It’s no secret that Malaysian parents have a tendency of letting their children be distracted with smartphones and the internet when they are busy.
But, our dependency on the internet may have caused the risk of addiction on our children.
Based on a report by Kosmo, a study by CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) with the assistance of the Education Ministry showed signs of internet addiction among children as sleeping late due to playing on smartphones and getting angry when they are not allowed to use their smartphones.
The Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Tan Sri Annuar Musa shared that children who are addicted to the internet also have a tendency of preferring their smartphones over going out to play with their friends.
He added that the rate of internet addiction in Malaysia is currently higher compared to most other countries.
“When I read the report, I saw that maybe I was also one of the internet addicts because every time I wake up in the morning, the 1st thing I touch is my phone,”
“Studies have found that internet addiction occurs due to the low level of awareness among parents and it can invite cyber security risks to the younger generation,” he said.
He also emphasised that some of the risks that need attention include access to inappropriate internet content, risk of online transactions, lack of digital fluency, password management vulnerabilities, stranger threats and phishing attacks.
While it is understandable that, in this day and age, parent’s cannot be available to their children all day. But perhaps it is time we cut down on our internet dependency and find alternative solutions to keeping our children busy.
Would you consider yourself an internet addict? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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