In a recently released report, State of the World's Children 2017: Children in a Digital World, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed its concern that governments and the private sector have not kept up with the game-changing pace of digital technologies and exposed children to new risks and harms - both on and offline. One in three Internet users worldwide is a child.
UNICEF has urged to 'make digital world safer for children, increase online access to benefit most disadvantaged'. UNICEF report highlights digital divides and current debates about the impact of the Internet and social media on children's safety and well-being.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, "For better and for worse, digital technology is now an irreversible fact of our lives, in a digital world, our dual challenge is how to mitigate the harms while maximising the benefits of the internet for every child."
The UNICEF report deals comprehensively with the various ways in which digital technology is affecting children's lives and life chances - identifying dangers as well as opportunities. The report explores the benefits that digital technology can offer the most disadvantaged children by increasing their access to information, building skills for the digital workplace, and giving them a platform to connect and communicate their views.
It is very interesting to note that the Internet was designed for adults, but it is increasingly used by children and young people - and digital technology increasingly affects their lives and future, pointed out the UNICEF chief.
The UNICEF report shows that millions of children are missing out. Around one-third of the world's youth, or 346 million young people, are not online - exacerbating inequities and reducing children's ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy. The internet increases children's vulnerability to risks and harms by misusing their private information, accessing harmful content, and cyber bullying. The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices has made online access for many children less supervised - and potentially more dangerous. The report presents current data and analysis about children's online usage; the impact of digital technology on their wellbeing; digital "addiction" and the possible effect of screen time on brain development. The young people are the most connected age group. Worldwide, they have 71 per cent presence online compared to 48 per cent of the total population. It has been recommended that only collective action by governments, the private sector, families and children themselves can help make the digital playing field level and make the internet safer and more accessible for children. Practical recommendations include safeguarding children's privacy and identities online and putting children at the centre of digital policy. Digital policies, practices, and products should better reflect children's needs, children's perspectives and children's voices.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: In fact, investments in infrastructure - transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology - are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities of any country. It has long been recognised that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure. Inclusive and sustainable industrial development is the primary source of income generation, and improving living standards for all people. Technological progress is the key to achieving environmental objectives, such as increased resource and energy-efficiency. Without technology and innovation, industrialisation will not happen, and without industrialisation, development will not happen.
Even artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to accelerate progress on global development goals, but also poses a range of complex challenges, including ethical questions, human rights issues and security risks. It is well argued that despite profound potential for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), if technological progress is not managed well, it risks exacerbating existing inequalities. As is argued, "the influence of technology on our societies should be determined by the actions of us, humans, not by machines, technology is here for us to explore and use for the benefit of all."
Integrated science is essential to strengthen water management, sustainably use the oceans and tackle climate change. According to Irina Bokova, recently retired Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), "The world needs more integrated science to strengthen water management, to ensure the sustainable use of the ocean, to protect ecosystems and biodiversity, to tackle climate change and disasters, to foster innovation."
As the complexity of the world's issues goes beyond the framework of a single discipline, UNESCO has made "trans-disciplinarity" the cornerstone of its work for sustainability - building networks with multiple stakeholders, such as museums, universities, private and public actors, governments and non-governmental organisations.
The 2017 theme, 'Science for global understanding,' encompasses UNESCO's approach to develop scientific cooperation between and within societies, combining global sustainability and local actions and knowledge.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid is former Secretary to the Government.
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