Over the last ten years, Bangladesh has seen a dramatic escalation in the technology available to and used by children. A widespread intervention of technology over the years has not only changed the way our children used to behave, think and interact but also reshaped the entire system which they live in.
Children today are part of a digital generation that has grown up in a world surrounded by technology and the internet. Here children are increasingly getting habituated to the usage of internet and thus internet is occupying a key part in our children’s growing up while helping them develop an identity and connect with the virtual world.
Children’s access to technology poses both negative and positive impact. The virtual world helps children exploit a new communicative paradigm. Today’s children are able to ascertain between competing facts more accurately and make decisions more quickly.
There has to be a guideline for children to make them
able to utilise internet potentially for the betterment
of their intellectual development
But using internet is not always safe for children and there has to be a guideline available for children to make them able to utilise internet potentially for the betterment of their intellectual development. The internet is the great equaliser giving equal access to information and educational content to young learners. Hence, ensuring safer internet should be the first and topmost priority for guardians, teachers and everyone involved in the ecosystem.
Online harassment and cyber-bullying is a growing global menace and in Bangladesh, reportedly, more than 32 per cent of children who have access to internet face online harassment. Cyber-bullying and online-harassment can cause serious harm as it can reach a wider audience and can remain accessible online indefinitely. However, we can reduce the chances of online violence and cyber-bullying by ensuring strict implementation of the cyber security law.
Also, we need to build awareness about the impact of cyber-bullying and online harassment among the parents, teachers and children. Capacity building of children, teachers and parents for identifying, preventing and responding cyber-bullying and online harassment is a must. Also a guideline should be incorporated to teach not only students but also the teachers on how to be responsible and safe towards their activities over the internet.
