Computer- Internet - Privacy: Integral to child education

Wed May 05 12:00:00 IST 2010, by Abhishek Mehta

10 years old with a tenner in his hand knows what to expect at a food counter, healthy food and get the balance money back. This money is his Right, imparted by knowledge of Mathematics. Youngsters never flip a soap with a soda  while drinking. They know which liquids are harmful for their bodies by the education of biology and chemistry.

Such wisdom existed over generations and has become "Common Sense". On contrary, Computer and Internet are relatively recent concepts and even the savviest parents are lacking the expertise when it comes to online privacy and safe use of Computers. It is the child education system, which needs to stand up and fill in this gap. Teaching kids to draw kites with paintbrush or teaching them programming should not be the only purpose. What we need is productive strategy and well bonded curriculum, which address the online issues rampant with the hot-trends of today.

With the advent of social networking, microblogging, online gaming, online video and photo sharing, Augmented Reality and virtual worlds, Internet is not stopping anytime sooner. Like Language, Mathematics and Science, Computers should take advance role in child education. It is certainly  wise to have Computer, Internet and Privacy as a regular subject after the primary schooling.

Stopping kids from using mobile applications, Internet and Social Networks is counterproductive. More you stop them more they will be inquisitive and more you block them more they will be attracted. Proper knowledge has to be imparted to kids via proper channel. This channel could only be the education system as it has the ability to mould the characters.

By general stats, an individual on the social networking website is connected to every one in networking world by 6 hops. If we take one of your contacts than all of his contact and do this drill down till 6th level, you will get connected to everyone in social networking world. This world also inhabits, criminals, frauds, abusers, hackers, and rapists. An innocent child can put itself into lots of trouble once she befriends an online stranger. Though education system is not designed to put fear of strangers in the child; it adds to the self-awareness and alertness.

Child's online privacy and security depends on all what she is giving away online. Even if she is cautious, friends and family might be pretty generous about distributing information. Many researches have shown that youngsters nowadays are more online networked than socially. So, online etiquettes are now equally important.

Online privacy is synonymous to confidentiality i.e. "Not Public". Ironically, Kids and teens, which are cynical about privacy in personal lives let it run haywire as netizens (More...). Anyone who sits behind your computer can take all your personal information including your passwords and usernames with in seconds. If you use computers in public places like library, the next guy who sits at your place can hijack your accounts. It's so easy that even kids can do it but you need to know how to save yourself first.

Unknowingly netizens/kids/teens give away information, uncovering their location and making them susceptible to preys (in context). For example, Please Rob Me* is a website, an online campaign that lists updates of Twitter and Foursquare from people who are telling the world that they are not at home. Location-based networks know your home address; when you login from some other location it assumes that you are not at home.Though we have tought our kids to be secretive about their whereabouts but how about online mediums.

By birth, humans are analytical and our kids inquisitive. The children will accept improved computer education even quickly than mathematics. One small experiment conducted by NIIT technologies in India (1999) proves this point. People at NIT a division of NIIT were amazed by comments of parents, claiming their kids to be genius and getting along Computers with no guidance. To challenge this conception of baby geniuses, NIIT placed some computers with mouse and windows OS in an under privileged locality of New Delhi. When they visited the spot after 2 days, they were amazed to see that those kids who do not even know a how to read, were actually working on tools like paint brush, word processor fonts and games. Border point is, Computer Science has more analytical and cognitional components, which generates excitement and hence can be added to curriculum with relative ease. It is like a game full of endless aids and accessories, with unlimited potential to explore.

Grownups have better developed senses when it comes to understanding the consequences of their online actions but child needs to be educated. Secondly, not every parent can impart Computer- Internet - Privacy knowledge as early child education. A common system better known, as subject curriculum has to developed, upgraded and taught to kids as part of schooling. If, sex education is important, Computer- Internet - Privacy education is mandatory.

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Posted at 04:50PM May 05, 2010 by ABhi in Trends  |  Comments[0]