Information security of children: the role of school and new digital services

The press center of Moskovsky Komsomolets held a briefing “Information security of children: the role of schools and new digital services”

During it, invited guests discussed the results of the public opinion survey “School education in the era of fakes.” They analyzed the data obtained in detail and told how to protect schoolchildren from fake news.

“Respondents tell us that their children have encountered false information (37%). But, in our opinion, the percentage is higher; these are only identified cases. We asked the question: “Who should be responsible for protecting children from misinformation?” 70% thought that these were parents and family, 36% teachers and schools, and another 24% – the federal government as a whole. We are pleased that parents have begun to take responsibility in this matter, which is a general sociological trend of the last 3-5 years. To the question: “Which sources of education news do respondents trust?” – we also got good numbers. The main authoritative source is teachers and school administration. According to the results obtained, the absolute majority of Russians are, to one degree or another, interested in news about Russian school education (86%),” said Kirill Rodin, director of government relations at VTsIOM.

According to the speakers, children’s information security is an important component of their overall well-being and an integral part of their protection in the digital age. The issues of digital hygiene and protection from disinformation have become particularly relevant in recent years, including for the younger generation.

“We understand the importance and necessity of providing an information security tool directly to the teacher and head of an educational organization. This is why cybersecurity and media literacy programs for the teaching community are being implemented. In order for (when 86% of parents who trust them as the main sources of information ask: “What should I do?”) they have a specific checklist of what can be recommended. It is important for a child to learn from people significant to him, and these are teachers and parents, what is “good” and what is “bad,” Maxim Kostenko, director of the Institute for Educational Development Strategy, commented on the results of the study.

“First of all, there must be a balance between prohibitive norms and permissive ones. At the school level, a large element has been created in terms of Internet access. But at the same time, blocking the parasitic traffic that can pass to the school. Parents understand that they must show their children by example how to correctly perceive information from the external environment. An important point is the retraining of teachers. We also need correct, verified content that meets pedagogical standards and brings good and light,” said Andrey Gorobets, director of the Department of Digital Transformation and Big Data of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Olga Krushelnitskaya, head of the department of theoretical foundations of social psychology at the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, supported her colleagues, confirming that parents and teachers play a key role in meeting the needs of the child.

“Trust needs to be established between them. This requires things that sound simple but are difficult to do. This is a positive interest in the child, warmth, respect for him as an individual. You need to be sincerely interested in what the child is watching,” she advised.

“The digital environment requires careful study. The primary results are presented to us in large strokes. Even not all adults can learn to navigate the Internet. We must be attentive to what children are watching,” added Rostislav Prokopishin, a psychologist at the Federal Coordination Center for the Provision of Psychological Services in the Russian Education System.

In addition, experts answered questions about where children get false information from, how to build a trusting relationship with a child, and how many Russians are interested in education news.