Schools find ways to toughen children up for digital world

If you think the real, physical world has problems, wait until you step into the digital world and see the 'struggles' many youngsters face on a daily basis.
Having the perfect selfie, the cleverly edited video, the right filter, most likes and comments, posting regularly - these make up a type of competition that comes as second nature to the Generation Z.
But with eagerness to be on top comes the danger of people willing to post some of the most private details of their lives to climb that endless social media ladder.
Take a look at Instagram pages such as 'Rich Kids', for example. Youngsters post their boarding passes, their cars' number plates, and even their live location. It's possibly a gold mine for a potential stalker or cybercriminals looking to do identity theft.
Educators in the UAE are saying digital natives can be very "naive" when it comes to protecting their privacy online, therefore, it's important for schools to educate them more than they already do.
Neal Oates, assistant head at the Dubai British School, said: "Digital ethics and privacy have become increasingly relevant for young people to consider. I often talk to students about their use of free Wi-Fi and signing up for different platforms. If someone was to ask for your phone number and address in the street, you would likely say no.
"Most students can tell you about how to stay safe online and not give away such information to strangers. However, if we want free
Wi-Fi, we are giving away a lot more personal information while using the service. Digital natives can be very naive about privacy, and so we must make an effort to educate them on these issues."
He said students leave a digital footprint online, and what they say or do "could haunt them in university applications or careers in the future".
"I have a similar conversation with parents. Young people can be very naive and easily manipulated as they do not have the experience and emotional intelligence of an adult. We have an age restriction of 13 on many forms of social media for a reason. Would you as a parent allow your child to be in a room full of adult strangers with no supervision or restriction? If not, consider the implication here for early access to social media and a lack of parental oversight over your child's device," Oates added.
Besides privacy, education on digital ethics is also a growing trend in classrooms. It's become too easy to plagiarise someone else's work, steal another user's online information, create a fake profile, or even sell a person's online identity.
Giles Pruett, head of secondary school at GEMS World Academy (GWA), said there are online platforms that fight against plagiarism in academic work.
"With the rapid rise of digital resources available to students, this is an ever-growing concern, however, examination and assessment groups are also trying to support schools in combating these issues by promoting the use of digital tools and platforms, such as turnitin.com," she said.
"Most schools today have very strong ethical policies and support programmes that are designed to protect children from the dangers of digital media, particularly within a social context, but also pertaining to their privacy and the rights of others.
Common Sense Media is one such organisation that provides schools with important resources and learning programmes to assist in delivering high-quality support that focuses on digital ethics.
At GWA Dubai, we use these resources in conjunction with advisory discussions and student assemblies to ensure that ethical behaviours are developed at an age-appropriate level."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com