RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb.8: As the internet has become an integral part and important part of lives, it has become a challenge for the society to ensure online safety, well-being and digital resilience of children and young people.
In order to accept the challenge, Forum for Learning and Action with Innovation and Rigour (FLAIR), a voluntary organisation working nation-wide across India to create, nurture and operate spaces for learning and action, has started operating from Jharkhand capital.
After signing an MoU with Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) on January 7 this year, the organization has started approaching other organizations to work in this field in a rigorous way, setting up its office near the power substation in Harmu Housing Colony.
Executive director of the organization Ajay Kumar Sinha said earlier the organization has done work in the field in Bokaro and Dhanbad and organized a consultative programme at Ram Dayal Munda Tribal Research Institute on September 14 last year.
“It has been experienced so far that the government has not come so far with any standard format or guideline to ensure online safety, well-being and digital resilience of children and young people. It has also been experienced that the concept of taking online safety differs from man to man. Many times the internet is blamed for any problem and children are deprived of internet access. Many times discussion also takes place on internet disorder without having an actual idea when it can be said as disorder or when it cannot be said disorder,” Sinha said.
“Allowing children to use it without paying attention to their safety and keeping them away from it to keep them safe both practices is not good. Thus, the organisation thought it proper to work in the field to let people know how discussion taking online safety is a continuous process and there is nothing to prescribe and in this situation how to ensure online safety, well being and digital resilience of children and young people,” Sinha added.
Sinha said that a research study on Internet Safety and Well-Being was conducted in Bokaro and Dhanbad in Jharkhand by his organisation in collaboration with the Social Welfare Departments and the Education Department, Government of Jharkhand.
“The data was collected during October – December 2021. The study dealt with internet usage pre and posts covid, incidences and prevalence of online crimes – pre and post covid. Most prominently the study presented findings from Social Media Disorder and Internet Gaming Disorder,” he said.
