms of child abuse.”

Mandele urges parents and neighbours to be vigilant in monitoring what children and young adults access on the internet.

“Children should, for instance, be advised to report to parents, teachers and other adults, including authorities, whenever they receive requests from unknown people. This calls for proper training on online threats,” he says.

Meanwhile, Macra has developed the Child Online Protection Strategy with support from the International Telecommunication Union.

Broadcasting manager Matilda  Kanjeri says the strategy was developed in response to the changing communication landscape, which places children and young adults among the most vulnerable groups.

“All adults, duty bearers and stakeholders have a role to protect children from exploitation. If we are to succeed in keeping our children safe online, then we all have to play our part,” she says.