(Courtesy of B’sheva) As parents, our greatest challenge is protecting our children. Especially on the internet, this challenge becomes even more complex, and it presents to parents as well as children a variety of dangers that can manifest themselves at any time, and which we frequently do not have control over. Although the internet grants us such benefits as the ability to learn new information and keep in touch with family and friends who are far from us, its negative consequences and effects may be tremendous.
The Bad News:
Kids start early. More than 80% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 own a screen-based device, and 83% of parents believe their children are negatively distracted by digital devices. The Common Sense Media reports that the use of screen media is up 17% for teens and tweens since COVID-19, and the total amount of screen media used each day is much higher than ever before.
If that’s not bad enough, teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 are being exposed to pornographic material at an alarming rate (84.4% of males and 57% of females), and the average age of first exposure is 11, according to Enough Is Enough research.
This is all in addition to the terrifying problem of self-generated content that is created by children while not under adult supervision and that is then shared online. According to the IWF report, self-generated pornographic content now accounts for almost three-quarters of all reported materials sexualizing minors. Nearly one in seven children ages 9 to 12 shared their own nude photos in 2020, according to Thorn. Until now, parents have had little ability to monitor shared photos for nudity or minimal clothing.
The Good News:
With the use of artificial intelligence, an Israeli company called Netspark has developed solutions (Netspark Mobile and Canopy) that protect children and individuals from the dangers of the Internet. Netspark’s applications secure more than two million smartphones, tablets and computers, and its internet filtering technology is used by more than 4,000 schools in Israel, as Netspark is the sole filtering provider for the Israeli Ministry of Education.
Yariv Peer, CEO of Netspark, said that “our technology was developed to create a safer internet environment for families worldwide. Our cutting-edge technology has enabled us to address some of the most fundamental problems on the internet, including blocking pornographic material and minimal clothing in real-time, developing a sexting deterrence tool, offering a time-management feature, Geo-fencing feature, and more.”
Yariv added that “we provide parents with the trusted safety net they need with an all-in-one solution.” After witnessing the company’s success in the Israeli market, Yariv mentioned that “Netspark is happy to extend its mission outside of Israel and provide a safer internet to families and individuals around the US with the Netspark and Canopy solutions.”
Netspark and Canopy are compatible with all smartphones, tablets and computers, with subscriptions starting at $7.99 per month.
Join Netspark and Canopy on our mission to make the internet a safer place for our children and communities!
