We all know that technology can be a double-edged sword. It has created incredible progress, while simultaneously causing new problems. Yet, it can also be the solution to such problems, especially in terms of spreading awareness and improving education on key issues. In the digital world, children’s online safety is becoming of increasing concern and, considering that every third person on the internet is a child, it’s something that everyone - children, parents and adults - need greater awareness and understanding of. That is why ESET is gearing up to launch its brand-new Safer Kids Online platform - a resource site dedicated to building a safer online environment for children.
Available from September 2019, ESET’s Safer Kids Online platform will include a multitude of resources on key child cybersecurity issues - from children’s comics to expert insight aimed at parents - and will act as a central point of reference for all activities connected to staying safe online. Its aim is to enable children to enjoy the full potential of the internet in a secure digital world and build a safer online environment, by educating them, their parents and their teachers.
Materials will include a video series around key issues for younger children, aged 8-11, and comics for older children, aged 11+, as well as a more in-depth explanation for parents and schools, including expert articles and vlogs. The content will be geared around key monthly topics and will also include quizzes, prizes and newsletters, with the aim to make the resource an entertaining program that children, and their families, will be inspired to use.
Recent research has pointed to worrying statistics around children’s online safety, with one in eight young people having experienced cyber bullying and a quarter of young people having come across racist or hate messages online. And, most worryingly, reports have shown that online child abuse seems to be increasing, with the number of incidents reported to the police increasing by 700% between 2014 and 2018.
We know that, to create real change, it isn’t enough to simply educate children, or even their parents. Everyone in a child’s life needs improved awareness of the key issues and signs to look out for, which is why ESET’s Safer Kids Online uses a three-pronged approach to targeting children, parents and their teachers and, ultimately, spreading awareness to create a safer online world for children.