Experts Warn Parents Internet Is Not Designed For Kids; Staying Safe Online To Be Part Of School Curriculums?

Children's Commissioner for England said in a statement that young people are giving out their personal information on the internet but they do not know why they are giving it out. That is why experts said the internet is not designed for children.

Anne Longfield with the Children's Commissioner for England said that more and more children do not know that their information was being used because of giving them away hastily for terms and conditions of services they want to use. She noted despite the fact that children being the biggest population of internet users, the World Wide Web was not designed for them, BBC reported.

Longfield also said that a digital ombudsman should be created to uphold the rights of children. Her study also recommended that children should be knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities online. This would be achieved via the study of digital citizenship.

More on social media, Instagram's terms and conditions were tested, as per Hindustan Times. Younger users were not able to read more than half of the 17 pages of the conditions and none of them understood what they read. Instagram has not yet commented on this matter.

Longfield continued to suggest that social media platforms should change their terms and conditions via the usage of kid-friendly language. It was also reported that the study is entitled "Growing Up Digital" and found out that three to four-year-olds use internet from 6 hours and 48 minutes to 8 hours and 18 minutes in just a week. Twelve to 15-year-olds, on the other hand, spend 20 hours weekly online.

Children do learn about internet usage and staying safe online is part of the curriculums offered in schools but Longfield said that she wants it to be part of a subject of students as young as four years old. She noted that her proposals are to help children navigate the digital world.

Do you agree with Longfield's suggestion that staying safe online should be included in children's school curriculums? Sound off below.