Netflix recently hosted a one-day industry dialogue on digital citizenship as part of Safer Internet Day 2017. The session was themed Be the Change: Unite for a Better Internet, centred around making the Internet a safer place for kids. It was attended by academics, local regulators and technology players, led by the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).
The internet is a vast place. While it offers a whole world of information, entertainment and more, it can also pose risks to users’ online lives. And thus, online safety shouldn’t be taken lightly, whether you’re a pre-schooler, an adult, a business or a governmental organisation.
Thus, the session was a platform to share insights, and learn about local concerns and sensitivities. Key discussions touched on the need for a culture of responsibility in a child’s life. Not just by parents and family, but including the government, law enforcement, industry representatives and educators.
The goal is to formulate plans that work globally, to protect children online, said Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. FOSI is an international, non-profit organisation headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to make the online world safer for kids and their families. It works with brands and minds from leading internet and communications companies around the world. The organisation’s work covers public policy, industry best practice as well as good digital parenting.
A panel discussion titled Unite for a Better Internet: Empowering Parents to Guide Connected Kids was moderated by a representative from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Panel members from CyberSecurity Malaysia, UNICEF Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia also participated in the discussion.
The MCMC agrees that “empowering parents and childminders with the proper information, tools and resources can help ensure children are safer and responsible online.”
Additionally, the dialogue touched on other cyber-security topics including greater awareness and management of content that is seen online and shared. Issues like who can contact children online, or protection against negative elements like cyber-bullying were discussed.
As an end note, Netflix offers thousands of hours of digital content, including kid-safe content. This includes hours of popular and award-winning Netflix Original TV shows and movies, as well as animated movies, documentaries and more.
Want to help enrich your children’s lives but concerned about how to keep them safe online? Here’s a great place to start – Good Digital Parenting.
And if you’re not on Netflix yet, head over to Netflix.com.
