Pornography, cyberbullying, rape: How mobile phone usage among children is spurring crime

Hyderabad: A recent investigation into the rape and murder of a class III student in Andhra Pradesh has revealed that the three accused minors used to watch porn on mobile phones.

The class 3 student from Nandyal was raped and murdered by the three minor boys and two relatives of one of the minors helped throw her body into the waters. The body of the girl is yet to be traced.

In another incident from Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, a 9-year-old girl was raped and murdered by her 13-year-old brother after watching a pornographic video on mobile phone. The mother and two elder sisters aged 17 and 18 helped the accused in the cover-up.

During the pandemic when online classes were introduced to make up for academic loss, children have been addicted to mobile phones. As a side effect, some children have also started misusing data by watching porn on mobile phones.

What are the most common side effects of mobile phone use by children?

1. Social media platforms and messaging apps can be used as tools for cyberbullying, harassment, and spreading malicious content. This can have severe psychological impacts on victims and may lead to legal repercussions for the perpetrators.

2. Mobile phones facilitate the easy sharing of inappropriate images or messages among children, sometimes unknowingly, which can lead to exploitation, blackmail, or legal consequences related to child pornography laws.

3. Social media allows predators to contact and groom children easily. They can exploit their trust and vulnerability, eventually leading to offline meetings or other dangerous situations.

4. Children may inadvertently or deliberately share illegal content such as pirated movies, copyrighted material, or even extremist propaganda, which can lead to legal consequences.

5. Sharing personal information on social media or through mobile apps can make children vulnerable to identity theft or fraud schemes. Scammers may use social engineering tactics to manipulate them into sharing sensitive information.

6. Social media can facilitate connections with peers involved in drug or substance abuse, leading to illegal activities such as drug trafficking or underage consumption.

7. Gangs can use social media and mobile phones to recruit children, coordinate criminal activities, or spread gang-related content, leading to involvement in illegal behaviors.

8. Geolocation features on mobile phones and social media apps can inadvertently disclose a child's location, making them vulnerable to physical crimes such as stalking or kidnapping.

9. The instant nature of social media and mobile communication can lead to impulsive or reckless behavior, such as threats, vandalism, or other forms of misconduct that may have legal consequences.

10. Children may misuse mobile phones to hack, spread malware, or engage in other forms of cybercrime influenced by what they see or learn online.

What do the doctors say?

Speaking to NewsMeter, Dr Pragya Rashmi, a clinical psychologist at Asha Hospital in Hyderabad, said, "We have to understand what the phone means today, which most parents do not know. The COVID pandemic happened, and everything changed. Neither parents nor children know the negative impact. Digital well-being is the need of the hour. It is time to monitor every child, and there has to be reinforcement on what is allowed,"

According to Dr Pragya, it's not about the children; it's about the parents, who do not know whether their child is watching movies, studying, or watching adult content. Children know everything now. Primary school students can upload videos on YouTube, and their parents are proud of them. Notifications and constant access to entertainment on mobile phones can distract children from their studies, affecting their academic performance and concentration.

She suggested that the government should start a training program and introduce regulations. "Awareness of the use of mobiles should begin from school. Schools themselves tell the students to check social media for any information or about any events," she added.

Watching reels - a dangerous addiction

Every person who browses social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube has the habit of watching reels. But very few of them know that watching reels is a dangerous addiction.

"Social media and its effects on mental health is a big topic now. Watching reels is a problem. As the children watch reels, especially content by US and Korean children, further reels are customized per their needs. Children can't differentiate between reality and non-reality, and as they watch those reels, especially the content related to other countries, they want to do the same and try the same. These reels can expose children to unrealistic beauty standards, success, and popularity. Constant comparison with peers' curated on," said Dr Pragya.

Content by children

For example- A Telugu YouTube channel, "Pareshan Boys", exploits adolescents with 'dare' content involving the abuse of children. They upload videos focusing on a school-going kid and their 'relationships'. They also upload videos of dangerous stunts on roads.

Access to such inappropriate content or videos made by children can influence children to engage in risky behaviors such as substance abuse, sexual activities, or dangerous challenges.

In its latest report, YouTube removed 8,295,304 videos from January to March 2024, with 2,618,760 videos deleted from India alone for violating community guidelines primarily flagged by YouTube's automated flagging systems. 43% of these total videos were removed for child safety reasons.

YouTube's failure to strictly prohibit content as outlined in its community guidelines puts adolescents at risk because such content is easily accessible on an open platform.

NCPCR summons Netflix over 'sexually explicit content' accessible to minors

Recently, the apex child rights body NCPCR has summoned Netflix officials next Monday for allegedly showing "sexually explicit content" on its platform that is accessible to minors.

In a letter to Netflix officials on July 23, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said "unrestricted accessibility of explicit content" on Netflix to minors constitutes a violation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act-2012.

The NCPCR said it had written to Netflix earlier in June on the same matter but no response was received. "Now, therefore, the commission in pursuance of the functions and powers (under) order Section 14 of CPCR Act 2005 requires you to appear in person physically before the commission along with the details of the action taken in this matter on July 29, 2024," the letter said.

No immediate reaction was available from Netflix on the matter.

What are the mitigation strategies?

To address these issues, parents, educators, and policymakers must emphasize digital citizenship, educate children about online safety and the consequences of their actions, establish clear rules and supervision regarding technology use, and encourage open communication to promptly address any concerns or incidents.

Monitoring and discussing social media use, setting limits, and being aware of what children are exposed to online.

We teach children about online safety, privacy settings, critical thinking, and responsible content sharing.

We encourage balancing online and offline activities and promoting hobbies, sports, and other interests.

They create an environment where children feel comfortable discussing their online experiences, concerns, and problems.