Is it ‘safe and sound’ because they sit physically in their own home? Maybe maybe not. Children play games, they communicate in social networks and they chat. They behave with great skills in virtual communities. All very well. But sometimes, just sometimes those social skills are used in inappropriate ways.

Virtual bullying is one way. Bullying in virtual space is often much more powerful than in physical space. Not having eye contact with the person being bullied often makes the bully far more aggressive. Social networking can be in spaces where adults only belong and as such be very unhealthy for children. Etc. etc.

But at the bottom line parents have just as big a responsibility for their children’s life in virtual space as in real space. Parents need to take on this responsibility. They need to acknowledge themselves with the virtual spaces. Talk to their children about this – which can be done without prying; just as in the real world.

To children born in the digital world there is no such thing as a virtual space and a real space – it is all just a space. And parents and teachers need to acknowledge this.

In Microsoft we take child safety very seriously. Both from a product perspective as well as in our corporate social affair’s work. Multiple employees across Europe have partnered with schools, governments and NGOs in order to inform students, teachers and parents about the wonders and dangers of the internet.

Kirsten Panton
Partners in Learning
Regional Leader - Western Europe
Microsoft