A survey conducted among 842 schoolchildren from across the country has found that inappropriate use of images was of utmost concern for them in cyber spaces.
The survey was conducted by Disney Star India and Wranga, a start-up focussing on cyber safety for children. The results were released on Friday as part of the “Responsible Digital Citizenship and Online Safety” report. According to the survey, 519 of the total surveyed students said that inappropriate use of images was their key concern.
Taking photographs and screenshots without permission, being unwantedly approached in social networking sites, bullying by friends or acquaintances were some of the other key concerns they expressed. Overall, 70% of them said they were worried about their online privacy and safety.
The two organisations said the survey was done to understand “the domain of digital education for creative expression, learning and participation of students as responsible digital citizens, and to ensure their digital wellbeing.” Students from Class IX to Class XII were included in the survey.
A majority of the respondents said they would like topics on online safety to be part of their curriculum. Although topics like cyberbullying and misinformation are touched upon in classrooms, the surveyed students said that more could be done to help them handle real life situations better.
According to the survey, 84% of the surveyed students said they had come across fake news. Despite the concerns, the report noted that 80% to 90% of the students believed that the internet helped broaden their horizon and preferred using it for learning new subjects and for creative expression.
Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi, in a video message, said it was imperative to educate youth on cyber safety.
