Many young children have unsupervised access to the Internet and are using the Internet to socialise with others. This can lead to a number of dangerous situations which can be threatening for children.
What problems do children face when going online without parental supervision? How can these problems be solved?
Facebook and other social media platforms, such as Instagram, WeChat, Line, etc., has already created a virtual society where people can have an identity different from the real life. It happens too fast to react and to have certain guidelines in order to regulate behaviors in this developing virtual society. As a result of that, there is always the danger of using the Internet, especially for many young children without having supervised access when socializing with strangers.
The most worrying aspect of virtual society is cyberbullying, sexting and online predators appearing everywhere. Some people enjoy having a different personality from their real life. They could do whatever they want via these virtual social platforms, but they are afraid to do these acts in daily life because it might be against the law. Furthermore, many young children are not capable of distinguishing if they are being catfished by imposters and even vulnerable to them. I feel that being exposed in danger without awareness seems to easily happen. Rate of disappearing children has risen due to Internet scams related to kidnapping or sexual abuses.It is vital to understand that Internet is a valuable tool for education. Yet, on the contrary, without knowing its negative aspects, it might be a hotbed of crimes and dangerous situations. In the real world, we have developed a bunch of disciplines, guidelines, courtesy, and laws for the public to follow the rules. It is also important to make regulations for the virtual society.
According to Mike Lee released an article on Marketecheasier.com, “Top 10 Internet Scams You Should Know and Avoid in 2020,” he mentioned that losses from online frauds are 19 times more than offline scams. These top ten Internet scams are Advance-Fee Fraud, the Impersonation Scam, Charity and Relief Internet Scams, Extortion and Blackmail Scams, Phishing Internet Scams, Lawsuit and Legal Fee Scam, the Email Attachment Scam, Hijacked Profile Scam, Online Quiz and Games Scam, and Survey Scam. Even an adult should keep watch and avoid being the next victim for internet scams, it is unrealistic to expect a child who is not vulnerable to deal with strangers online. Therefore, in my opinion, it is not only the parents’ responsibility, but also the governments’ duty to place this code of conduct into educational materials and policy promotions. Inappropriate online behaviors shall be prohibited.
In addition, parents shall watch their own habits of using cellphone for a long time. As a role model for their children, they have to pay more attention and keep their children safe online. Open communication for teaching life skills and learning about warning signsfrom threats is also one of parents’ responsibilities. Children shall have common sense not only to adopt to a virtual society but also real life.
