A child learns online at home in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) Khoa stated that parents often provide their children with mobile devices froman early age. However, he added these children do not have the skills toprotect themselves in cyberspace.
A Google survey conducted in 2022 on parents' opinions regarding online safetyrevealed that the average age of Vietnamese children first owning a mobilephone is nine years old.
However, the average age at which children are informed about informationsecurity in cyberspace is 13 years old, Khoa said.
This leaves four years that children are interacting online without being toldabout the risks they face.
“Young Voice” Vietnam conducted in 2020 by the Management and SustainableDevelopment Institute (MSD) and Save the Children showed that children oftenuse the internet for learning (83%), entertainment (71%), making friends (71%),sharing information (23%), shopping (30%) and live streaming (6.3%).
Nguyen Phuong Linh, head of the Management and Sustainable DevelopmentInstitute, said that in cyberspace, children face many risks.
According to statistics in 2020, 40% of children feel unsafe when using theinternet, she said.
More than 70% of children have had unwanted experiences such as personalinformation disclosure, harassing texts and cyberbullying, she said.
The risks become more diverse and unpredictable and do not spare anyone, shesaid.
Therefore, children need to be educated and equipped with the knowledge toprotect themselves and take advantage of technology, she said.
Khoa said cyberspace is a result of digital technology - it needs digitaltechnology to develop, and it also needs digital technology to be safe.
Digital technology products must be created and applied to successfullyimplement the programme “Protecting and supporting children to interact healthyand creatively in cyberspace in 2021-25” that was issued under Decision No 830in 2021 by the Prime Minister, he said.
The programmes’ goal is to protect private lives, prevent online harm tochildren and focus on equipping children with digital immune systems whilemaintaining healthy cyberspace, developing Vietnamese products and applicationsfor children to learn, connect, and entertain creatively.
Linh said parents and teachers must accompany and help children interact in ahealthy and creative cyberspace based on six principles.
The six principles consist of recognising children's right to access and usethe internet; helping the children use the internet safely as soon as possible;respecting the children's privacy; understanding the psychology and developmentof children to accompany them; guiding children to access support when needed;being available when the children need.
Ngo Tuan Anh, general director of Smart Cyber Security, said that when schoolsequip computer rooms with an internet connection according to regulations, thebig challenge is finding and equipping tools to help monitor and managestudents.
There are technology solutions that can help schools manage students on theinternet conveniently, he said.
"The products apply the cloud computing model, allowing schools to deployand easily use at a reasonable monthly cost quickly,” he said.
Dinh Thi Nhu Hoa, a representative of Vietnam Cybersecurity Emergency ResponseTeams/Coordination Centre (VNCERT/CC), suggested primary protectiontechnologies, such as protection technology on operating systems, browsers,applications; child-protection devices and applications on the terminal; andapplications that support reflection and inspection./.
VNA
