The internet is a vast landscape filled with opportunities for education, communication, entertainment, and socialization. However, it also comes with inherent risks, especially for younger users. As parents, caregivers, and educators it is essential to understand these risks, what we can do to minimize these risks, and how we can help children safely navigate the onlife world together.
Dr. Sonia Livingstone, a well-known subject matter expert in the field of child online safety research, categorizes the risks children face online into four main areas: Risk of Content, Risk of Contact, Risk of Conduct, and Risk of Contract. Each of these categories helps us break down the potential dangers that children might encounter and provides a framework for addressing them.
#1 Risk of Content
Risk of Content refers to the harmful materials that children might encounter while engaged online. One of the most prominent dangers in this category is exposure to hate-filled content. (1)(2) The internet can be a breeding ground for toxic and discriminatory language, harmful images, or ideologies that promote violence or hatred against individuals based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics. (3) Such content can negatively influence young minds, leading to feelings of exclusion, prejudice, or even inciting harmful behavior.
Another significant concern is content that promotes or glorifies self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating. Young people who are vulnerable or experiencing emotional challenges may come across such harmful materials and be drawn into dangerous ideations or behaviors especially given some of the algorithms that the most popular social media platforms are using. (4)
The normalization of these behaviors online can lead to severe consequences for their mental and physical well-being. (5) Additionally, children can inadvertently access explicit adult content, such as pornography. (6) This type of content is often inappropriate for their developmental stage and can distort their understanding of relationships, healthy human sexuality, intimacy, and self-worth.
#2 Risk of Contact
The anonymity of the internet allows harmful individuals to seek contact with children for malicious purposes. This risk is particularly alarming because it involves direct interaction between children and predators, bullies, or scam artists who may attempt to groom, manipulate, or sexually exploit them online. (7) Online platforms, especially social media and gaming environments can sometimes lack the robust safeguards needed to minimize the risks form such individuals from initiating harmful relationships with young users, especially if proper protections are not put in place.
These harmful individuals can pose as friends or peers to gain children’s trust. Once they establish contact, they may bully, harass, or even extort their targets. (8) Predators may attempt to exploit children emotionally or financially, leading to long-term psychological trauma. Given the potential for children to be deceived by such individuals, parents should foster an environment where children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences and recognizing suspicious behavior.
#3 Risk of Conduct
Risk of Conduct is associated with how children behave online and the potential consequences of their actions. The internet offers a sense of anonymity that can sometimes encourage negative behavior, such as cyberbullying or online harassment. (9) Children may either become victims of these behaviors or, in some cases, participate in them. Cyberbullying can have devastating emotional impacts on both the victim and the perpetrator, often leading to anxiety, depression, and a decline in self-esteem.
Children also need to be cautious about the content they share online. Sharing explicit or harmful materials, even unintentionally, can lead to serious personal, social, and even legal consequences. Once shared, content can be nearly impossible to remove, and this permanence may haunt children as they grow older. (10)(11) Additionally, some children may be tempted to engage in illegal activities, such as hacking or cyber-attacks, without understanding the serious legal ramifications. These actions could lead to arrest, or long-term damage to their reputations and futures.
#4 Risk of Contract
In today’s onlife world, children are often unaware of how their personal information is collected, used, or shared online, creating significant privacy concerns. The Risk of Contract refers to the unintended agreements children may enter into when using apps, websites, or online platforms that collect their data without proper consent or security. This data collection poses risks such as identity theft, where malicious actors use personal information to commit fraud. (12)
Another concerning aspect is the use of children’s data for targeted advertising. (13) Companies often exploit children’s online activities to shape their consumption patterns, encouraging materialism (14) or unhealthy behaviors. (15) Data breaches are also a significant threat, with personal details being exposed to hackers, who can misuse them for criminal activities. (16) Lastly, the broader issue of surveillance looms large, as companies and governments increasingly monitor online activity, raising ethical concerns about privacy violations and the protection of children’s data.
As these risks demonstrate, the digital world is not without its hazards. However, by being proactive, parents can help their children enjoy the benefits of the internet while staying safer. The first step in mitigating these risks is through education. (17) Talking to children about the potential dangers they may face online helps raise their awareness of risky content, contact with strangers, and the importance of maintaining privacy. There are also times when parents unknowingly may be placing their child’s privacy at risk. (18) Parents should also monitor their child’s online activity, where appropriate and reasonable to do so, (19) taking an active interest in what content they are consuming and who they are interacting with online.
Setting up privacy settings and parental controls can be an effective way to block harmful content and restrict access to inappropriate materials. (20) These tools provide an extra layer of security, but they are not foolproof. Therefore, maintaining open communication is key. Parents should foster an environment where children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences, including any uncomfortable or suspicious interactions. (21) Leading by example is equally important. Children often imitate their parents’ digital habits, so by practicing good online behavior, such as safeguarding personal information and avoiding harmful content, parents can model the appropriate way to navigate the internet. (22)
The internet offers children an amazing opportunity to learn, explore, and socialize. However, it’s also a space that presents significant risks if left unchecked. Dr. Sonia Livingstone’s framework of content, contact, conduct, and contract risks gives parents a clear structure to understand the dangers and take actionable steps to protect their children in the digital world – we outline how to talk to our kids about these risks in our free web book for parents, “Parenting In An Online World” (23) or blog that has over 300 articles specific to digital literacy and internet safety (24), and our how-to-guides. (25) As technology continues to evolve, so too should our strategies for safeguarding the youngest users from these digital threats in today’s onlife world.
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The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Feelings, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
References:
2/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/online-hate-youth-what-parents-caregivers-educators-need-to-know/
4/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/a-parents-guide-to-social-media-algorithm-literacy/
6/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/online-pornography-and-hypersexualization/
7/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/online-sexual-predation-and-exploitation/
8/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/sextortion/
9/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/cyberbullying-digital-peer-aggression/
11/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/8-steps-to-help-mediate-delete-redact-or-bury-unwanted-online-posts/
12/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/surrendering-our-privacy/
15/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/a-parents-guide-to-social-media-algorithm-literacy/
16/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/surrendering-our-privacy/
17/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/digital-privacy-guide/
19/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/parental-monitoring/
20/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/a-transformational-approach-to-parenting-in-todays-onlife-world/
23/ https://thewhitehatter.ca/online-parenting-book/
