Wares Ali Khan :
Bangladesh is marching at a faster pace in the fast-changing world keeping the tempo towards the arena of ICT and digitization being privileged by the availability of the internet technology and open modes of social media communications. Digital technology, internet, social networking, ICT tools and digitization-these buzzing worlds have surprisingly been getting significantly familiar with the day-to-day life execution of the people of Bangladesh over the last decade.
Due to easy access to internet technology, the behavioral pattern of many has been entangled with unforeseen negativity, socially unwanted, and odd behaviors. Therefore, internet technology has surely appeared as a mixed blessing for many of us. There are several risk factors for using online platforms through the internet for children. We have to admit that every child has the right to avail sufficient protection and safety – especially when they access different necessary platforms using the internet. It is true indeed, that many children often become victims of unsafe use of internet technology due to a lack of adequate protection measures.
Unscrupulous and miscreant folks have gradually been posing a serious threat of defamation, bullying, and harassment to children irrespective of sex through various online platforms. Disregarding the periphery of personal secrecy and safety, offenders often lead the life of children into unwanted circumstances. In most cases, the evildoers use slang language, send body-shaming text, make a mockery, poke, spit, and swear as well as expose indecent and impolite gestures to the children. By sending vulgar texts and images, proposing unwanted affairs, and sharing nude content-these heinous blackguards instigate the children to feel intolerable and unadjusted. They make children vulnerable, and unsafe and drive them towards a huge security threat.
The issue of internet security and cyber offense concerning children has to be investigated keenly. Required actions have to be taken as early as possible by the respective law and order maintaining agencies. Considering the gravity of the offense, to take faster and more immediate action, there should be a dedicated special cell run by the law and security agencies. The issue of cyberbullying along with a precise and definite definition should be included in the Digital Security Act-2018 for the sake of ensuring safe internet access for children.
The future of the country will certainly remain unsafe until the new generations feel safe. Therefore, a strong protection system for children in case of internet use must be ensured.
To comply with the safe use of the internet and its protection measures, academic lessons based on internet technology have to be scripted in textbooks for making children further conscious. Publication of comical books to display safe use of the internet for children may be annexed in this regard. Teachers who will educate kids have to be satisfactorily familiar with the concept of internet technology, its uses, and its effects. They have to be skilled enough while they deal with this job of paramount importance.
A dedicated helpline should be operated to respond immediately to address the cases related to online security for children. Identified offenders have to be brought under exemplary punishment through a closer investigation and by executing the existing Pornography Control Act-2012 as well as the Digital Security Act-2018.
To remain far away from all negativity induced by internet technology is a shared responsibility of all. We have to boycott these marked social miscreants. It must be kept in mind that this dirty social phenomenon as well as the tendency of doing cyber offenses based on the internet has not emerged in society suddenly in a single day. Rather, some other issues are closely related to these unwanted social behaviors. So, issues related to provoking unsafe behaviors of offenders have to be uprooted with an integral effort.
Lack of social and family values, unemployment, social chaos, degradation, disorder, and anarchy associated with the lack of proper measures-this assorted growing threat for the kids has remained an increasing trend over time. Therefore, along with executing laws, the practice of family and social values should be adapted properly. All the negativity centering on the internet is unwelcomed, undesirable and of course, rejected. For this, while using internet technology or being connected with online platforms, we have to exert maturity, apply value-based-conscience, feel shared responsibility, acumen and sensitivity as well.
Very often children are used to making mistakes. Therefore, we have to make sure that they are closed during online operations so that we can supervise their activities. By the way, we have to monitor our children’s media behaviors by using online activity filtering software. Children are the source of sacred beauty, lucid happiness, and grand tranquility. Their smooth growth and development in a serene and secure atmosphere is always a prime concern. Therefore, we parents, hope to have an abode more loveable and blissful for our beloved children in the days to come.
(The writer is a teaching professional & psycho-social counselor).
