Problematic Content

Fake News Photo by Jorge Franganillo on Unsplash

Unfortunately, children and young people are likely to be the target of some types of inappropriate content and abusive behaviours that adults won’t be. This includes grooming attempts, targeted exposure to sexual materials and cyberbullying from their classmates or peer group.

Other harmful content will be similar to that experienced by all ages , such as scams, misinformation and trolling.

Every app, platform and website have their own process for dealing with harmful content and a different interface for doing so. Although many children and young people are very tech-savvy, this doesn’t mean that they are all equipped with the knowledge of how to report or flag things online.

Learn More

One of the main concerns a parent may have around their child’s online activity is potential exposure to inappropriate content. Having access to the vast array of content and information which the online world presents carries many benefits, as well as risks. While there are some potential dangers to children online, there are many things you as a parent can do to help ensure their child is safe.

What is inappropriate or problematic content?

Firstly it’s important to understand what ‘inappropriate and problematic content’ is. Online content can be inappropriate for a number of reasons – for example:

It may not be age-appropriate for the child
It may contain pornographic images/language/videos
It may contain violent images/language/videos (including violence towards people and animals)
Gambling sites/apps
Sites may encourage harmful activities for example: self-harm, hate speech / enticement to hatred, encouraging abnormal eating behaviours (e.g. anorexia, bulimia), bullying, crime, terrorism, eating disorders, suicide, or other risky behaviours.
Unmonitored chat rooms.
Fake news that seems believable.

What can parents do to safeguard their child/children?
The most effective thing parents can do is to speak to their child about this. They sould have a very open conversation about what inappropriate content is – ask their child what their views are, how they would feel if they saw something inappropriate or upsetting and what they would do in that situation. Children and young people access the internet through various mobile devices, for example: phones, tablets and laptops. They access the internet for social, learning or educational purposes, as well as for recreation (e.g. watching movies/YouTube). Some children and young people come across inappropriate content inadvertently while others, through curiosity, seek this content out. By having an open conversation with their child, parents can create an awareness of the potential risks but also of the options children have to protect themselves in these situations. Here are some more tips that can help parents to manage risks:

Install parental safety controls on devices
Allocate dedicated online time in the home (e.g. no internet access after a particular time)
Monitor children's activity in a positive way
Familiarise yourself with popular apps by searching ‘What’s Trending’ in the app store
Familiarise yourself with app PEGI ratings
Have regular and open conversations about life online

Exercise

You are encouraged to discuss the meaning of fake news and what is misinformation. Below are simple explanations for both. In the learn more section and indeed in the resources sections there are specific links and videos that go into details about this, check these out.

What's real and what's false online?

Digital platforms have made it easier for anyone to share information online, and it can be difficult to determine whether something is real or false.

What a young person sees online can shape how they view the world and impact their overall wellbeing. It’s important to talk to them about how misinformation spreads and how to look out for it.

What do you mean by misinformation and disinformation?

False information that is spread online is known as misinformation or disinformation. These are most commonly referred to as ‘fake news’ or ‘hoaxes’.

Misinformation is where false information is shared by accident without the intent to cause harm. For example, sharing inaccurate photos, quotes or dates online because you believe them to be true.

Disinformation is false information shared deliberately to mislead and cause harm. For example, fabricated news stories and political propaganda.

What you learn in this course

You'll be able to explain different problematic contents such as fake news, conspiracy thinking or disinformation and complete definitions of terms, distinguish the terms from each other and to name identifying features.
You'll be able to describe procedures to check the credibility of content.
You'll be able to examine given contents for their credibility and to correctly identify them.
You'll be able to explain how children of this age can encounter problematic content such as suicide risk, self-harming behaviour, glorification of eating disorders, etc.
You'll be able to to pass on tips for action to parents for encounters with this content.
You'll be able to identify and report critical content (such as extremism, pornography).
You'll be able to identify strategies to protect children from problematic content and know tips on how to deal with this content.

Get ready: Tips for MediaParent consultants

It is important to stress that the internet offers young people amazing opportunities to connect and learn, but it can also expose them to content that is both age and developmentally unsuitable.

Content on the internet is not sorted into age or appropriate areas and without supervision and guidance, a child can either unintentionally or purposely find content that is sexually explicit, extremely violent or inappropriate. We know that exposure to this type of content can also be psychologically damaging.

Most internet users will at some stage come across confronting content online and in the majority of cases this will not cause long-term harm. Problems can arise when this exposure is constant and is not discussed with a parent who can provide a balanced view.