Mumbai: Maharashtra has the highest number of Internet users among children, a recent report has revealed. According to the report by the NGO CRY titled POCSO and Beyond: Understanding Online Safety during COVID, 2023, Maharashtra had the highest number of Internet users among children aged 6 to 14 among the states in the country.
The report said that Maharashtra also has the highest average internet usage among all age groups compared to other states. After Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are at the lower spots in order. According to the CRY report, the rate of internet usage is highest among adolescent boys and girls in Maharashtra.
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The report was released by the NGO CRY on the occasion of November 14, which is celebrated as Children's Day across the country. Officials said that Internet usage among children is on the rise. In this connection, NGO CRY has launched an online safety initiative for children across the state with the report being part of the campaign.
'Cyber Safety Campaign' is being implemented to create awareness among children about issues related to child rights and child safety. An official said that so far 20000 school children in Mumbai have been educated over the matter. He said that the NGO CRY has visited schools across the state and conducted workshops to create awareness among students of classes 5 to 9 about cyber crimes.
Children were educated on Phishing Cyber Harassment Identification, False Advertisements, Cyber Trafficking and Online Gaming. Kriya Rabadi, associated with CRY NGO said that these students were educated on how to keep online phone passwords safe, how to protect smartphones, precautions to be taken while sharing private information on social media accounts.
