Net Safety Education
- S.G.Isave
Lecturer,
Tilak College of
Education
Pune – 30
sgisave@gmail.com
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@ Background @ Meaning @ Need
@ Threats @ Solution @ Conclusion
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Background –
Internet is growing source of knowledge. India is forth in the no. of internet users. So we should understand better use of it. People from all ages, religions, classes have sterted the use of internet in offices, houses, educational institutes and cyber cafes.
Since there is no one single controller of this huge huge network it becomes vulnerable. Here safety is on priority. We should aware of risk of the cyber space! Adults can take appropriate net safty precautions, but children are easy target for cyber criminals.
Meaning –
‘Net-Safety’ contains two terms- net means mainly internet. It is safety of user who takes the advantage of internet.
“An application of knowledge of internet threats, it’s prevention, treatment and all kinds of management is called Net-safety.”
There are economical, psychological, physical, technological and legal threats ruled on the net. Those can be identified and solved. But our children are not so safe as we are.so we should give priorty to our chidren. It is not advisable to keep away them from net, but use it wisely.
Need -
Data and user, no one is safe on the internet. If we lost data we may retrive/regenerate it ; but if we lost our small user very difficult to recover him/her.
There are so many software are in market to protect data; but there is no readymade package to protect our child, because Net-safety is continuous process. We need to be alert ready each and every time.
So it is the best thing to do that the net safety of our children. Make them aware of the threats of internet. So they can use internet neat-safely.
Threats -
Possible Risks of using internet can classified into some classes. All risks are for all users; but here our focus will be on children.
1.Economical Threat –
Now it is very easy to have money transaction through internet. E-shopping, e-governance, e-payment, e-booking,e-banking etc. Each of these facility needs username, password, e-cards. It is not very difficult for a child in home to observe card numbers, passwords, usernames of e-accounts. They can keep an eye on parents, they can use saved username password in login window or they may check e-mail. Also they may see the left print on printer.If child use or share this information with anyone; economical disaster will be on our doorstep.
Tools may be used - login window, e-mail, history in the browser, chatting, e-shopping, e-banking etc.
2. Psychological Threat –
All types of information is available on the net. All information is not useful for the betterment. Some exclusive information topics like sex, drugs, crimes, violence, terrorism are expected to restrict for children. But on the net it is available very easily. Children have curiosity and thrill like feeling about these issues. So they try for it avoiding parents’ restrictions.
Search engines are very helpful to them to search information like this. if they fail to tolerate the unwanted information psychologically they will be insecure. They may try for those things which are not expected from their ages. At the same time some criminal minds are finding soft targets for their use via e-mail, chatting, advertise, gifts, cartoons, clip arts etc. if the child is trapped criminal may invite them to involve in drugging, theft, blackmailing, breaking privacy of others and so many other criminal activities.
Some time criminals asks children to share information like photo of family members, phone nos, address, card no.s etc. first they send fake info to child so he/she can trust, then they asks to do so. Children can involve in these kind of criminal activity for the sake of money, thrill, gift,prestige, self recognition. Here the mean to trap the ‘ginipig’ is internet.
Now a days ‘dating ‘ is also socio-cultural issue in India. Teenagers wants to grow faster. They want to live like the young one. Dating is very easy online. So many sites are there providing such facility. So our children can seat in there bedroom and can fix date with the stranger without the knowledge and permission of parent.
When the excitement is over then child comes to know what mistake he/she has done; then the psychological crises arises. He/she feel guilty, isolated, helpless; it changes innocence of their life.
Due to over use of internet i.e. computer, children involves in virtual world of games, surfing, chatting, blogging; than the real world. They feel impatience, unsecured and unmatched in the real people. Because real people do not work on his/her ‘mouse-click’, not respond 100% according to the command given, as his/her computer does.
If children are engaging with the e-society only, they may not have the proper communication skills, etiquettes, respect to others etc. Their personality would be day-dreamer, intro- ward, attacking, careless etc. because on the net know one wants to teach them, it may for misuse or for time pass. That’s why they don’t want parental interference between their interaction.
Due to isolated personality children may have lack of knowledge of social manners, respect, customs. They are more interested in netiquettes than etiquettes.
Tools may be used- search engines, e-mailing, chatting, blogging, conferencing, games, cartoons, sharing photos-docs etc.
3.Physical Threat -
Children likes to play games, to chat, conferencing, downloading etc. These activities take hour. If there is no parental control, they play only with the computer and they forget to play. They also have like packet food, cold drinks with it. It may create health problem, back problems, overweight, knee, nutrition problem. Because of improper seating poster eyesight, knee, overweightness, may to noticed.
Overuse of computer ,less exercise, seating in problematic posture, proportion of chair-table, screen brightness, contrast, resolution, size of screen are some of the reason physical threats take place.
4.Technological Threat -
Due to lack of proper knowledge children open your computer for virus, Trojan horse, worms. These are elements which affects your computer system and lost some file, whole data and hardware also. These malware also send confidential information hackers. That will be misused.
5.Legal Threat –
Because of chatting , emailing, your child may involve in some criminal activity may be for thrill, fun, money. She /he may involve in it or for money / gift. The information may be disclosed by user child. Cyber criminal may use this information for terrorist activities and the illegal use.
Sometime your child may place give e- purchasing order or download some software that is restricted under copyright act. Then legal issues will be faced.
Safety Solutions
Economical
- Give and change the password frequently. Password can be given for to start computer, to start computer account, to connect the internet, to login all types of accounts. Donot on save user name and password.
- Keep records on offline , transaction and check it offline and keep away from children reach.
- Do not show credit cards, like important documents information of a/c no. etc.
-Don’t discuss economical issue in front of children.
Psychological -
-Keep computer from where you can observe child using internet..
-Check history of computer regularly.
- Check safety settings in search engine on your computer.
- Type your children’s name in search engine bar and find out the matter related your children.
-Discuss with your child friendly about his/her e-friends, e-mail, e-chat, e-conferencing etc.
-Tell them not to trust strangers.
-Have ‘child lock’ software from which you can lock unwanted content, websites.
-Do settings of search engine properly.
- Observe the use of pen drive, CD/DVD, recordable devices of children.
-Don’t have the web camera always on. Don’t allow children to use it in privacy.
-Continuously observe children behavior. Any suspicious consistent change should considered seriously and should be tested its relation with internet use.
-Enjoy free time with family. Give them social experiences and relation. Get them have a fun with friends, discussion. Give proper exposure to social development; look after their art and craft work, interesting games.
Be in touch with teacher. Discuss his/ her behavior with teacher. Also his/her use of computer in school.
- Give the demo of proper use of computer. Net. Show them good and educational, interesting , value based websites.
“Don’t you do, that, you will not allow your child.”
Physical—
-Give time bound access on internet.
-Insist on play exercises by setting example.
-show them webs related to health and hygiene.
-Have the proper posture of seating in front of computer.
-Surfing and eating should not go simultaneously.
Technological -
-Have computer antivirus suit in our computer and update it regularly. So there will be proper virus prevention, detection and eradication. There should be supervised use of DVD/CD/ROM.
Legal -
-Give guidelines for downloading the games, files, make them aware of free/demo versions.
- Discuss how the cyber criminals can damage them and their family. Show some news regarding this.
In this way we need to prevent our family from threats of internet. We should use internet positively by taking care of risk.
Should discuss all the issues with children according their age.
Conclusion -
It doesn’t mean that we should not use the internet or we should discourage our children to use internet. Most of appliances like bike, car, gas stove, water heater have their own threats but still we are using those by taking proper care. Like that we should open this huge huge storage of information to our children. They should become alert wise net savy. Let us pledge that our children will become efficient and good citizen as well as nettizens.
