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Children actively participate in an open debate about privacy and safety on the internet
The playground of cyberspace is a two-edged sword: on the one hand, it allows children of all races and social backgrounds to exchange ideas and opinions across borders. On the other hand, it is also a playground with risks around which children need to learn to navigate safely. |
At Cyberhus.dk we like to treat children as the expert users they are. Instead of repeating the standard warnings, we posted the following story and asked them to join in the discussion:
Laura is in the fifth grade and spends a lot of time in a popular online forum. She has just found a new friend and they’ve been communicating online for a while.
One day he tells Laura that he is lonely and misses her when she doesn’t reply to his messages. He is also very eager to get her phone number or just her email so they can get in touch on Messenger…
What do you think Laura should do? |
- “Stop!”
- “Don’t do it!!!”
- “Who is he?”
- “Say no!”
- “Forget it”
- “Is he Fake?”
- “Don’t reveal your number”
- “Ask a grown-up”
- “Take care of yourself”
- “Do people tell the truth on the Internet?”
- “She shouldn’t give him her number”
- “Dangerous chat”
Kids who think Laura should not give her contact details are clearly in the majority. A few kids suggest Laura should just give her MSN address. The words “paedophile” and “child molester” come up in many comments, and quite a few kids mention parents as a source of help. This debate therefore shows that children know enough about online safety to be able to inspire and educate each other.
Keywords: online, chat, debate, safety, privacy, anonymity, cyberspace, forum
Audience: Parents, teachers, professionals.
| Author: |
Reidun Dahl, Cyberhus |
| Published: |
Thursday, 17 Apr 2008 |
| Last changed: |
Friday, 23 May 2008 |
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