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Opportunities and dangers of the digital world

The information society in which many of today’s children are growing up, offers instant access to a digital universe with just the click of a mouse. An unprecedented level of information is available through a computer or a mobile phone connected to the Internet. Young people are truly becoming digital citizens in an online world that has no borders or frontiers.

And those children who have access to the Internet are using it more and more. A survey conducted in January 2009 by the Danish Media Council for Children and Young People found that 19 per cent of the respondents aged between 9 and 10 go online every day, but this rises to 80 per cent of 14 to 16 year olds. This is reflected in countries around the world (see How are your children using the Internet?).

In developed countries, fixed broadband connection to a computer is the preferred way of going online, while in developing countries mobile Internet access is increasingly common. The benefits are obvious. For example, a range of educational services can be provided via mobiles to children in remote communities. Wherever a child lives, accessing the Internet is, more often than not, a positive and educational experience: one that helps the younger generation to understand the differences between cultures, as well as the many things they have in common. However, there are potentially negative effects too.

Harmful activities include cyber-bullying and harassment, identity theft, and the possibility of children viewing unsuitable content. Predators also abuse children online by attempting to recruit them for sexual purposes, while the Internet is used for the distribution of child abuse images.

Social networking sites are a particular growth area that is being exploited for online abuse of children, who might not recognize the danger of sharing their personal information with strangers (who could pretend to be children themselves). Having a profile on a social network has become an essential part of many young people’s lives, but linking to the online profiles of “friends of friends”, or joining chat rooms with strangers, can carry risks as well as entertainment and knowledge.

Developing guidelines for protecting children online

ITU, in partnership with a number of organizations (see box), is developing a set of guidelines as part of a global effort to protect children and young people in cyberspace and provide safer access to the myriad of opportunities and resources that are available in the virtual world.

The guidelines were issued in draft form on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2009, celebrated under the theme “Protecting children in cyberspace”. They will also be issued at the ITU/MIC Strategic Dialogue on Safer Internet Environment for Children, to be held in Tokyo, Japan, on 2–3 June 2009. The aim is to produce finalized guidelines before the end of 2009 under the Child Online Protection (COP) initiative.

The draft guidelines address some of the issues raised in this article, along with advice on how policy-makers might tackle the origins of abuse and how industry might help prevent its transmission. Threats to children and young people’s well-being are a challenge that must be addressed by all stakeholders, including children themselves.