Children as young as three are getting harassed and abused online as they get early exposure to the internet, a state agency has said.
Communication Authority of Kenya said on Tuesday the young children have been subjected to cyberbullying, body shaming, sexual harassment, catfishing, identity theft and fake news.
This has escalated in the wake of digital learning occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic.
The authority says that early exposure to the internet and the fact that the children spend more time on it, has aroused their curiosity and attention to harmful contents.
Experts say these vices have aggravated mental health issues among children.
In response to the situation, the government through the authority has developed and launched a free online game known as Cyber Soldjas.
The game targets children aged four to 14 years with contents that address their curiosity but also instil the right moral values.
The authority’s director of legal services Mercy Wanjau launched the game on Tuesday.
Wanjau, who presided over the event on behalf of director general Ezra Chiloba, said the harassment of the young ones has become a matter of national concern.
“Impacts range from threats to protection of personal data and privacy to harassment and cyberbullying, harmful online content, grooming for sexual purposes and sexual abuse and exploitation,” she said.
Wanjau said developing the content was important to counter unhealthy materials on the internet which take advantage of the children when they spend more time online.
“The game is aimed at guiding the children through a maze of potential dangers online.
"It also teaches them how to protect their identity, personal data, recognise sites containing harmful content and finally develop a critical approach towards information found on the Internet,” she said.
The game has five levels based on vulnerabilities and risks on the internet including cybercrime, identity theft, fake news and catfishing.
She said the programme was necessary as a counter narrative to negative materials now that children spend more time online when learning.
The game will complement other previous initiatives such as Child Online Protection, ‘BE The COP’ microsite, that the authority has put in place to create safer cyberspace for children.
Wanjau also said the authority has adopted a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure children and future generations are protected and empowered to thrive in digital environments.
According to data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 20.6 million Kenyans aged three and above own a mobile phone.
Most of these gadgets are in the hands of youth aged between 25-34 who hold 6.1 million handsets.
They are followed by those aged between 18-24 with 4.6 million mobile phones, while another 44,777 mobile phones are in the hands of children aged between three and four.
Wanjau launched the game when she presided over the international Safer Internet Day on behalf of the agency’s director general Ezra Chiloba.
Celebration of the day began as an initiative of the European Union Safe Borders project in 2004. It is today celebrated in close to 130 countries around the world.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
