Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: Maharashtra has the highest rate of internet consumption among children, according to Child Rights and You (Cry), the child rights NGO. According to a study conducted by Cry, the state had the highest average of internet consumption across all age groups followed by West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
The study is part of a campaign which has covered 12 states and 23 cities till date with around 788 volunteers involved in the process. The objective of the campaign is to build awareness and encourage safe and responsible use of information in cyber world among school-going children.
In Maharashtra, Cry also partnered with students from the National Social Services (NSS) who have been visiting schools across the state and holding workshops with students from Class 5 to Class 9 to create awareness on issues related to cybercrimes like phishing, cyber bullying, identity theft, false advertising, cyber grooming, cyber trafficking, and online gaming. Over 20,000 students have already been part of the campaign and the numbers are growing.
When examining specific age demographics, adolescents (14-18 years) were found to have the highest internet usage, followed by adults (above 18 years), and then children (6-14 years).
During the workshops, both boys and girls confessed to experiencing cyberbullying and receiving friendship requests from unknown individuals online, particularly on the Snapchat app, which appears to be more popular than Instagram or Facebook.
