One in three internet users in the world is a child (<18 years old). Children are exposed to various risks online including abusive language, violent and gory content, and targeting by scammers and sexual predators. Excessive internet use can also disrupt social relationships, learning, eye health, and posture development. Most apps that have been developed to protect children safe online focus on providing parents the ability to restrict access to certain content or to limit screen time. However, studies show these techniques can lead to conflicts between parents and children, and tech-savvy children can often find workarounds. In this study, we are conducting a survey and interview study with parents and children in Rwanda to co-design digital applications to address children’s safety online. The students will need to complete CITI ethics training, help advertise the study and recruit parents, conduct interviews, and analyze data. The students will then develop web or mobile applications based on these findings, and evaluate them through lab-based usability tests and a 2-week deployment.
Eligible researchers
Master's students