WINDHOEK - Namibian children are more likely to watch video content and listen to music, than spend time on social media. Kaspersky Lab’s latest report, based on statistics from the company’s Parental Control modules, has revealed.

Audio and video content accounted for 50 percent of all online activities of Namibian children, with YouTube and DVDVideoSoft being popular among the young generation, while younger kids prefer Nickelodeon Africa. This was followed by 31 percent interested in internet communication media – in the majority of cases, this is referred to as social media/networks – with popular ones being Facebook, Google Hangouts, Skype and WhatsApp. Children in Namibia also visited news sites more frequently, including the BBC and the Daily Mail – accounting for 8 percent of activities. Electronic commerce is among top categories as well: 5 percent of children showed their interest in exploring Amazon for clothes and mobile devices. 

Kaspersky Lab, a global cyber security company, in partnership with Active Education, are bringing cybersecurity education to Namibian schools through a series of interactive activations. Aimed at driving top of mind awareness around online safety, the Safe Kids Roadshow1, which started on September 10 in Windhoek, will move through Walvis Bay and concludes this Friday in Swakopmund - covering 20 schools and over 13 700 children and parents. Among the main threats to be addressed are cyberbullying, inordinate disclosure of personal information and general rules of online behaviours.  While the internet provides many benefits to children, it can also be a dangerous place for them and as such, it is essential that children are educated about online security and parents know and understand their children’s online activities to protect them. 

An alarming 32 percent of parents, surveyed globally, admitted that they do not have any control of what their children see or do online, and about 25 percent do not take any measures to protect their children from online threats. “Protecting children is something that Kaspersky Lab takes very seriously on a global scale, which is why we recommend using not only the usage parental control products, but also having a trust relationship with your child. No matter what kids are doing online, it is important for parents not to leave their children’s digital activities unattended and to educate them about online security. The more information you have as a parent, the more you are able to protect them,” adds Riaan Badenhorst, general manager for Kaspersky Lab Africa.  At the same time, according to the survey, 12 percent of respondents globally admitted that their children became addicted to the internet, and the same amount complained that their children saw explicit content online.

Malware is another big problem – digital devices can easily be infected while children play or search online -- this happened to 10 percent of the users surveyed.  “As a school, we fully support the need to educate and create awareness about online safety especially as our learners are exposed to more than ever before and while this opens up immense learning opportunities, we need to be cognisant of their safety,” says Kathi Damon, principal of the primary school at the Waldorf School Windhoek. “With this in mind, we fully support the activation that Kaspersky Lab has initiated for our learners and look forward to the positive impact it will have.”