On August 6th, 1991, the World Wide Web became publicly available. Twenty-seven years later, the internet is a human right; connecting people, providing them with access to a wealth of information and transforming the way they live and interact with the world around them.

Knowing the undeniable benefits, it’s also important to recognize some of the challenges the internet age has brought with it, particularly when it comes to its usage by children.

Vodafone Qatar, in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, have delivered online safety workshops at 11 primary schools that benefitted close to 1000 students. This is in addition to 10 previously conducted workshops, with more to come during the upcoming school year.

Based on those workshops, a series of statistics became apparent:

• 31% of pupils reported that they spend at least 8 hours online per day.
• The most popular activity was watching videos (35%), followed by social media (25%) and playing games (22%).
• Only 24% of children said they would tell an adult if they saw something upsetting online. 56% said they would ignore it, 12% said they would use google to find out more about it and 8% said they would share with friends.
• The most popular social media platforms were Instagram (43%) and Snapchat (38%).
• Most young people were aware of the risks of meeting with online friends. 47% said they would tell parents if a stranger online wanted to meet them, 36% said they would tell the person they were not comfortable. However, 5% said they would arrange a secret meeting on their own, while 12% said they would go to the meeting, but take a friend.

With Ramadan’s unique lifestyle routine, children and teenagers tend to stay up late browsing the internet. Not only that, but with Qatar having one of the highest internet and social media penetrations in the world, we understand all too well the concerns and anxieties that parents feel as it becomes harder and harder for them to know what their children are up to online. 

AmanTECH, Vodafone Qatar’s Digital Parents’ guide, has shared five tips to help set guidelines and boundaries to allow your children to enjoy the best of what the digital world has to offer – safely.

Rule 1: Set boundaries early on

The digital world has become an integral part of our lives and that means it needs to have its own set of rules. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries early on and make sure you explain the reasons to your children so they can start to understand online safety themselves. Such boundaries could include agreeing on the websites your children can visit as well as the time they spend online. Make sure that these rules are being applied consistently by letting the people who interact with or look after your children know about your technology boundaries.

Rule 2: Make use of parental controls

Parental Controls are features that are designed to give parents more control over how their children use technology and the internet. Some of the most useful tools include: user accounts on computers which allow parents to manage online activities, Parental Controls features on tablets and smartphones which restrict access to apps and games, and customized options on Google and Youtube which help children search the internet safely. However, it is important to remember that such tools are not perfect and you must take the time to teach your children about online safety.

Rule 3: Educate your children about online safety and privacy

Sharing locations and personal information online may seem harmless at first. However, it opens the door to a number of safety risks, particularly when it involves children. Talk to your kids about the importance of online privacy and the risks associated with it. Additionally, make sure they understand that things like comments or photos are part of a “digital footprint” that will stay online and can be seen by people for years to come.

The internet is a vast sea of attractions, and while Parental Controls are useful, the most effective tool remains having an open discussion with your children about cyberbullying, inappropriate content and online predators. This ensures that they are well-equipped to handle whatever situation faces them and feel comfortable to speak with you should something make them uncomfortable.

Rule 4: Familiarize yourself with age ratings and descriptions

Today’s technology blurs the lines between what is real and what is virtual. Certain video games contain violent or inappropriate content, while others allow players to connect with strangers online. There is a lot of information online to help parents decide which games are suitable. Familiarize yourself with age-ratings and game descriptions to ensure that your child is only accessing age-appropriate content.

Rule 5: Apply the rules

While setting the rules is easy, following through and ensuring that they are constantly applied might not always be so simple. Try not to use technology as a babysitter too often. We all do it sometimes but it’s important to know what your child is doing. Additionally, if they ask you to turn off the Parental Controls, have an open discussion with them about both the benefits and risks of technology.

If you are a parent or a teacher and want to learn about digital safety as well as access tools and resources that can help you understand how to protect young people from online risks, please visit: http://www.vodafone.qa/en/better-world/aman-tech.