Most people know how to spot danger on the streets in the physical world but, in the 21st century, parents need new tools to guard youngsters against the potential threats in cyberspace.
Given the tidal wave of gadgets, apps and Web sites flooding homes, schools and general life, any parent would be hard pressed to find a way to avoid technology today. And why should they? Thanks to the Internet, information has never been more accessible. Opportunities abound for those with access to its vast stores of digital knowledge. However, the same technology that allows our children to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences are also leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm.
Online phonography, cyber-bullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, hacking and online gambling are corrupting spots on the online landscape. A London School of Economics study found that nine out of ten children between the ages of eight and 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet, in most cases, unintentionally.
Mankind's vices have found a new virtual home. That virtual home now extends into real homes via the devices we give our children to learn and to play.
