BangkokPost-Mar 3
Faster internet connections and emerging online technology are a boon for many children who are able to gain new knowledge and can easily interact with others around the globe, but this online exposure can also give rise to child abuse, bullying and exploitation to an alarming degree. Various parties believe digital literacy, comprehensive legislation, tech creators and service providers and collaboration among social, private and public sectors are key to safeguarding children in the cyberworld. Dr Adisak Plitponkarnpim, director of the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre at Ramathibodi Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine said that although there is no physical contact, the metaverse could affect the minds and bodies of users through the images and sounds in the virtual environment. He wants to see those who design technology or provide tech services take into account the safety of young people’s minds and bodies before they launch them. Pol Col Morakot Saengsakoo, at the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) Task Force, indicated that cases involving child abuse were surging. Before the pandemic, some 100,000 cases were discovered by its artificial intelligence (AI) system per year, but in the first three months of the pandemic alone, more than 100,000 cases were recorded. Through the entire year, the number of the cases surged to 400,000. Read more at: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2273191/dealing-with-the-dark-side
