'Exaggerated' internet fears spoil education opportunities

Parental anxieties about the risk posed by the Internet are based on "exaggerated fears" and could reduce the children’s defences against the real risks, according to a university research team.

The University of London's Institute of Education has said that Internet fears have been fuelled by "unfounded news reports" of, for example, young murder victims meeting their killers on the Internet, and "unproven rumours" among family and friends about chatrooms leading to child abuse.

As a result, anxious parents and teachers could restrict children’s use of the Internet, leaving them "unprepared" when problems do arise and depriving them of the educational opportunities the Internet offers.

The real, more frequently encountered risks – such as uncritical acceptance of everything found on the internet – are much less glamorous and more likely to be overlooked, the institute has said.

The institute made its assessment after piloting a new European media education programme at a UK primary and a secondary school.

The Institute of Education’s Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media carried out surveys on pupils’ understanding of Internet risk before and after they had had 'Educaunet' training.

The Educaunet programme is designed to help children appreciate the benefits of the Internet while learning how to protect themselves against its potential hazards.

It attempts to teach young people to browse the Internet with a "responsible and critical attitude". Used in schools in France and Belgium, it trains the children to transform actual dangers into risks that they can master as "autonomous, responsible users".

The EU-funded programme uses stories, games, roleplays and online activities to show children how to use the Internet safely. It teaches them to develop a critical approach while surfing for information or shopping on the Internet, and includes safety rules for chatrooms, strategies for unmasking rumours and hoaxes, and skills for designing their own online media.

Dr Andrew Burn, director of the Institute of Education-based project, said: “The risks of the internet are often exaggerated to the detriment of the opportunities.

“We teach children to be critically appreciative of films, newspapers and computer games; this same media literacy needs to apply when they go online.”

Rebekah Willett, the project’s research officer, said: “Childhood is about play, discovery and pushing the boundaries, and that’s what the Internet offers. Banning children from using chatrooms and emails and from downloading only makes these things more attractive. It doesn’t teach them how to use the Internet and leaves them unprepared for situations that might arise.”

A seminar at the Institute of Education today will launch Educaunet in the UK.

(gmcg)