Dark side of the Internet

Viewpoint

The Digital Education Revolution will provide significant opportunities for students to access information, publish and co-create on the Internet. It is also an opportunity for educators and parents to tackle the fantastic learning environment that the Internet represents. This includes tackling the Internet’s dark side, which is unfortunately less well understood than the Internet’s learning opportunities.

The Australian Broadcasting Authority kidsonline@home report (2006 ) found that over 30% of children aged 8-13 years accessed the Internet at home at least once a day, and 34% accessed it two to three times a week. Given the increasing rate of adoption of computers and the Internet at home, it is fair to assume that these figures are higher today. danah boyd, has been researching the behavior of children in the networked public spaces (the ones kids go to because their parents won’t allow them to roam the streets and local parks). She says that they behave like ‘elephants in a china shop’; in other words, the norms associated with online behavior are still being developed and bullying, alienation, and risky behavior take place.

You cannot eliminate all risks on the Internet, but you can manage risk taking. Many students (over 50%) access the Internet from home, often without parents’ knowledge or supervision. Thus, while it is very important for parents to mentor and guide online activities, it is also important for students themselves to develop skills in safe and responsible participation. Around the world many Internet safety projects provide an incredible amount of reasoned advice for parents and educators. The European funded project, Insafe (www.saferinternet.org), states that safety risks exist wherever we are, including home, school, the shopping centre, the park, and on the Internet. Insafe’s aim is to help students behave in a more discriminating manner when online. In the UK, the British Education and Communications Technology Agency (Becta – www.becta.org.uk), provides a framework for educators to develop appropriate use of technology.

The US ‘Ikeepsafe’ coalition (www.ikeepsafe.org) advises that the three main risks for students are inappropriate contact, content and conduct. It then provides three simple guidelines - keep current with technology, keep communicating with your kids, and keep checking what they are doing. This site has advice for educators and students and is highly recommended.

Finally, in Australia, edna (www.edna.edu.au) provides access to material on safe use of the Internet. It includes details of the Australian NetAlert initiative (www.netalert.gov.au), funded by the Australian Government. Resources for students and teachers can be found at www.netalert.gov.au/programs.html.

The Digital Education Revolution is an exciting initiative that will enable educators and students to enhance and extend learning possibilities by using computers and the Internet. It also presents an opportunity to work with parents and educators to enable students to be responsible Internet users and global digital citizens.

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