Flagship report highlights digital divides and
explores current debates about the impact of the internet and
social media on children's safety and well-being
Download photos, videos and a copy of the report:
http://uni.cf/2j2GvHC
TORONTO and NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2017 /CNW/
- Despite children's massive online presence – one in three
internet users worldwide is a child – too little is done to protect
them from the perils of the digital world and to increase their
access to safe online content, UNICEF said in its annual flagship
report released today. Canada's
children, in particular, are at risk of exposure to child sexual
abuse URLs, and oversharing of their private data. But if leveraged
correctly, digital technology can be a game changer for children
being left behind, connecting them to a world of opportunity and
providing them the skills they need to succeed.
The State of the World's Children 2017: Children in a digital
world presents UNICEF's first comprehensive look at the
different ways digital technology is affecting children's lives and
life chances, identifying dangers as well as opportunities. It
argues that governments and the private sector have not kept up
with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harms
and leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children
behind.
"We have to face the future – and the future is online. But we
have to face it armed with knowledge of the risks the digital world
poses to children," said David
Morley, UNICEF Canada President and CEO. "Once we understand
those risks, we can not only protect our kids, but empower them to
seize the incredible opportunities that world also brings."
The report explores the benefits digital technology can offer
the most disadvantaged children, including those growing up in
poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. These include
increasing their access to information, building skills for the
digital workplace, and giving them a platform to connect and
communicate their views.
Digital divide exacerbating global inequity
But the report shows that millions of children are missing out.
Around one third of the world's youth – 346 million – are not
online, exacerbating inequities and reducing children's ability to
participate in an increasingly digital economy.
The report also examines how the internet increases children's
vulnerability to risks and harms, including misuse of their private
information, access to harmful content, and cyberbullying. The
ubiquitous presence of mobile devices, the report notes, has made
online access for many children less supervised – and potentially
more dangerous. And digital networks like the Dark Web and
cryptocurrencies are enabling the worst forms of exploitation and
abuse, including trafficking and 'made to order' online child
sexual abuse.
Canada's children at
risk
Canada's children are not
exempt from the risks. Ninety-two per cent of all child sexual
abuse URLs are hosted in just five countries, one of them being
Canada. Meanwhile, 81 per cent of
children under age two, in ten high-income countries including
Canada, had a digital footprint –
meaning in some manner was mentioned or pictured online, and
potentially exposed to mass audiences.
According to the latest UNICEF Report Card, Canada ranks 25th out of 41 rich
countries in child well-being.
"If we want Canada to be the
best place for kids we need to make their well-being a national
priority, and that includes looking at how the changing digital
landscape is affecting them," said Morley. "There's the good, the
bad and the very ugly when it comes to the online world, and we
need to make sure Canada's kids
are prepared for them all. It starts with listening to kids and
letting them be part of the solution."
UNICEF calls for five critical actions
To level the digital playing field for children and make it
safer, UNICEF is calling on governments, the digital technology
sector and telecom industries to make expanding access to the
internet and protecting children online a priority. Only collective
action – by governments, the private sector, children's
organizations, academia, families and children themselves – can
make the digital space more accessible and safer for children, the
report says.
"The internet was designed for adults, but it is increasingly
used by children and young people – and digital technology
increasingly affects their lives and futures," said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. "So
digital policies, practices and products should better reflect
children's needs, children's perspectives and children's
voices."
Practical recommendations to help guide more effective
policymaking and more responsible business practices to benefit
children include:
- Provide all children with affordable access to high-quality
online resources.
- Protect children from harm online – including abuse,
exploitation, trafficking, cyberbullying and exposure to unsuitable
materials.
- Safeguard children's privacy and identities online.
- Teach digital literacy to keep children informed, engaged and
safe online.
- Leverage the power of the private sector to advance ethical
standards and practices that protect and benefit children
online.
- Put children at the centre of digital policy.
About UNICEF
UNICEF has saved more children's lives
than any other humanitarian organization. We work tirelessly to
help children and their families, doing whatever it takes to ensure
children survive. We provide children with healthcare and
immunization, clean water, nutrition and food security, education,
emergency relief and more.
UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary donations and helps
children regardless of race, religion or politics. As part of the
UN, we are active in more than 190 countries - more than any other
organization. Our determination and our reach are unparalleled.
Because nowhere is too far to go to help a child survive. For more
information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicef.ca. For
updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook or
visit unicef.ca.
SOURCE UNICEF Canada