Increasing Screen Time Exposes Southeast Asian Children To Online Dangers

July 9, 2024

Estimates indicate that one in three internet users globally is a child. In Southeast Asia, school-aged children (ages 6 to 14) spend an average of 2.77 hours per day on screens, surpassing the recommended two-hour daily limit, according to a systematic review. In Malaysia, over 90% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 have a social media account.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime added that millions more people are currently being sexually assaulted and extorted online, whether as children or adults, and their material is still being utilised years after they were used as minors.

Joshua James, UNODC’s Regional Counter-Cybercrime Coordinator, highlighted the impact of increased digitalization following the COVID-19 pandemic. Easier access to the internet has led to a significant rise in children’s online activity, exposing them to various risks. From 2019 to 2022, Malaysia reported 850,000 cases of online abuse, Laos had 25,000, Vietnam nearly 3 million, Thailand close to 2 million, and the Philippines almost 8 million, according to reports from CyberTipline data, a platform for reporting child sexual exploitation worldwide.

The campaign’s goal is to alert potentially impacted individuals that creating, sharing, and distributing sexualised content involving kids, especially self-generated content, is a serious criminal act in Southeast Asia. It warns the dangers of predators and groomers who trick children into distributing such materials in order to extort additional images or money. The campaign also emphasises the availability of a reporting system to authorities, as well as remedies and support for those who are victims of online abuse, ensuring they have a way out and access to the emotional and practical support they require.

To combat this issue, UNODC has launched the “Beware the Share” campaign. This initiative aims to educate children and parents about the dangers of risky online behavior and its potential mental, legal, and social consequences. The campaign features interactive games, quizzes, and videos in local languages, accessible at the UNODC website’s Beware the Share page. The campaign is supported by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands, and will be implemented across Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Source: UNODC

Tags: children, featured, internet users, online activity, social media