It is difficult for children to be protected online when many parents are still "blind" about technology
(Dan Tri) - The gap between "knowing" and "knowing how to protect yourself" in the digital environment is still large, especially when AI is creating risks that are increasingly difficult to identify.
The risk of abuse exists in the "virtual world"
At the conference "Digital health for teenagers in the technology era" taking place in Singapore, experts said that protecting children on the Internet is no longer just about blocking bad content, limiting usage time or warning about risks.
The bigger challenge is how to help children have the capacity to identify, respond to and proactively use technology in a healthy way.
Sharing at the conference, Ms. Tran Van Anh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Management of Sustainable Development (MSD), cited the results of this organization's survey of 2,300 teenagers on digital health.
The conference "Digital health for adolescents in the technology era" took place in Singapore (Photo: Minh Nhat).
Accordingly, 66% of survey participants had their own phones. This number shows that the level of autonomy in the digital environment is increasing rapidly among teenagers.
"The Internet is now more than just a tool. This is a part of the environment in which children learn, communicate and form digital identities," Ms. Van Anh commented.
From the survey, MSD pointed out three notable gaps including online risks, self-protection capacity and access to support.
About 11.2% of students said they had directly experienced risky or abusive situations online. Meanwhile, up to 74.6% have heard about similar cases happening to people around them.
More notable is the gap between being equipped with knowledge and the ability to apply it in practice.
Up to 91% of students said they had learned about Internet safety, but only 46.7% correctly understood some specific risky situations. About 36.6% commented that the content learned was still mainly theoretical.
According to the survey, 70.8% of teenagers believe that lack of knowledge and self-protection skills is one of the important reasons why they are at risk in the online environment.
Another problem is that children do not always turn to adults when they have problems.
Ms. Tran Van Anh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research (Photo: Minh Nhat).
Nearly 60% of parents know about their children's online activities mainly because they actively share. That means when children don't want or don't know how to speak up, adults may be completely unaware of what's going on.
Ms. Van Anh also noted that the level of family companionship with children tends to decrease with age. The paradox is that, as children get older, spend more time and have a higher level of autonomy in the digital environment, supervision, communication and support from family becomes less.
From their own experience, many students suggested that platforms need to increase their ability to block harmful content, while building more accessible and clearer reporting and support search tools.
According to MSD representatives, the approach therefore needs to change from "preventing children from accessing" to helping children "access safely". In addition, digital safety education also needs to shift from providing knowledge to training the ability to act in specific situations.
AI makes cyber risks increasingly difficult to identify
A new challenge of particular note to experts is the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence.
MSD's survey shows that students are using AI chatbots quite commonly, mainly for translation, homework support and content creation.
They initially identified some risks related to AI, but their ability to respond when encountering risky situations is still limited.
TikTok representative shares about the platform on the sidelines of the conference (Photo: Minh Nhat).
A representative of the National Cyber Security Association (NCA) also commented that threats in digital space are becoming increasingly sophisticated with the support of technologies such as AI and deepfake.
For teenagers, the line between using a tool and abusing a tool is sometimes very thin.
Young people can learn how to use AI very quickly but are not fully equipped with knowledge about law, ethics or the consequences of their behavior. In some situations, from your position as a user, you may unintentionally participate in behaviors that harm others.
Experts also warn that cyber risks do not stop behind screens. Online bullying, spreading harmful content or attacks using fake images can have real-life consequences, affecting the victim's psychology, learning and daily life.
More than 9.8 million TikTok videos in Vietnam were removed in 3 months
On the platform side, Mr. Dang Kim Long, Public Policy Director of TikTok Vietnam, said that AI technology is being used to support scanning large amounts of content showing signs of violation.
Mr. Dang Kim Long, Director of Public Policy TikTok Vietnam (Photo: Minh Nhat).
According to TikTok data published, in the first 3 months of the year, more than 9.8 million infringing videos in Vietnam were removed from the platform, of which the processing rate within 24 hours reached 95.7%.
The platform also implements screen time management tools, break reminders, bedtime routines, and content to help build balanced technology habits.
However, experts say the effectiveness of digital health policies should not be judged solely by the number of solutions or the amount of content that has been blocked.
What is more important is whether children really know how to protect themselves, seek help and maintain balance when living in a digital environment.
According to MSD, future programs need to add indicators on mental health, screen time and quality of online experiences, and create mechanisms for children's voices to be included in the policy evaluation process.
Parents cannot stand aside
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Mothers and Children, Ministry of Health, said that in the coming period, one of the groups that needs special attention is parents.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Mothers and Children, Ministry of Health (Photo: Minh Nhat).
According to Ms. Nga, parents need to have basic knowledge of digital platforms as well as necessary technology skills to be able to accompany their children.
A question that still arises is why many programs have been implemented but knowledge and skills about protecting children in the online environment have not yet fully reached parents.
According to representatives of the Ministry of Health, media agencies and related units need to find ways to bring instructions on using technology, risk control and digital health care closer to each family.
In the process of reviewing legal regulations, the goal is to ensure that children still have the right to access information, create and connect in the digital space, but at the same time, individuals and platforms must be responsible for ensuring children's safety.
The support system also needs to continue to be strengthened. In cases where children are in danger or have been abused online, channels such as the National Child Protection Hotline 111 need to become accessible support points.
(from Singapore)