MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR “I heard that there could be affairs in marriages but don’t know if it is true. You can’t control if your husband has an affair anyhow.” MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR 5.3.5 Children and the internet FGD Yangon, female owner, 46–65, working, SEC B/C “Some say that females should use the internet only under our supervision but my niece already uses it without supervision.” FGD rural, male owner, 30–45, working, SEC C/D “You need to educate people so that they don’t have these problems. It depends with whom you make friends. You can unfriend them if you don’t like what they post.” “Those under 18 shouldn’t use the internet. They are still immature. They could fall in love, meet outside, and get abused. But if they are older it is not a problem.” FGD rural, female owners, 18–29, working, SEC C/D “I haven’t heard of any negative things.” FGD rural, female non-owner, 46–65, non-working, SEC D/E The vast majority of respondents believed that the internet was an overall positive thing that helped people to develop and gain knowledge. However, there was also consensus that children need some restrictions on when they are allowed to play games and when they should be allowed to have their own mobile. This is mainly out of concern for their education and it interfering with their studies. Many parents let their children play with phones because they consider it beneficial for their development, but not during study time. There is also widespread agreement that children should only own a phone after grade 11 because the ‘right’ usage of the internet requires some maturity. “Children before grade 11 shouldn’t use a mobile. They could fall in love on FB, use drugs and meet unsuitable persons. They should concentrate on their education.” HV Yangon, female owner, 19, non-working, SEC C “Children only want to play games and not learn anything.” HV Yangon, female non-owner, 40, non-working, SEC C/D “I got calls from guys who knew my name but I blacklisted these numbers.” HV Yangon, female owner, 19, non-working, SEC C Incorporating content on internet safety and privacy (including social media) into national school ICT curricula can help ease concerns about the negative impacts of children accessing mobiles. • Incorporating content on internet safety and privacy (including social media) in digital literacy efforts is necessary. • Content design should take into account the lack of awareness of privacy and security settings, for example, simplifying settings, making them more accessible, etc. 64 65