Parents urged to monitor children’s online activity
Be aware that the internet does not only offer fun activities, there are also criminal activities
THE Film and Publication Board (FPB) has urged parents to be vigilant and closely monitor their children’s online activities.
This follows the discovery of the ‘Momo Challenge’, which is a form of cyber bullying targeting young children.
‘It encourages self-harm and may even lead to suicide.
‘The challenge appears as a scary image on online platforms with requests for the user to contact ‘Momo’ on WhatsApp through one of several contact numbers,’ said FPB in a statement.
‘Reports claim that the character instructs children to complete challenges that they must keep secret or ‘Momo’ will kill them.’
The board’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Maria Motebang, said there is a possibility that the game may be shared on a peer-to-peer basis.
‘Our FPB online monitors conducted a search on legitimate and known App stores and were unable to find reference to the game.
‘However, parents and guardians are urged to monitor their children’s devices and report such content to the FPB hotline number 0800 148 148 or www.fpbhotline.org.za,’ Dr Motebang said.
Although there are no confirmed incidents in South Africa, parents must take note of the following tips in keeping themselves or those in their care safe online:
Download monitoring Apps on your device. These Apps monitor your child’s online activities and can be set to:
-Alert you when your child logs on to an App.
-Allow you to set limits of how much time they can spend online using their devices.
-Alerts you when the child tries to download an App.
-Allows you to grant permission for your child to download an App.
-Supervise your children when they are online and get to know the games they play or videos they access on platforms such as YouTube.
-Be aware that the internet does not only offer fun activities, there are also criminal activities.
-Teach children not to share personal information and to ensure their privacy settings are always on.
-Assist them to identify activities or people that make them feel uncomfortable and to report such activities immediately to their parents.
-Teach children to block any person who bullies them and to report this to an adult.
-Ensure that the devices they have access to are restricted to age suitable content.
-Many social networks require users to be 13 years or older. If your children have social media accounts, ensure that you check their privacy settings and who they interact with.
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