DIARY
Sex, E
videntially, celebrities are no longer the only ones choosing to record and share their sexual encounters. A new report from the Internet
Watch Foundation (IWF) shows an increasing amount of so-called adult content is actually being produced by teenagers and children. The report shows that young people – many of them under the legal age of consent – are using laptops and webcams in their homes to make a video with the intention of sharing them with at least one other party. The study of what the IWF calls youth 'produced
sexual content' also shows that 90% of the videos and images assessed in the research had been harvested from their original sites and redistributed elsewhere. Celebrities are adept at exploiting the notoriety that comes from their amorous adventures. Children are simply being exploited. This is why the work of organisations like the IWF
"The old cliché that teenagers know more about technology than their parents or teachers could ever hope to is a vast over- simplification." Charles Sweeney
is so important. This report blows away some of the assumptions that we make about teenagers and their emerging sex lives. It isn’t all about sexting, selfi es and stranger danger. The majority of the video recordings and images assessed for the report show no evidence of coercion. The abuse happens later when the tape is hacked and shared. The old cliché that teenagers know more about technology than their parents or teachers could ever hope to is a vast over-simplifi cation – although that doesn't mean there isn’t a grain of truth in it. But what this report shows us is that even these so-called digital natives don’t seem to fully understand that an image online is no longer a private image.
To date, much of the conversation about protecting children online has focused on fi ltering out adult content, and preventing damaging material from entering a network, whether it is in the home or a school setting. But it has been clear for some time that the focus on fi lters is fl awed. Mobile devices remain a problem, for example; and any teenager with the basic skills to circumnavigate a fi lter by using a proxy will inevitably fi nd those skills in great demand.
That’s not to say that fi rewalls
lies and teenage tapes
So-called ‘adult content’ is actually being produced by teenagers and children, says Charles Sweeney, CEO of Bloxx
and fi lters are not an essential part of the defence. They are. The most successful fi lters are the specialist versions used by many schools, which are much harder for tech-savvy teenagers to get round. But they are not digital child-minders. They are only one element in the educational and parental toolkit. For those still in doubt, the IWF report provides the most compelling reason to date for combining technological barriers with relevant Internet Safety and Responsible Use education (ISRU). We need to get better at helping teenagers manage
the very real digital risks they face, as well as the digital benefi ts. The following points form the solid foundation of an eff ective ISRU education:
Developing an understanding of the digital footprint, the indelible trail of a person’s online activity, and how it can be used for good as well as bad.
Changing the mantra from ‘keep your profi les private’ to ‘there is no such thing as privacy’. Information can be shared by anyone: trusted friends, friends of friends and anonymous hackers.
Encouraging respect for another person’s information and privacy, whether it’s online or offl ine.
Grounding ISRU education in some universal principles of safe online behaviour, rather than the specifi cs of individual technologies which will soon be out of date.
Developing strong digital literacy skills that enable young people to navigate the online world with confi dence – even as it continues to change.
Encouraging the belief that all users of the internet and technology have a role in creating a better and safer digital world.
ISRU education can be particularly helpful when a ‘whole school approach’ is adopted. Involving staff , parents and carers, and the wider community in the discussion can help ‘normalise’ the discussion. But whatever the approach, we need to talk about
21st-century sex. The technology is readily available – and we can’t stop teenagers experimenting. What we can do is make sure they’re doing it safely. We owe it to them and their future selves to get this right. ET
@Educ_Technology |
www.edtechnology.co.uk | 05
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