2022 data reports state that there are over 2.6 billion online users in the Asia Pacific Region; with varying internet penetration rates across the region [1]. From that number, 1 in 3 users are children [2], with the East Asia and Pacific region having 59% [3]—one of the most vulnerable stakeholder groups online, which makes the Protection of Children’s Rights Online a top regional priority.
However, accurate and reliable statistics on the problems faced by children online are hard to find [4]. This poses a significant challenge to plan, strategise and fund initiatives to help pre-empt and address issues that affect children’s rights online. NetMission.Asia has been committed to developing platforms and opportunities for discussion [5] on the role and contributions of youth towards upholding Children’s Rights Online.
Participating in the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2023 in Kyoto was an invaluable in-person experience, where 18 sessions appeared to be relevant to the theme of ‘Growing Up in a Digital Environment’, 10 had the word ‘child’ or ‘children’ in the workshop title [6]. Attendance at WS#62, WS#501, Networking Session #64, the Global Youth Summit and the DCCOS Risk, opportunity and child safety in the age of AI brought several issues to my mind [7].
Firstly, expert panel speakers across sessions overlap. This could point to many things, one being that the area of discussion is so niche there are fewer expert speakers available to provide insight on the topic, or that the key driving force behind such sessions is conducted by a limited number of people (i.e. less common or general interest), or maybe that there is a lack of representation and expertise from diverse sources (which could further exacerbate regional disparities). It is a generally accepted fact that locals deal best with other locals [8], and this would apply even more so in the context of more societal problems.
Secondly, a large number of in-person attendants appeared to be more senior participants, with a majority of them appearing to be from non-Asian Pacific origins [9]. This does not in any way mean that one should make the assumption that there is less interest in upholding children’s rights online in more Asian contexts, as the author personally met and discussed topics of cyberbullying and online grooming with other in-person attendees. However, it should be noted that these discussions did not happen as a result of attending workshops that outwardly present as being ‘child-focused’, but rather as part of natural discussions in free time. This begs the question of why participants with such interests not attending these sessions.
Youth-led initiatives that address the protection of children’s rights online do exist, with many often related to capacity building [10]. However, a great deal of knowledge-sharing is ultimately hampered by language barriers in the region. NetMission.Asia’s own experience [11] acting as a platform for greater exposure of youth researcher output was a clear sign that there can be many lessons learned, but that language is a critical element to how knowledge bubbles can be bridged.
Moving beyond the arena of IGF workshop sessions, the regional challenge of Asia Pacific and the harmonisation of regional strategies is now under the spotlight. The diversity of the Asia Pacific region means that internet penetration, digital literacy and maturity of legal frameworks are key factors for consideration in advocacy efforts. Most importantly, some new concepts are considered as ‘foreign’ or ‘digital-era’ in nature, which means domestic legal frameworks may not be in a place ready to address these issues, making it harder for legitimate protection efforts. For example, a study on the Cyber Safety of Children in ASEAN [12] sheds light on how difficult it is to guarantee motivations towards adopting phrasing from other legal frameworks, as well as how poorly defined terminology translates into jurisdictions potentially becoming havens for the further proliferation of related crimes domestically, and across borders.
The Internet has broken down barriers, research suggests that children have been able to find emotional support online [13], especially for those who face initial challenges of social isolation or marginalisation [14]. However, all these positive outcomes inevitably come with the security and bullying risks that arise from an expanding social circle, especially one that can often transcend more traditional boundaries of age, race, culture and mental maturity.
The world will continue to go online, and the advocacy of children’s protection online needs youth perspectives. Adolescents are more likely to approach their peers for help and advice, but they are also equally likely to face discrimination or violence facilitated through technology, making for a unique experience growing up in such an environment. From one digital native to another(or many others), the author calls on greater willingness to engage in this topic.
Footnote
- ‘Topic: Internet Usage in the Asia-Pacific Region’ (Statista) https://www.statista.com/topics/9080/internet-usage-in-the-asia-pacific-region/ accessed 14 November 2023.
- UNICEF, ‘Growing Up in a Connected World: Understanding Children’s Risks and Opportunities in a Digital Age’ <https://www.unicef-irc.org/growing-up-connected> accessed 14 November 2023.
- Federica Laricchia, ‘Children with Internet Access at Home Worldwide by Region’ (Statista) <https://www.statista.com/statistics/1327322/children-with-internet-access-at-home-by-region-worldwide/> accessed 14 November 2023.
- Jee Eun Choi, ‘Internet Society: Mapping Online Child Safety in Asia-Pacific’ (Internet Society) <https://www.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Online-Child-Safety-in-Asia-Pacific-report-final.pdf>.
- See report on IGF 2022 WS#318 and MozFest 2023 Session by NetMission.Asia
- Project Children’s-Rights.digital, ‘IGF 2023: Children’s and Young People’s Rights’ (Child Protection and Children’s Rights in the Digital World) <http://childrens-rights.digital/fokus/index.cfm/key.3867> accessed 14 November 2023.
- Disclaimer: Some sessions were only attended partially in-person due to schedule conflicts.
- Phillip Kirpich, ‘Foreign Experts—Their Advantages and Limitations’ (1967) 4 Finance & Development <https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/022/0004/001/article-A006-en.xml> accessed 15 November 2023.
- Disclaimer: The claim is merely a personal observation and assumption and should not be taken as an accurate report of the demographic makeup of the in-person attendees.
- ISOC Ambassador Projects respectively presented by Nanbaan Pwaspo, Paola Corporan, Carolyne Jepkosgei Tarus
- Stella Teoh, ‘Proposal – Forms.For.Asia for Session – Exploring Youth Perspectives in Social Media Content Creation’ <https://forms.for.asia/proposal/> accessed 15 November 2023.
- Mubarak Rahamathulla, ‘Cyber Safety of Children in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Region: A Critical Review of Legal Frameworks and Policy Implications’ (2021) 4 International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice 375.
- Patricia Berkanish and others, ‘Technology-Based Peer Support Interventions for Adolescents with Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review’ (2022) 29 Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 911.
- David A Cole and others, ‘Online Social Support for Young People: Does It Recapitulate In-Person Social Support; Can It Help?’ (2017) 68 Computers in Human Behavior 456.
Reviewed and edited by Jenna Manhau Fung