All you need to know to secure kids online

The Internet has become part of our daily lives. Even little children whose minds are not fully developed access the Internet for one reason or another. It is therefore cardinal that we assure their safety on a communications medium that is not supervised by any single authority.

Public places that have activities/products deemed harmful to young minds are regulated in all communities. An underage is not allowed in a pub, night club, brothel, sex shop, gambling house or any such place. If owners are found to have allowed under aged patrons, they are subjected to punitive measures. The Internet is the world laid bare with no restrictions. When one owns an Internet accessing gadget like a smart phone – it literary means they have the world raw in their hands. Young minds are naturally inquisitive and if we do not control what they access online; we increase their vulnerability living them at the mercy of predators and cyber criminals. They will innocently share sensitive information or equally access emotionally damaging material. Once an insecure child becomes a target of hackers – the risk will spread exponentially through their circle of friends.

The safety of children online is crucial. Any compromise on Internet security can have far reaching implications. Cyber criminals can have access to sensitive information through clumsy actions by kids. Besides Cyber Crime; children are also targeted for Cyber bullying, violent and adult content. This sort of material has potential to cause emotional damage to young minds. With the advent of Education Technology it might be impossible to block kids from accessing the internet – we can only assure their Safety Online. The average parent might not be well versed with means of securing the safety of minors online. Most of us are actual at risk from cyber attack whether at work or through our personal cyber accessing devices. 

Innovation and Technology have been by far the major contributors to economic development. The world fastest growing companies – Facebook/Uber/Starbucks – testify to this fact. Most Schools are aggressive in their pursuit of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths). This program would be impossible to effectively roll out without access of the Internet by both Educators and Learners. Some subjects will require practice which can only happen with Internet access. Through Technology, innovation has caught up with the education process. There are now more efficient academic processes and products like smart classrooms, gamification of learning, use of mobile applications and the Internet as a research methodology. This has shifted attention from whether a school needs Internet Connectivity to whether the school has the best Internet connectivity. The Internet is known to be infested with Cyber Criminals of all sorts. Being online has various risks. How safe are Educators and their Learners when they are online? 

The Internet has become an integral part of the learning process. Every school needs Internet connectivity. With the Internet administration processes including communication are streamlined. Education Informatics makes it possible for Technology through Innovation to improve the learning experience and administration processes. Effectiveness and efficiency in classroom and all learning activities are improved through Technology. Most Innovations that are available online do not cost much. Infrastructure including hardware does not need huge capital outlay as most if not all stakeholders posses cyber accessing gadgets. A strategy to utilise owners’ gadgets is promoted through the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The Internet is a haven for Cyber Criminals and a host of content that is harmful to Learners. It is therefore cardinal for any School to have an Internet Policy that protects the institution against Cyber Attacks.  Every School Administrator needs to be aware of best practice methods in formulating Internet Policy that protects the Institution whilst promoting the exploitation of Online Technologies for academic excellence. School Administrators ought to be equipped with the necessary knowledge that will help them maintain a safe Online Environment in their Institutions.  

We run a series of training for School Kids below 15 years; Parents or Guardians; Educators; School Administrators. For more details and bookings kindly visit the events page of our website

Child Development and the Internet

Alef Innovations is a young and dynamic company with interests in Technology Innovation. Through one of our products – Social Media Marketing – we discovered that most children as young as 8 years are very active users of social networks. It aroused our curiosity how activity in the cyber community was affecting young minds in terms of their development and academic pursuits. We also came to realise that Education Technology was equally taking off like a whirlwind taking both educators and parents by surprise. Whilst it is easy for academic institutions to put policies and procedures in place on how Social Media can be accessed during schooling hours, when the child is at home at times parents do not see the need to monitor what children get up to when they are online. 

It is becoming almost impossible to ban our children from accessing the internet as it has become an invaluable source of information. Care needs to be taken though that not every piece of information in the cyberspace is authentic. It is equally important to note that there are many hazards that young minds can come across in the cyberspace. Some parents are literally addicts of social networks and may not be the best role models for their children.  However educators do have success stories of better results attained through incorporating the internet in the learning experience. 

It is for this reason that we thought it prudent to bring together stakeholders in child development, Information Technology and Social Commentators who are active in Social Media and are well acquainted with the happenings around these networks.

The objective of such conferences is to get these experts to share best practices in dealing with Social Media where children are involved.  For parents we want to make sure that they are aware of the dangers within these forums, we also equip them with available means of child online protection. For educators we assist them with policies and procedures suitable for their unique environments. We share with them the latest education technology available. We want these discussions to shape public policy on incorporating technology in the learning experience of our children. We also share with social workers how to identify and handle child development discords caused by technology. We share best methods of prevention and possible remedies where the situation has gone overboard. We want to involve organisations that provide this technology either as a service or particular products. From them we need to understand what systems they have put in place to protect minors. This discourse cannot be complete without the involvement of community and civic leaders. There is current legislation that governs technology in its various forms, it is important to understand what it is and how it protects minors. 

We are hosting one such conference on the 3^rd of March 2016 in Cape Town at Lagoon Beach Hotel Conference and Spar. We still have seats available and you can book yours by following this link www.cognitoforms.com/ALEFInnovations1/ConferenceRegistration