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Internet control is here in Singapore justified by this bogus report
73% of children experienced negative online experiences: survey
By Joanne Chan | Posted: 06 July 2010 1805 hrs
73% of children experienced negative online experiences: survey
SINGAPORE : A study by Internet security firm, Symantec, found that 73 per cent or 7 in 10 children in Singapore have had a negative online experience.
This resulted in them feeling angry and fearful, among other things.
And parents may not even be aware of such activities. The Norton Online Family Report found that 6 in 10 parents don't always know what their child looks at online.
Internet security advocate Effendy Ibrahim, who is a father of four, recounts his three-year-old's gaming experience.
"He went to one website that offers lots of free online games, a lot of them are harmless. But there were a couple which were really doubtful. One of the games is titled 'Play the Pervert', where it shows a man peeping at a woman who's having a shower naked, but her private parts are blurred," said Effendy Ibrahim.
According to the Symantec report, children in Singapore spend an average of 64 hours a month on the Internet.
With Internet access widely available, parents may find it difficult to monitor their child's behaviour.
According to the survey, 7 in 10 children have downloaded a virus, 4 in 10 have had a stranger ask to meet them in the real world, and 3 in 10 have received "sexts", or sexually-inclined text messages from strangers.
While there are many tools available online that can help parents monitor or even block such activity, experts agree nothing beats having parental involvement and engagement.
Almost 4 in 10 parents surveyed said they have controls on the family computer.
But children have other ways to access the Internet, such as mobile devices or in schools. So it's important to teach them the right values.
"We equip them with the right web etiquette that they can practise and adopt, no matter where they go," said Effendy, Internet security advocate, Symantec Asia.
The bottomline is that parents need to plug into their child's online life.
"Show an interest by asking their children what they are doing in cyberspace. And the other thing parents need to do is to spend more time with their children," said Lim Soon Hock, chairman of National Family Council.
The study involved 102 parents and 101 children aged 10 to 17. - CNA /ls
73% of children experienced negative online experiences: survey
By Joanne Chan | Posted: 06 July 2010 1805 hrs
73% of children experienced negative online experiences: survey
SINGAPORE : A study by Internet security firm, Symantec, found that 73 per cent or 7 in 10 children in Singapore have had a negative online experience.
This resulted in them feeling angry and fearful, among other things.
And parents may not even be aware of such activities. The Norton Online Family Report found that 6 in 10 parents don't always know what their child looks at online.
Internet security advocate Effendy Ibrahim, who is a father of four, recounts his three-year-old's gaming experience.
"He went to one website that offers lots of free online games, a lot of them are harmless. But there were a couple which were really doubtful. One of the games is titled 'Play the Pervert', where it shows a man peeping at a woman who's having a shower naked, but her private parts are blurred," said Effendy Ibrahim.
According to the Symantec report, children in Singapore spend an average of 64 hours a month on the Internet.
With Internet access widely available, parents may find it difficult to monitor their child's behaviour.
According to the survey, 7 in 10 children have downloaded a virus, 4 in 10 have had a stranger ask to meet them in the real world, and 3 in 10 have received "sexts", or sexually-inclined text messages from strangers.
While there are many tools available online that can help parents monitor or even block such activity, experts agree nothing beats having parental involvement and engagement.
Almost 4 in 10 parents surveyed said they have controls on the family computer.
But children have other ways to access the Internet, such as mobile devices or in schools. So it's important to teach them the right values.
"We equip them with the right web etiquette that they can practise and adopt, no matter where they go," said Effendy, Internet security advocate, Symantec Asia.
The bottomline is that parents need to plug into their child's online life.
"Show an interest by asking their children what they are doing in cyberspace. And the other thing parents need to do is to spend more time with their children," said Lim Soon Hock, chairman of National Family Council.
The study involved 102 parents and 101 children aged 10 to 17. - CNA /ls
