The digital world is full of adventure and excitement much like the real world around us but it is clear that many of the risks and dangers are the same for both environments. However, when you add in the anonymity, ubiquity and communication potential of this new technology the problems can be significantly enhanced and sometimes have the potential to be far more damaging.

Research is beginning to reveal that people act differently on the internet and often alter their moral code. This is partly due to the lack of gate-keepers and the absence of the visual cues from others that we all use to moderate our interactions. This is difficult for children and young people to grasp when they are only just establishing the social rules of the real world.  They often lack the skills to be able to interpret the incoming information or make appropriate judgments about how to behave online.

If you put this together with a generational digital divide, adults often do not necessarily feel equipped to help children in this area and this can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness. This is exaggerated by a risk-averse culture where we are inclined to keep our children ‘indoors’ despite their developmental needs to socialise and take risks.

Some of the risks in a digital world include:-

Paedophile Grooming Cyber Bullying Pornography Racism Gambling Cyber Slacking

Drugs Hacking Propaganda Proxy Avoidance Terrorism Criminal Activity

Abuse Copyright Infringement Suicide Inappropriate Research Plagiarism Gaming

Everyone has a role to play in empowering children to stay safe while they enjoy these new technologies, just as it is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe in the non-digital world. This new culture of responsibility spans parents, children and young people supported by Government, industry and the public sector and e-safe education can help you with the solution.

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