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Need to stop misuse of internet
The use of internet is rapidly growing in all spheres of life due to the enormous amount of information it offers, virtually rebounding answer to every possible query you make. However, if not used for constructive purpose, this immensely useful technology can also backfire.
Since there is no limit on use of internet, it frequently exposes kids to material that is inappropriate for them. Site and content web filtering is currently the best way to prevent unsupervised children to the unsuitable information available on the net. The problem is faced in most organizations wherever internet is available, have similar problems with employees going overboard in their spare time.
Unfortunately, most people do not use the internet wisely. The big question is: Can we block undesirable web sites and check unhealthy activities on the net?
What’s on internet?
The internet is an exciting technological advancement that is becoming very common now days because it is on of the fastest ways of getting information. People of different status and age group use the net in various ways. It is used commonly for business information exchange, education and communication. The extent of use of the net in everyday life has become so common that the it is now an integral part of our lives.
As the internet is being increasingly used as an education and information resource, parents have to decide how to make it a safe place for their children. Pornography, violence, obscenity and hatred lurk in unexpected places, and innocent children stumble upon them all too frequently.
It is not the problem of parents and their children only, but employees viewing and trading pornographic, offensive or otherwise unproductive material has also emerged as a key concern of many business managers. Not only are these activities wasteful of time and resources in themselves, they may also involve the employer in legal issues. The ease of access and distribution of these materials makes these issues all too common in daily business.
Content categories
Let’s take a look on some categories that apply to us.
Anti Islamic: Web sites that contain incorrect information or material about Muslims and Islam.
‘Adult’ subjects: Sites containing profane and vulgar language, expletives, revealing attire, adult situations, criminal activity, nudity and any other subjects generally considered inappropriate for children.
Violence: Site portraying or promoting injury, death or torture of human beings or animals, gratuitous blood and gore, cult or ritual violence, suicide, and/or malicious property destruction. All sites containing instructions on how to carry out violent acts, and illegal information regarding weapons fall in this category.
Drugs/alcohol abuse: Sites encouraging or glamorizing the use of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs, instructions for manufacturing illegal substances, references to drug paraphernalia, “drug culture”, and promoting/selling alcohol and/or tobacco to minors.
Gambling: Site that promote or practise gambling involving the use of actual money, illegal or otherwise, in the form of online casinos, lotteries, or sports betting.
Hate speech: Any site that contain defamatory speech or activity directed towards a particular group based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or social status, including sites by individuals and militant extremist groups.
Survey findings
Statistics for the year 2000 available on the internet reveal that only 4.5 persons per 1000 people in Pakistan use internet compared with 45 in India, 14.5 in Iran, 10.5 in Sri Lanka and 6.5 in Nepal.
In a survey I conducted in Karachi last year, it was found that:
• 86 per cent of the children surveyed said they have computers at their homes.
• 93 per cent of parents questioned said they want to monitor children over the internet.
• None of the respondents is using any filtering software.
• 75 per cent respondents are willing pay extra amount for web filtering through ISPs.
It was further disclosed in the survey that the four most common activities performed by children online are:
- Emails.
- Chatting.
- Downloading songs.
- Searching for cracking tools.
The most obvious solution appears to be “putting a ban of all access to the internet”. Unfortunately, this draconian approach carries with it a huge educational disadvantage: the internet today is the greatest single reference resource available. More information is available here than in any library in the world.
Personally supervising all internet accesses is another solution. This is great if parents have the time to watch over their children all the while. Installing a software filter, to provide a technology fix, is another possibility but this would require that parents have sufficient knowledge about the technology to install web filtering on their homes available.
Currently, the best way to protect a child online is with an educated parent. The internet is as vast and complex as the world itself which means parents need to have the same understanding of the dangers and they should be prepared to take the same precautions when their kids go online as they do when their kids walk out the door. Clearly, a responsible parent would not send their child out to play on the freeway and the same common sense must be implemented when children venture out on the internet.
The major problem that we have in Pakistan is making people aware of the downside of using internet. Our people don’t know much about internet let alone about filtering and specially web filtering.
First we have to educate people about internet, whether it’s an electronic or a print media.
The schools/colleges must have the facility of internet so the students can use the most of it under supervision of their teachers. The government should also make appropriate policies for educating common people about internet.
Need for filtering
Are you tired of encountering web sites that you do not want your family to see? Or, are you concerned about the misuse of internet in your organization? Welcome to web filtering that puts you in control. You, your family or your employees need not stop surfing; just start surfing safely with unwanted web sites blocked out from your computer.
The filtering should be compulsory in schools, colleges and other educational institutes because the student can only use internet solely for the educational purpose.
In companies too, we can protect unnecessary activities over the web through web filtering. Those who use internet in their homes can also use web filtering software.
It is more effective to block unhealthy activities from the server end as it’s more secure and people cannot bypass it easily. For this purpose, family friendly ISPs need to join hands.
The writer is a young scholar at the department of mass communication, University of Karachi
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