Relevance: GS-2: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key phrases: Teenager, Social media, Facebook, ‘Report it, don’t share it’, Cyberbullying, Information Technology Rules, 2021’, Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children.

Why in News?

• Reading the newspaper one recent morning, I was struck by a headline: “Meta sued over 11-year-old’s suicide”. The report from the U.S. left me feeling sorry for the child’s mother, who has chosen to call out the “culprits” who caused her little ones’ death.

Background:

• India has witnessed a whopping 50% of internet penetration in 2020 as against 34.4% in 2019, predominantly as an after-effect of the pandemic.
• Among all those children who have accounts on the major social networking apps/sites which they use, Facebook (used by 36.8 percent) – Instagram (used by 45.50 percent) are the most popular.
• When asked about the features/facilities that children like to use or enjoy using on smartphones/internet devices, 52.9 percent answered as 'Chatting (using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp/Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat)'.
• With the pandemic making smartphones and internet access a critical link to education and the outside world for children, the study shows that 30.2% of the children 8 to 18 years surveyed already possessed their own smartphones and the usage shows a steep rise from the age of 13 years and onwards.
• A significantly high 94.8% of the children said they use smartphones/internet devices these days for online learning and classes. Other major purposes of use include; messaging applications, referring to study materials, music and games.
• The surge in online activity by children, therefore, becomes apparent as out of India’s 749mn internet users, 232mn are children.
• The internet serves as a double-edged sword with enabling connectivity, access to knowledge, and entertainment on one hand and potential exposure to harmful and inappropriate content on the other. Children, as sensitive and impressionable individuals, must be protected from possible detriments to internet usage.

Why social media is important for children?

• Social media is a big part of many young people’s social and creative lives.
• Children and teenagers use social media to have fun, make and maintain friendships, share interests, explore identities and develop relationships with family. It’s an extension of their offline and face-to-face interactions. For older teenagers especially, it’s often a key part of how they connect with friends.
• Social media can connect children and teenagers to online global communities based on shared interests. These might be support networks – for example, for young people with disability or medical conditions, or children from particular cultural backgrounds. Or they might be sites for commenting on and sharing content about particular interests like games, TV series, music or hobbies.
• Digital media literacy: exploring and experimenting on social media can help child build knowledge and skills to enjoy online activities and avoid online risks.
• Collaborative learning: child can use social media to share educational content, either informally or in formal school settings.

What risk social media poses for children?

Social media can also pose risks. For your child, these risks include:

• Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying, cyber sexual harassment, cyber grooming, loss of privacy, and enticement to illegal behaviour are only a few dangers to name. The increasing number of children persistently using social media to record and share their life through photographs and videos necessitates certain regulations and mechanisms to monitor children’s online activities, reduce risks and vulnerabilities, and protect them from harm.
• Using Facebook is also known to lead to a decline in the subjective well-being of youngsters. The more they use Facebook, the more they feel dissatisfied with their lives, in general. Teens are also observed to be suffering from “Facebook depression” after spending too much time on it or other social networking sites. Some also become anxious and moody, as they see that the lives of their friends are better than their’s, even though they may know that their representation is idealised.
• Social media platforms contain and disperse such a variety of content, a lot of which is neither appropriate nor conducive for children. They can be anything from violent or vulgar content to instances of online abuse and bullying of children
• Exposed to inappropriate or upsetting content, like mean, aggressive, violent or sexual comments or images
• Uploading inappropriate content, like embarrassing or provocative photos or videos of themselves or others
• Sharing personal information with strangers – for example, phone numbers, date of birth or location
• Over usage of social media has resulted in less time being spent on doing healthy, real-world activities. Sleep deprivation due to staying up late to continue scrolling through their social media feeds, a habit known as vamping.
• Adolescence is a key time for developing social skills. However, as teens spend less time with their friends face-to-face, they have fewer opportunities to practise social skill.
• Mental health and wellbeing: connecting with extended family and friends and taking part in local and global online communities can give child a sense of connection and belonging.

Way forward:

• The extensive and critical nature of online child safety demands regulations and mechanisms that protect children. It is imperative to ensure an adequate understanding of the issue, promote the best interests of the child, and develop appropriate recovery services for victims of cybercrimes.
• Talking is the best way to protect child from social media risks and ensure their internet safety.
• EdTech’s must be proactive in ensuring the online safety of children and champion the issue as a priority. Millions of children access these learning platforms, so the least that needs to be done is to ensure their safety and security.
• Online abuse of children, cuts across all children. Children today aren’t safe at home, with access to internet for 1 in 3 children, and multiple content across, and particular attention must be paid to low-income groups, marginalized communities, and children from rural areas as their lack of awareness and support could worsen the situation.
• Effective implementation of laws alongside awareness programs will address the problem of online child abuse, empower children, and develop a secure e-learning environment.
• Safety of children, and investing in this by EdTech’s, is not an option, but a need of the hour.

Source: The Hindu 

Mains Question:

Q. Is social media harming health, social and material well-being of children worldwide? What are the concerns about children using social networking sites? What should be the immediate measures to ensure well-being of children on the internet? (250 words)