Kolkata: The Kolkata Police cyber cell has released a 50 second video as a guideline for parents to learn how to protect children from being harassed or bullied or defrauded online.The move was taken amid a sharp rise in youngsters facing online bullying and the Union home ministry’s concern over it.Monitoring a child’s online activities using parental monitoring tools, asking the child to access the internet in a relatively open space and ensuring that all private details are locked are among the recommendations. But cops suggest parents should be more of a friend than a guardian to a minor child to take care of the deeper psychological aspect involved.The video highlights the need for parents to keep talking with children to figure out their likes and dislikes and in the process, wean them off the screen addiction by gently pushing them to outdoor activities. “At a time when children, as small as two to three years, have access to YouTube, the least a parent can do is to start a conversation on alternative hobbies. For those a little older, a conversation on online frauds is essential,” said a psychologist who has worked with Kolkata Police.Cyber expert and special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee said that due to the improvement of social and economic levels, mobiles and computers were present at most homes and the age of children accessing computers was getting younger. “Children account for a sizeable chunk of internet users and over half of all internet users are college students. It is important to carry out constant training for both parents and the young minds,” said Chatterjee.Policemen and counsellors going to schools to teach kids cyber risks are getting lessons from preteens about their hacking exploits. With these tales of “exploits” rising alarmingly post-Covid, the experts insisted while digital awareness might be at its peak now among the young population, not many are aware of the “boundaries” that can turn an act into a cybercrime, leading cops to try and involve parents. Police said such access to internet among youngsters prompted them to hold more interactive sessions and workshops and release reels and videos rather than rattle out rules.“This helps understand both students’ and their parents’ psychology and correct their ideas about the internet. Awareness among all stakeholders, teens and their parents, is the only way forward,” said an officer.
