The possible uses of the platform are varied and, many of them, positive. But there are worrying cases involving teenagers and children. Understand!
You may have never heard of it, but Discord it hasn’t been launched recently: the app has been around since 2016, initially as a network aimed at gamers. Today the chat platform that enables real-time conversations via text, audio and video it takes on various functions and covers an increasingly vast audience: Brazil is the second country in the world with more users, second only to the United States.
The problem is that, among its possible applications, there is a perverse one: teenagers and even children caught up in a web of extreme violence. It is the worst, encouraging self-mutilation, animal mutilation, sexual exposure, blackmail, sharing of pornographic content, pedophilia, among others. This is what a report released by Fantastic brought it up last Sunday.
Do you know what your child consumes on the Internet?
That’s a problem came out of Deep Web and arrived at mainstream : Content that wasn’t easily accessible is now just a click away for anyone.
Guilherme Alves, project manager of Safernet Brasil, an organization that defends and promotes human rights on the Internet, recalls that Discord also has positive uses and the essential thing here is that the family becomes aware of it. “For the father or mother who knows their child is on Discord, it’s important to try to understand what use they make of this environment, because it is not necessarily related to violent communities”, points out. It also underlines the need to talk to the young person (depending on his age, of course) before denying access, “precisely because prohibition often leads to curiosity”.
Although the platform requires a minimum age – 13 years – for the registration of new users, each country can increase this limit. In several European countries, for example, the range is between 15 and 16 years old. In Brazil the general rule of application is followed. Despite this, there is no shortage of content on the Internet that How to change your date of birth .
It is worth mentioning that Internet access for children should be limited and strictly controlled. The Safernet spokesperson points out that, under 12, supervised use of technology is essential. Imagine this: Would you let your child go out on the street, in an unfamiliar place, and talk to anyone? Probably not. But that’s what happens online when there’s no control.
We have to develop a digital education
The discussion is much broader, of course. The application of the moment is one, but soon it could be another. “The problem is the dynamics of use and the fragility of privacy and security policies for children and adolescents,” warns Eva Dengler, Superintendent of Programs and Commercial Relations of Childhood Brasil.
He points out that the digital environment is still very badly organized, which makes users constantly vulnerable to risks. ” It’s like a public square: we are exposed to all kinds of situations. Therefore, children and adolescents are subject to their own curiosity. This curiosity takes them down super dangerous paths and they can’t imagine the perversity that exists,” he says.
While navigation is intuitive, it does not lead to the development of skills and competencies for using these spaces. «That is, it is not a critical use, with prior information on the precautions to be taken», remembers Eva.
Again according to her, it is extremely important that parents and guardians act in this digital education, but the responsibility cannot be theirs alone. ” It is up to us, civil society, to work with sufficient information and guidance so that safer navigation (in an environment that is not safe) can be established for children and adolescents,” he points out.
Responsibilities must be assigned
AS Civil framework of the Internet , platforms are not responsible for content shared on them and are only obligated to remove anything from the air through a court decision. But while a large part of civil society demands that these companies be held accountable, on the other hand they are companies that resist change and users who fear alleged censorship.
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“Platforms themselves have a duty to take care of the environments they offer”
“It is a legal duty, which is in our Constitution and in the Statute of children and adolescents”, underlines the spokesperson for Childhood Brasil. If, according to Article 5 of the European Court of Auditors, “no child or adolescent shall be subjected to any form of neglect, discrimination, exploitation, violence, cruelty or oppression”, there must be responsibility, after all, these platforms have created spaces that are outside the standards of our society, says the expert.
Open dialogue with children at all times
Preparing young people to be in the virtual world is, today, as essential as in the “real” world. For this, conversation is key. “What should always happen is the dialogue about the use of these spaces. But it is a dialogue that is not just saying ‘can/can’t’, ‘I control your navigation, your time…’. This is part of it, but it is also part of the sense of educate in the use of this space and the risks that exist in it. Like our parents did when we went out on the street and there was a set of guidelines on what to do and what not to do,” Eva points out.
In addition, care should be taken when providing Internet access to children by allowing the use of mobile phones, tablets or computers. Even if this does not happen in your home, it is important to prepare the child for her growth (based on his level of maturity), because this can happen, for example, with friends who may already have these devices.
Risks and warning signs
The risks young people are exposed to on the Internet are many: cyberbullying, cyberstalking, sexual abuse and exploitation, exposure to inappropriate content, among many others. And immaturity coupled with a lack of preparation to navigate safely makes these problems even more serious.
So, in addition to always keeping the dialogue open and respecting the age range of each platform (it should be remembered that social networks are not intended for children under the age of 13 – even if we know that this is not a real impediment), there are other issues that parents and guardians are interested in paying attention to. Eva Dengler marks the main ones:
- Find out which networks your child is using, whether they are disclosing personal information and whether they are interacting with people they don’t know
- How he behaves in communicating with others on the social network
- If he generates inappropriate images (of himself or others)
- If you have attitudes like closing the application when you get close or blocking the device
- If you are experiencing behavioral changes that call for attention (insomnia, anxiety, poor school performance, low self-esteem, if you no longer participate in the activities you used to participate in, if you have started eating poorly…)
- Look for physical signs, such as cuts from self-harm (usually on parts of the body that are less visible)
Is there a middle ground between prohibition and driving?
Filipe Colombini, psychologist and specialist in guidance and parental care for children, young people and adults, and CEO of Equipe AT, launches an important warning: in the education of children, certain limits are fundamental and non-negotiable. We are talking, after all, about their safety and respect for themselves and for others. «The middle way is to understand that some things are forbidden, yes. Thinking about rules, rights and duties », she points out.
This is, of course, not a return to outdated methods of education, like setting boundaries has nothing to do with physical or emotional coercion. Let us remember that the developing individual needs beacons to learn to act in society.
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“One cannot speak of education based on ‘freedoms’ without remembering that freedoms also involve the limits and rights of others”
It is also a question of learning to manage discomfort, that of the parents themselves and what they must produce in their children. According to Filipe, many managers become “hostages” to this situation.
“They can build an emotional connection by discussing and setting boundaries. But the action must be as effective and coherent as the speech. Just talking about limits won’t stop kids from logging in [conteúdos impróprios] . It is necessary to have practical and pragmatic means for the limits to become visible and this is not easy, because it generates very difficult sensations”, concludes the psychologist, recalling that this learning makes the difference.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
