Children are active and curious Internet users. Here is some good advice on how to help children assess information and relate to hateful messages.

Don’t trust everything on the Internet
It’s easy to assume that “if it’s online it must be true”. Internet offers a wealth of knowledge, but there is also an abundance of useless and unreliable information. Printed publications have “guardians” such as editors, reviewers and fact checkers. On the Internet there are no restrictions. Anyone can publish whatever they want. No one weeds out errors, lies and inaccuracies. It is left to the users – adults and children alike – to adopt a critical mind and assess the information.

How to help children detect wrongful information:

• Start while the children are young.

• Teach children how to search for information online.

• Teach children to distinguish between truth and “dubious claims”.

• Teach children to recognise subjectivity, propaganda and stereotypical attitudes.

• Teach children to ask themselves; what’s the purpose of the website I’m visiting? To entertain? To sell something?

• Is the website sponsored by a company or a person, or is it a public website?

• Teach children to check if the websites have contact information and an “About us” section.

• Teach children to use several and varied sources of information online.

• Teach children to use sources that aren’t online, such as libraries and different encyclopedia.

• Teach children to ask an adult whether the information is trustworthy or not.

Some websites are run by people with “cruel intentions”
There are many forms of hatred on the Internet, everything from racism to malicious satire. Websites that seem harmless may have hidden intentions. Uncritical children can easily be led from websites that make fun of peoples’ looks to sites that attack minorities and homosexuals. Doubtful groups often succeed in enticing vulnerable young people through private chat rooms and e-mail messages far from the public light, or through websites that offer apparently harmless activities.

How to help children relate to hateful messages:

• Ask children to show you what they like to do online, and which websites they visit.

• Teach children how to recognise hateful messages and symbols, such as the swastika, derogatory references to race or sexual orientation, and caricatures of different ethnical groups.

• Ask children to practice good manners online, and not to encourage hatred, evil actions and bullying.

• Remind children that nothing on the internet is completely private.

• Familiarise yourself with your computer’s filtering software.

Source:

Microsoft

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