The Young And The Dangerous Digital World

By Ainul Huda Mohamed Saaid KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- "There would be no way for us to communicate with the outside world. Digital media is a must for the people of this century. Without the digital media the world would be like how it was during the stone age". Such were the thoughts of Nur Farah Hanani Norzaman, a 15-year old from a religious school here, when asked to imagine a world without digital media. It is hard for the children of the 21st century to imagine that only two decades ago, their parents survived the so-called 'stone age'. The parents used public phones to call their friends and family while outside. They would writer letters to communicate with pen pals across the continent. And if they liked something, the would say so instead of tapping on the thumbs up sign on a touchscreen like how its done now. The children of the current century see the usage of digital tools and mobile technologies as a cultural norm. The world is a borderless social platform to them, teeming with entertainment, information, and opportunities at a click or a tap. THE DARK SIDE OF THE CYBER WORLD Nevertheless, amidst its endless potential, the Internet also opens the gateway to a darker side. This includes online bullying, hateful speech, harassment, online gambling and easy access to pornography and other potentially harmful material. "The digital world very much mirrors the real world," said UNICEF Senior Child Protection Officer, Phenny Kakama. "As it becomes increasingly difficult to draw the line between offline and online, it is necessary for us to examine how this changing environment impacts the well-being and development of children and their rights," he said. Phenny detailed the risks faced by children online by three categories, namely harm from content, harm from contact and harm from conduct. Harm from content is when the child is a passive recipient of pornographic or harmful sexual content, while harm from contact is when the child is targeted by an adult or another child in activities that are photographed and then disseminated for sexual abuse, social grooming or bullying. Harm from conduct is when the child acts upon risky or abusive behaviour. This can be by creating or uploading pornographic material, physically meeting an adult met online, placing images of her or himself or another young person online, downloading abusive images of children or bullying. "While these are the most pervasive forms of child abuse and exploitation online, young people also face other risks when they share personal information, download potentially illegal material and make unwise online purchases," he added. REGULATION WITHOUT CENSORSHIP A collective effort is required by parents and their children, policymakers, law enforcement agencies, social workers, teachers and the private sector to create a safe online environment. "The private sector in particular has major responsibilities in relation to child protection online. Businesses should be proactive in taking online risks seriously and acting upon them promptly. "Otherwise there is a risk that governments may step in to regulate and legislate the industry in ways that negatively affect freedom of information. At all times, a correct balance of regulation without censorship should be maintained," said Phenny. WHAT THE TEENS SAY During the recent 2015 Child Online Protection Regional Conference, 19 children participated as the Under-18 Child Delegates. They represented Childline Malaysia, the Children's Council, DiGi Cybersafe Ambassadors, the League of Creative Teens under the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) program, and Yayasan Chow Kit Alternative Learning Centre. The participants generally agreed in favour of self-regulation when guarding against cyber threats. However, many admitted that they still needed guidance from adults, particularly parents and the schools. "Parents should be the ones advising their children on the do’s and don’ts when surfing the Internet," said 16-year-old Muhamad Azim Fadzil Abdul Manan. The SMA Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan student said that users (the children) have to take necessary precaution once they realise they have fallen victim to online bullying. Fifteen-year-old Nursharlene Azahar felt that it was the schools' responsibility to educate children about the Internet. "Schools need to educate children on the benefits and harms of the Internet and help ensure that the children will have a safe online experience," she said. Cathryn Anila of SMK Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, believed that children should act responsibly and sensibly while on the Internet. "Adults, however, play a huge role in guiding children in such a way that they do not misuse the freedom to access content on the Internet," said the 15-year old. PLAN OF ACTION ON CHILD ONLINE PROTECTION (PTCOP) Meanwhile, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has developed a Plan of Action on Child Online Protection (PTCOP) to address the cyber threat issues. Among the lead ministries and agencies involved in the plan's implementation are the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry; the Education Ministry; Home Ministry, the MCMC, and the police. "It is hoped that this PTCOP, with its four main aspects namely; advocacy, prevention, intervention and support service, will be the catalyst in increasing the awareness and commitment of parents, teachers, community members and non-governmental organisations," said its minister, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim. -- BERNAMA