A fine line exists between managing young people’s online behaviour and allowing them to handle their internet use responsibly, writes Cara Le Mottee.
Johannesburg - Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and internet use have increasingly become an integral part of today’s society, resulting in people spending an ever increasing amount of time online, and South Africa is no exception.
New communication tools have become central to the way young people live their lives, raising important questions about the impact of the time children spend online, and finding the balance between online opportunities and risks they may encounter.
This widespread use of digital technology and the internet by the youth of today has resulted in concern around safety issues which they may encounter when going online.
Awareness around children’s online safety is an important factor which cannot be overlooked.
A new study on "digital parenting", supported by Facebook, and recently launched by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP), looks at how South African parents view their children’s use of ICTs, and provides insight into what the major concerns for parents are, including privacy issues, exposure to potentially harmful content, cyber-bullying, harassment, and sexual victimisation. However, many parents also recognise that technology offers their children a number of benefits.
This recognition by parents of the potential benefits is why they provide and allow their children to use of technology. The challenge for parents here is that they introduce into their children’s lives these platforms because they offer a vast array of benefits, while at the same time introducing platforms which put their children at risk of a number of dangers.
Parents are faced with the task of managing, or mediating these two opposing sides in a way which will best provide protection for their children from harm.
Parental mediation refers to various ways which parents try to manage their children’s interactions with media and technology, of which the ultimate aim (minimising potential risks, while maximising potential opportunities) should be in the best interests of the child.
Parents are not always clear and consistent about the how and why of their parental intervention, and a number of factors - such as lack of time, resources and knowledge - often make the difference between good intentions, and what is actually put into practice daily.
It is important that a balance is found between monitoring and managing young people’s online behaviour and allowing them the freedom to handle their internet use responsibly.
New communication tools have become central to the way parents navigate this task - allowing their children independent online exploration while providing appropriate parental support and oversight. Little is known about who uses ICTs in most developing countries, what these ICTs are used for, or what the effects are. Limited knowledge of how ICTs and the internet are being used, particularly by children and the youth, creates a challenge when it comes to ensuring these technologies are being utilised in the best possible, and safest, ways.
Young people are more likely to use the internet than their parents, which has implications in parents being unable to effectively mediate their children’s use. There is a clear generational gap, as many children are far more advanced in their digital knowledge and skill than their parents. As a result, parents often struggle to manage their children’s online activity.
Online parenting should be approached in the same way as off-line parenting - by developing safe, stable, open and nurturing relationships between parents and their children, focusing on bringing up confident, responsible, empathetic and resilient young members of society, whether it be on- or off-line.
* Cara Le Mottee is a researcher for the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP).
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.