The study says - 45 percent of children carry personal digital devices, 34 percent of children use their own social media accounts, 29 percent access online through the accounts of their mothers and other family members.
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With the increase in access to the Internet in Nepal, it has been found that children are exposed to various online risks. A recently released study report titled 'Enhancing Parental Roles in Protecting Children from Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Nepal' has pointed out some serious trends related to children's digital access.
According to a study published by Child SafeNet, a child rights group, a survey of 900 parents and children found that 45 percent of children carry personal digital devices.
It has been found that 34 percent of children use their own social network accounts and 29 percent access online especially through the accounts of their mothers and other family members. A study has pointed out that when children use social networks, they open accounts by showing more than their actual age.
"Fifty-nine of the surveyed children under the age of 13 created their own social media accounts," the report said, "without any parental supervision." Often parents have no idea what their children do online or if they have more than one account. Children are at high risk online due to easy access to activities such as gambling, sexual content. The report analyzes online problems such as children's access to social media, lack of parental supervision and grooming along with personal devices.
The study revealed trends in children from creating multiple accounts on social media to using apps and platforms beyond the reach of their parents. Some parents have responded that they don't know or understand what their children are doing online. Studies have shown that due to this ignorance, children are at increased risk of falling into problems such as sexual abuse, online grooming, watching violent or pornographic content. 85 percent of the parents who participated in the
survey responded that they have never talked to their children about sexual violence that can happen online. Their answer is that it is not appropriate to talk about such a topic with young children, they do not know the proper way to talk about such sensitive topics and they feel shy and this is a topic that should be taught by the school. Some parents have even said that their children hide the fact that their children are being abused online.
Another serious aspect is that 83 percent of parents who participated in the survey expressed their fear that their children may commit suicide due to online sexual abuse. However, parents do not seem to be vigilant enough about their children's online activities. According to the study, 73 percent of parents have not used any kind of 'parental control' tool.
The study shows that the digital literacy of parents is also very poor. According to the study, although 98 percent of them use smartphones, they are limited to social networks such as Facebook, TikTok or YouTube. Single parents, especially financially weak and less educated parents, reported that their child or spouse opened their social media account without opening it themselves, did not know the password, or felt uncomfortable using it. Some of the children included in the
survey responded that they feel safer online. Children with sexual minority identity have said that they don't want to give information about their online activities because they have to face discrimination and insults from their parents. For them, social media has been found to be a means of expressing themselves, connecting with friends, and receiving emotional support.
Parents' own habits of using the Internet and digital devices also influence their children's Internet use, according to a study. It has been found that the more time parents spend online, the more time children spend on screens.
The study suggests that more concrete steps should be taken for children's digital security by coordinating between teachers, policy makers, security personnel, technology companies and parents. It concludes that parents need to take care of their children's guardianship in the online world as well. The
study recommends reviewing existing laws on children's online safety, creating easy, accessible and child-friendly mechanisms for reporting online abuse and exploitation, and making social media platforms effective with 'Age Verification'.
