Digital Youth: maximising the benefits of the Internet

"They say that time changes things," Andy Warhol once said. "But you actually have to change them yourself."

For better and for worse, people have changed things - drastically. Consider as an example the transformations occurring in the short space of a single decade¹. Internet use in some APEC economies has increased well over a hundred times. And, even tempered by relatively low usage rates in the very least developed economies, the regional average well exceeds 30 percent².

There is no question that the internet has been a major contributor in establishing authentic systems of free trade. Fundamental to regional economic growth, the Internet is arguably the most efficient platform for learning, exchanging information, networking, and conducting business; and has transformed small subsistence businesses into profitable international ones. Connecting producers with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and investors; factors such as geography and finance are easily transcended. The internet has expanded the range of possibilities in every respect. Competition is stimulated, production costs reduced and the range of consumer choices infinite.

Today, 25 percent of those living in the APEC region are below the age of 15. In some economies, youth represents as much as 40 percent of the population. In a decade from now, workforces will comprise this demographic.

Economies will flourish - or flounder - in accord with the ability of today's youth to benefit and capitalise on technological innovations and the forces of globalisation. Apart from being an invaluable human resource, the merging strata will define ethical standards, political ideals and social mores.

At the most recent APEC Telecommunications Working Group Meeting³, participants considered the transformative capability of the internet and asked: does there exist a point of diminishing returns, when the internet threatens to cause more harm than good? Critics have pointed to a variety of ways in which the medium falls short: promulgating misinformation, creating opportunities for misanthropes and encouraging pathological codependency.

Teruhiko Sato, Coordinator of the jointly held APEC-OECD symposium is emphatic: "We must continuously explore ways to maximise the benefits of connectivity while minimising potential harm to children."

The unprecedented speed with which the internet has transformed communications has, ironically, served to alienate many adults who have yet to master the medium. This has led to a peculiar sort of role reversal in which many children - for whom the Internet has always existed - are an ostensible authority.

In Thailand, Thongchai Sangsiri, Director of the Centre for Computer Forensics explains that, "most children lack basic awareness of online dangers [and] most parents and teachers lack computer knowledge and skills." When it comes to the power of choice, tech savvy children hold the monopoly and many parents find themselves feeling helpless.

The challenge is not unique to developing economies. Even in cutting-edge Japan, where 96 percent⁴ of the population uses a mobile Internet device by the age of 18, the PC skill-level of parents is not necessarily such that they are able to manipulate Internet filtering systems.

Add to the equation the dynamic nature of Internet. Content is created spontaneously and instantly - any form of monitoring is literally an endless task. Even for the most attentive parents with the most effective tools, there is always a risk.

According to a study from the Media Awareness Network⁵ in Canada, the Internet is the most popular medium among students doing schoolwork and by Grade eleven, 91 percent of students prefer the Internet to the library. While schools embrace the trend, even schoolwork can be compromised, depending on the authenticity of websites. In the same study, 68 percent of the students admitted that they were not certain "how to tell if information you find on the Net is true or not" and were, themselves, concerned by this.

Younger students displayed an inability to distinguish "games" from what is actually marketing material⁶ and - given that it can be found in almost all⁷ the most highly-rated kids' sites - this serves to further obscure fact from fiction.

In Thailand, the Ministries of ICT and Education have collaborated with King Mongkut's Institute of Technology to create Housekeeper⁸, an affordable monitoring tool for cyber-weary parents. This, according to Sangsiri, enables them to control access to websites, games and programmes as well as to limit the amount of time children spend online. Parents are then supported through live demonstrations and a technical assistance and advice hotline.

Japan has embarked on a multi-pronged approach in which responsibility is shared by stakeholders at every stage: mobile carriers providing their customers with Internet access services are required to provide users under 18 with filtering services unless declined by their parents. Parents who let their children use mobile devices are required to claim so when they try to enter into a contract; and filtering service providers are required to persify their services and make them less restrictive⁹.

With consumers effectively addicted, the Internet practically sells itself. A captive market, there simply is no alternative to being online, regardless of social cost. So why, for example would the private sector providers care how it is used?

But "we absolutely do care, "insists Leslie Martinkovics, Director, Verizon International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs. "[Cyber-security] is one of the issues most important to customers with children in their households."

Consumer demand fuels competition and leads to more responsible service provision. Verizon is just one private service provider to see the value in providing content filters, usage controls and family locators for children's wireless devices. "It's more than just smart business. Kids are "always on"¹⁰ and putting tools in the hands of parents and guardians to protect them is a matter of corporate responsibility."

Critics argue that monitoring tools are important but are only one element of an effective response. With children and teens now able to participate in media of all forms, media literacy is no longer a highbrow phenomenon but is now basic social survival skill.

According to Susan Johnston, an associate of the Media Awareness Network, analytical skills enable youth to wade through the sea of messages they receive - whether they are transmitted through television, movies, video games, mobile phones, music, magazines, advertising or the Internet. This means taking an active role and asking questions such as: Is this material substantiated? Is this fact or opinion? Do I agree? Why or why not? Is this information helpful or harmful? How does this content affect public perception?

Empowering youth with the ability to consider media objectively and critically - so the theory goes - inoculates them against the persuasive powers of popular opinion, clever marketing or malice.

If monitoring tools can be compared to a sort of armour, blocking out harmful content, media literacy would be more akin to a filter, allowing information to flow through but not without some degree of critical analysis.

In the same respect, the flow of information outward demands a similar sort of filter. Some refer to the concept of "digital citizenry", suggesting a certain onus on the part of the sender. And this underlines the importance of community to ensure that the internet is used effectively.

In terms of a collaborative effort, APEC member economies are already able to spot areas of commonality. Nonetheless, Martinkovics points out, "People have very different ideas about what cyber security means. There will always be cultural and legal differences." And for every new opportunity, a new challenge will present itself.

For now, the experiences and practices explored at the symposium will serve as a baseline for future discussions and activities at APEC and the OECD.

In the meantime, this sort of dialogue, says Sato, "is a great starting point. We can now begin to conceive of ways for economies to collaborate and to create a more child-friendly environment."