Kids in 800 Delhi schools to get lessons in using Facebook, WhatsApp safely
Among the many lessons on cyber safety, the presentation includes the use of Facebook, WhatsApp and downloading apps.
A team of crime branch officers will go to schools across the city to educate students about protecting themselves from falling prey to cyber crimes.
Armed with a 16-minute presentation, the officers have tied up with computer teachers at schools. The presentation has already started at a few schools and over the next few months, the police plans to cover around 800 schools in the city.
Among the many lessons on cyber safety, the presentation includes the use of Facebook, WhatsApp and downloading apps from the internet. In the audio-visual presentation, the students are taught about the privacy settings on Facebook and ways of ensuring that the photographs and videos uploaded by them are not misused.
Special commissioner of police (crime) Taj Hasan said the presentation across all city schools is to create awareness and ensure children don’t end up as victims. “Children use the Internet today but many are unaware about how mischievous elements can misuse innocent minds. After tying up with the computer teachers, the presentation is being shown to all students so that they know the basic steps to guard themselves.”
To ensure that photographs uploaded by the students are not misused by pornographic websites, the students through the presentations are taught safe ways of settings on Facebook. Apart from Facebook, there is also a chapter on Whatsapp.
Following cases of display pictures which are uploaded from WhatsApp, police are teaching the different ways of restricting unknown person from viewing one’s WhastApp display photographs.
“The presentation is a simple guide for all students who use mobile phones and laptops. It includes simple steps to protect data from getting hacked. Children are targeted by paedophiles and terror recruits. If students follow the presentation, they will be much safer in the virtual space,” said an officer.
The presentation also has four short movies and an explainer on how any student can identify sexual predators or dubious websites and inform the police with evidence of the websites or users without having to visit the police station.
Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal of Springdales, Pusa Road, welcomed the initiative. “In our school we have such workshops held by cyber experts from time to time. When an authority such as the police department holds such initiatives, there is more seriousness. Because kids are connected to the Internet today, it can sometimes be a menace. Apart from the police, schools which do not have any workshop should also get cyber experts and talk to students because it is very important today.”
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