As a parent to an 8-year-old studying in a city school, Shalu Mishra Agarwal worries about what her child might come across on the internet. “When I, as an adult, get distracted by pop-up ads online, it always concerns me about the kind of ads and sites that my child is exposed to,” says the resident of Mumbai’s Malad. “My child’s picture, roll number, address, division, audio-visual content for homework were all there on the digital platforms of the school. The possibilities of such data being misused on social media by opportunists to cause harm to my child and my family really bothered me and sharing the information made me uncomfortable,” she adds.

With Covid-19 necessitating the use of digital platforms for education across schools and colleges, there has been a multi-fold increase in students below the age of 18, parents and educators accessing classes through the likes of Zoom, Google Meet, Skype. The increased access to personal smartphones and internet has exposed children to potential threats of the digital world such as data leaks, cyber bullying, cyber stalking and other serious cyber crimes leading to harmful physical and psychological impact. Agarwal’s fears echo the concerns of many parents who are bothered by their child’s increased screen time, but are helpless in the face of changes brought in by the pandemic.