Cybersecurity starts at home: Why mothers need digital literacy

Imagine this: You are scrolling on your phone and your mum calls you for help with her social media. Would you give her a thorough explanation or just brush it off? Whatever the circumstance may be, it is a well-known fact that we, the younger generation, have a greater grasp of the internet than our mothers. Should that, however, stay unchanged? Or should our mums know more about the digital world?

As technology influences almost every part of modern life, the ability to effectively use digital tools has become crucial for individuals of all ages. The need for educating mothers, therefore, should not be overlooked, despite the emphasis on teaching digital literacy to youth and young adults. 

Having a solid grasp of digital literacy involves several different abilities, such as being able to use smartphones, thinking critically, understanding how to find and use information safely, and being conscious of one's privacy and security online. These abilities are crucial for mums to protect themselves and their children online in today's digital world, where fake news and cybercrime are rampant.

Digital footprint

The majority of mothers see the internet as a space to like, comment, and share their free opinions on various topics. That, however, is not even close to being realistic in this day and age of social media. More people than ever before are looking into people's digital footprints of their social media activity. There is a possibility that things from the past may come back to haunt them. 

Mothers often fail to see the significance of the power that social media postings, comments, uploaded photographs, and files have to mould their reputations in the eyes of a large audience. It is going to be there, and others who know them could see it as well, which might affect relationships. If they remark on anything controversial, it will remain there for everyone to witness.

Cyberbullying 

The internet can be a cruel place filled with bullies. Little do most mums know, that cyberbullying is now rampant. Teenagers and youth, especially, are more prone to cyberbullying because the bullies are less likely to face consequences for their misconduct in the virtual space. If the mother is unaware of the proper steps to mitigate such issues, this might have negative impacts on the mental health of their child.

Moreover, cyberbullying now affects people of all ages and nobody is immune to this occurrence. A mother might publish a remark that others begin to criticise or post an image that could become a meme. This might have negative impacts on their mental health as well as they could not completely understand the internet's current vibe.

Scams

An important concern is that many mums blindly follow what they read online because they are not familiar with the terrifying activities of the internet arena, scammers can get their hands on them.

Scammers posing as government officials, lottery officials, tech support employees, or investors could target mums who believe everything on the internet. Other common forms of fraud include voice phishing and other similar schemes. 

Scammers have also picked up on the fact that internet shopping is a popular pastime for mums. As a result of this, a significant number of mums fall victim to fraudulent online shopping sites, which may offer the purchase of cosmetics or pharmaceuticals but in reality, scam money off of unaware buyers.

Child security

In this age of digital technology, it is common for mums to snap pictures of their children and then proudly upload those to their social media accounts so that they may be shared with everyone. While it is adorable and charming, the world of the internet and artificial intelligence is only becoming more dangerous. 

 The seemingly innocent stuff that mums publish on social media might get up in the hands of others who have malicious intentions and could be used against them by using deep fakes created by artificial intelligence. The sexually graphic videos and photos that are created by predators who target minors may inflict emotional anguish and trauma on anybody who views them.

Internet usage monitoring

The internet is an elusive place for children with a wealth of materials up for consumption. Unfortunately, they may not realise that posting certain things online may affect their employment and education prospects in future. To safeguard their children from such activities, mothers should learn how to supervise their children's internet usage.

Moreover, the inability of children to reliably assess the safety of a website, app, or download means that they may be exposed to inappropriate content when using the internet. They could infect their gadget without realising it. If mothers are more tech-savvy, keeping tabs on their children's online activity might make them take quick action on what to do next in such situations.

The internet can be a dangerous place just as it is a useful place. Teaching mums how to use technology effectively is not just a good idea, but a need in our modern day. By giving them the skills and information they need, we give them the power to be good digital mothers, guardians, and advocates for their kids.

Photo: Collected/Jonas Leupe/Unsplash