A roundtable discussion on digital literacy and parental intervention highlighted the importance of societal responsibility in protecting children from social media harm. Held on July 31 in New Delhi under the Chatham House Rule, the event emphasized that responsibility begins with society through civic education and digital literacy, rather than solely with government or parental control, according to medianama.com.
Speakers at the event pointed out that weak digital literacy in India undermines consent mechanisms, with parents often agreeing to the use of their children’s data without fully understanding the implications. Citing data from the National Family Health Survey and other reports, one speaker noted that around 30% of mothers have less than 10 years of schooling, which correlates with lower phone ownership among children, creating a digital divide before platform design even comes into play. Tools like Meta’s Teen Centre exist but require significant investment to be effective in India’s context.
The discussion underscored that parental responsibility involves active engagement from both parents and teachers to ensure children’s online safety. This approach contrasts with the notion of parental control, focusing instead on education and awareness. The digital divide and low literacy levels pose challenges to implementing effective age verification and consent systems on social media platforms, making societal involvement crucial for meaningful protection of children online.
The roundtable on Age Verification and Restricting Social Media for Children was organized by MediaNama on July 31 in New Delhi, bringing together experts to explore solutions for improving digital literacy and parental engagement in India’s online safety landscape.