Safe Screens For Kids

Children are among the most vulnerable members of society. They learn quickly, but exposure to disturbing media content can affect their mental and emotional well-being. In an increasingly digital world, access to online information is unavoidable. However, children's addiction to harmful posts and videos must be controlled. Children's safety must not end at the boundaries of their homes, schools and communities but also extend to the increasing access to the digital world. During floods, landslides and other disasters, social media becomes an important source of information. Such information shared online can help alert the public but extensive exchange of graphic footage showing deaths, people being swept away by floodwaters and destroyed homes raises serious concerns about children's exposure to distressing materials.

A child in Kathmandu reportedly became frightened and cried after repeatedly watching flood-related videos on a parent's mobile phone. Such incidents should prompt greater attention to how children encounter disaster-related content online, particularly when they have limited ability to understand or process what they are seeing. The responsibility for addressing this problem cannot rest solely with parents. Although parental supervision, screen-time management and digital literacy are important, families cannot monitor every piece of content that appears on a screen. Social media companies must also take responsibility for how their platforms distribute sensitive material, particularly to younger users.