The Dhaka Times Desk New information has come out regarding children's access to the Internet. It is said that every half a second a child goes online! While this is a positive aspect, it is also a cause for concern.
Now it is reported that every half a second a child enters the online world for the first time. Which is an average of more than 1 lakh 75 thousand per day. The United Nations children's agency UNICEF gave this information on Tuesday.
UNICEF warns that children's entry into the digital world is opening up huge doors of benefits and opportunities for them. But it also exposes them to risk and loss. One of the harms is harmful content, sexual harassment and exploitation. These risks include cyberbullying and misuse of their personal information.
Lawrence Chandy, UNICEF's director of data research and policy, said thousands of children are connecting online for the first time every day, opening the door to huge dangers for them. But instead of identifying the dangers, we are only assessing them. Governments and the private sector have, however, made some progress in developing policies to address the worst risks online. But better steps should be taken to fully understand and protect children's online lives.
The report makes it clear that governments, families, schools and other institutions have a responsibility to keep children safe in the digital world. It said the private sector has a significant and specific responsibility to frame the impact of digital technology on children, particularly in the technology and telecommunications industries. But this responsibility was never taken seriously enough. It is therefore imperative to leverage the power and influence of the private sector to promote practices that benefit and protect children online—including ethical standards around information and privacy.
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