UNICEF: 80 per cent of youth in the world recognize that internet can be a danger

BISHKEK – On 7 February, the world marks Safe Internet Day to promote responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people around the world.

“Today, globally 1 in 3 Internet users is a child, and children are spending more time online and using the Internet at a younger age. Digital technologies are increasingly part of our daily life, helping us to find information, educational resources and more. We must keep in mind how helpless and vulnerable a child can be in the face of threatening anonymous users," said Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF Representative in Kyrgyzstan.

Teenagers and parents in Kyrgyzstan can call 111 Child Helpline to get psychological support and also advice about safe internet usage.  

According to a study conducted by UNICEF among ten thousand 18-year-old young people in 25 countries, eight out of ten believe that online communication is fraught with risk of sexual harassment and frauds.

More than half of adolescents think their friends participate in risky behaviours on the internet. The research also revealed that more adolescents turn to friends rather than parents or teachers when they feel threatened online. Online violence against children takes various forms, since the perpetrators can anonymously disseminate information of a violent nature, which can affect children or even encourage them to hurt themselves. However, 90 per cent of youth believe they can avoid danger online and feel confident about their ability to protect themselves.

Below are tips that UNICEF has prepared on safe internet use for children:

STAYING SAFE ONLINE 

1. Don’t keep your fears to yourself. If you are worried about your safety or something that has happened to you online, urgently speak to an adult you trust. Kyrgyzstan also has a special helpline 111, supported by UNICEF and the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, where you can call for free and talk to someone anonymously.  
2. Respect what other people are saying on social media, even if you do not agree with them. 
3. You have the right to privacy – and so do others. It is not okay to log onto other people’s accounts or to use their phones or profiles without their permission. 
4. Don’t spread rumours or post/share hurtful or embarrassing stories or photos. What may seem like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to others. We all have the right to dignity and to be treated with respect. 
5. Think twice before you click ‘send’ – especially if you’re upset or angry. Once you share a photo or a video it’s hard to control what happens to it and who sees it. Removing it is nearly impossible.  
6. If you’ve seen something on social media that made you upset or hurt you, you can report it. On many social media platforms you can report a specific post or photo if it is against the community standards of the social media platform. Most social media platforms let you “block” a person so that you don’t see their content and they cannot contact you or send you messages. You can learn more by following the links at the end of this page.  
7. You can change the privacy settings on your social media platforms to help you control who sees your information, photos and videos. Think carefully through what you share with whom. It may seem obvious, but don’t share personal information like your address, phone number, or bank details. If your privacy settings are not secure, anyone can see this information. 
8. Making new friends is great, but before you accept a person you should have a look at their profile – try to see who they are. Do you have friends in common? Are you from the same town? Don’t feel pressured to accept random friend requests. Check your privacy settings so that this person does not see any information that you don’t want them to see. Remember that sometimes people pretend to be someone they are not and it’s hard to know if they are telling the truth about who they are. 
9. Be careful about any job offers that you receive online. Did you apply for a job or contact anyone for a job? If you did not, this could be a scam and you need to be very careful. Do some research about the company or business. Be careful when going to meet someone for the first time if you have only met them on the internet. We strongly recommend that you don’t go alone. Instead, ask an adult you know well and trust to come with you and arrange to meet in a public place.  
10. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts. Talk to someone you trust and get their advice on what to do.