{
  "id": 5082758,
  "title": "Keeping children safe in a digital world",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/keeping-children-safe-in-a-digital-world",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T11:47:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/keeping-children-safe-in-a-digital-world/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In today's digital world, children are constantly online, utilizing devices like tablets, smartphones, social media platforms, games, and streaming services. While technology offers numerous benefits for learning and creativity, it also poses significant risks that are often not immediately apparent. One major concern is oversharing, where children may unknowingly disclose personal information such as their home address, school name, phone number, passwords, and family financial details. Even harmless posts can reveal sensitive data, as a picture in a school uniform, a view of a home's interior, or a location tag can identify a child's school, personal belongings, and whereabouts.\n\nRisks extend beyond social media, with children exposed to inappropriate content through YouTube, television, gaming platforms, friends' devices, or even someone else's phone. Thus, simply stating, \"My child doesn't have a phone,\" does not guarantee protection from online content. Digital safety involves more than controlling devices; it requires educating children. Parents must combine technical controls with open conversations about what children encounter online. Privacy settings, such as restricting direct messages, comments, group invitations, and location sharing, can bolster protection. Additionally, features like restricted modes, family pairing, and supervised experiences offer further safeguards.\n\nHowever, relying solely on technical controls is insufficient. Children must understand that they can approach a parent or trusted adult if they come across something strange, inappropriate, or uncomfortable online, without facing immediate punishment or having their device confiscated. On the positive side, the digital world remains a valuable educational resource. Technology enables children to enhance literacy, numeracy, creativity, science, and programming skills. Educational tools such as digital books, videos, platforms like Scratch, and STEM activities can transform screen time into meaningful learning experiences.\n\nParents' role is to shift from merely restricting technology to actively guiding its use. Instead of merely asking, \"How long has my child been online?\", parents should also inquire, \"What are they learning, creating, and experiencing while online?\" Rather than solely focusing on screen time, parents can ask, \"What new apps have they discovered? Who have they met online? What was the most amusing video they watched? Have they encountered anything online that made them uncomfortable?\"\n\nTo begin, families should establish basic internet rules, such as keeping devices away during meals, after bedtime, during homework, and family discussions. Parents should also review privacy settings on the apps their children use, disable unnecessary location sharing, and ensure children comprehend which information remains private. Crucially, ongoing communication is paramount. Parents should engage their children in discussions about their digital activities, asking questions like, \"What new app did you find? Who did you interact with online? What was the funniest thing you watched? Did anything you saw online make you feel uneasy?\" The ultimate aim is not to isolate children from technology forever but to equip them with the knowledge, boundaries, and judgment necessary to navigate the digital world safely.",
  "summary": "For children growing up in a digital world, being online is no longer optional. Tablets, smartphones, social media, games and streaming platforms have become part of everyday life.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}