Children and the cursed cyber world – By Ms. V. Srimathi, 3rd Year School of Excellence in Law

Abstract

This article is about the role of the cyber world in children’s lives, though this smart world has a great advantage for children’s development it has a dreadful side. The modern world surrounds the dren just by a magic touch, even a toddler knows to use the internet very well than elders nowadays. The Internet is a boon and a bane. This article primarily focuses on the bane side of the cyber world, how children get affected, and the social and legal perspectives dealing with cyber laws in India. The research methodology followed in this article is a survey method to know the addictiveness of children towards cyberspace, how they are trapped and their personality change, how parental guidance must be and the legality of cyber law in India.

Introduction

The world has moved from smart to smarter and soon to smartest just by using smartphones. From 2G internet connection to 5G. Even toddlers know to operate a phone, tab and laptop, how smart they are just one touch is enough “ A Magic Touch”. Just by sitting in one place you can contact anyone from any place, have fun and also can gain an extraordinary amount of knowledge. But this wonder has also a cursed part where especially children get trapped more in this smart world. Every home they have at least one smartphone, a laptop or desktop, and a tab. Once upon a time, only one landline phone used be there in each house but now each member of the family has smart gadgets in hand and individual room for children has become common nowadays, so no watch out while they are in the room locking up the doors and using phones. Children at a tender age as a curiosity to try everything and peep into everything, and mostly it has ended in tragedy. Children nowadays use smartphones, laptops, desktops and tab not only for educational purposes and also to have some fun. Let’s discuss the pitfalls in detail.

Video gaming – The most fun part of Children

Children used to get excited when they hear the words “It’s playtime”, running like a deer to the ground to play under the sun which was the most exciting part of children’s lives and it’s all under the phrase “ Once upon a time”. But now it’s video games which make children’s life more fun than anything, reason :

• Parents have become busier and more protective not allowing their children to play with kids or don’t have time to take him/her to the ground or park.
• When a child feels alone, they automatically search the other way to entertain
• Children have a separate room for their purpose, no more restrictions and they have easy access to phones.

Videogames are fun and accepted, but they are too dangerous and cannot be seen. It plays a vital role in a child’s behaviour. According to the survey taken 65.8% of respondents sees a change in the behaviour of the child. They lack listening power, becomes arrogant, spend most of their time in video games, do not spend time with their family members, and also have physical and mental illness. And these affected children are mostly addicted to Video gaming, and as per the survey, in every home is probable at least one kid must be addicted to Video gaming.

Cyber Squatting

Looks like an unknown term, but a known one which we experience often. Cyber Squatting means domain names which are similar and identical but has unauthorised registration. For example, if a child wants to know about the president of the USA then he/she might have to look into the website whitehouse.gov but the child unknowingly goes into a website which is similar to that of the original,i.e., whitehouse.com, which is pornography this is what exactly called as Cyber Squatting. It has become the most common one while using smart gadgets. Children are easily directed to the wrong path which may affect them in an unknown way.

 

Pornography

Since children have easy access to phones and a separate room, especially teenage children have been prone to pornography. It induces them to the wrong path. For instance, in the Nirbhaya case, one of the assailants was a minor during the crime. This also has a huge impact on children’s behaviour. Nevertheless, even if we ban porn websites there are still more which are uncountable.

 

Chat

Having chat with friends is a fun part of every children’s life, but when they chat the same way with an unknown person “STRANGERS” end up with unbearable results. Nowadays kids easily get in contact with strangers. Just imagine you have a daughter 15 years old, do you leave her to talk to a stranger just like that, our immediate response is ‘ Do not talk to Strangers”. Kids easily become prey to these strangers, first they talk and get close, sharing of photos and having talks about sexual activities, learning about them and sometimes it ends up in rape, murder, and leaking of photos.

 Though cyberspace is a fun, useful and advantageous thing in the present world. There are many loopholes where children fall prey.  But it can be avoided by being prey and correctly using cyberspace.

#A SMALL CHANGE CAN BRING BIG DIFFERENCES

Parental Guidance

Parents play a vital role in children’s life. When children have the right to use mobiles, laptops, desktops, tab, etc. Then parents must guide them during their usage. Here is a small guide which can save the children from traps.

• First and foremost, tell your child to use the gadget in front of you. Do not let them use it in their room.
• If you have a laptop or desktop, place it in a common place where all the Family members will be.
• Let kids have fun with gadgets, but set a limit.
• Always have a check, to whom the child is talking and ask the child whatever happened, and what he/she talked about.
• While surfing the internet with children, help them to show proper websites because nowadays most of the websites advertise porn.
• And there are parental control products which are available nowadays like Enteractive, Microforum, and Content.

Children’s Special Website

There are many websites which are much safer and made especially for children’s use. But most of us don’t even know there are such good websites for kids. Here are some of the websites which are available for our kids.

• com

This website is specially made for children, available since the year 1997. It has all types of activities for children of age 0 – 16 years old. Its primary mission is the same from then and now to find and provide reviews for the best sites for kids on the internet, and bring them together in one convenient location.

• org

This website consists of over 30,000 useful website sources it can be used by children, parents and teachers. All the content posted is reviewed by professionals and is qualitative. It is a software encyclopaedia, that protects children from online predators.

• com

The fact a monster is a place where children can get all types of information under a single umbrella. This website got a Webby award in the year 2001 for best youth site.

• com

This website helps children of ages 6-16 to help with their homework not by showing the ready answers but by teaching them the lesson in an easier manner and to solve homework by themselves.

• com

This website is for pre-schoolers and kindergarten kids, helps them to read the alphabet, their pronunciation of them, and phonics and also helps them in developing writing skills. It has four reading levels for teaching children.

The Role of Legality

Nowadays more children have become victims of pornography, There are laws which deal with childhood abuse. Section 67B(20) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 deals with online abuse of a child and even transmitting or publishing any sexually exploitive content of the child is punishable. Sections 13 and 14 of The Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 deal with the use of a child for pornographic purposes. According to section 13 of the Act, the use of a child in any media for sexual gratification purposes includes the unveiling of sexual organs. Engaging the child to involve in real or simulated sexual acts. Indecent or obscene behaviour towards the child shall be guilty of using the child for a pornographic purpose. Section 14 of the Act deals with the punishment for using children for pornographic purposes, according to this section, the person who is guilty of using the children for pornographic purposes will amount to punishment for life imprisonment and shall also be liable for a fine and generally, life imprisonment extends to 5 years. And if he uses pornographic material for commercial purposes which is exploiting the child for sexual purposes shall amount to life imprisonment of 3 years or a fine or both.

The POCSO Act of, 2000 has also provided a platform for r complaints of child abuse. Section 19(1) and Section deals with where to complain about any offence related to child abuse. Section 19 (1) states that when a person recognises an act which is an offence under this Act or has the knowledge that the offence has been committed, then he or she might complain or report to either Super Juvenile Police Unit or The local police. Section 20 requires mandatory reporting when any person encounters any material or objects with are sexually exploitative of the child.

Conclusion

Change in trends has developed a lot of things, especially Technology. Everything is available with just one touch or one click. But this one touch has created a lot of problems nowadays. Children at this tender age do not have enough understanding about a whole lot of information in front of them and their curiosity cannot be stopped.  Children fall prey to the predators who are ruling the cursecyber world. We can’t stithies abuse all of sudden but we can reduce it. Parents must interact with their kids daily, watch them often and help them in ways and assure them by not falling as prey. Technology is a boon to us but like everything, ng it has some demerits. Parents play a vital role in Children’s life.

 

“ At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of the parents”. – Jane D. Hull