An unsupervised child with a smartphone is like a sailor navigating a vast, uncharted sea without a map or compass.
Just as the sailor might be drawn toward perilous shores or hidden reefs, the child can easily stumble upon harmful content, online predators, and misinformation, risking their well-being and safety in an expansive digital world.
As leaders, the strategic decisions we make or do not make today about how to protect our children could have serious ramifications.
The media has been awash with reports of fellow Namibians engaging in online sex work for as low as N$30. As an information security specialist, I can only wonder how many underage children are engaging in these activities.
As a patriotic Namibian, this has gotten me thinking: What can be done to address this? While I understand that this probably cannot be stopped, measures can be put in place to make it difficult for children to engage in these activities.
USER AWARENESS TRAINING
The mobile network operators and their regulator, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia, should consider rolling out user awareness training programmes for their subscribers. These programmes should target children and their parents.
The programmes should cover a wide range of topics, such as the dangers that exist online (predators, stalkers, and paedophiles) and the safe use of social media sites. Parents should be educated on how to supervise their children’s smartphone usage. Many smartphones have built-in child safety features, such as blocking access to adult websites and preventing the dissemination of nude photos and videos. For these features to work, the phone has to be set up correctly as a phone belonging to a child.
I believe if a parent is given this information while in a store buying a smartphone for their child, they are likely to enable these features. Another avenue to explore is for telecommunications companies to educate their customers on how to enable restrictions on their Wi-Fi routers.
PRODUCT INNOVATION
With SIM card registration now in place, the mobile network operators can analyse their subscriber details to determine the percentage of their subscribers that are below the age of 18. I propose that the operators develop a ‘Kids SIM’ product with certain restrictions.
MTC could roll out a product called ‘Aweh Kids’ that can be linked to parents’ accounts and give them the ability to restrict usage and insights into their children’s online activities.
FORMAL EDUCATION
The education ministry should consider incorporating online etiquette and digital literacy in primary and secondary education curriculums. Children should be aware of potential online dangers, such as cyberbullying, predators, and scams.
In conclusion, addressing online child safety requires a multi-faceted approach that involves raising awareness, leveraging technology, and integrating education.
Job Angula
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