The benefits of digital technology must reach every child, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has said. “A growing digital divide in an increasingly shrinking world is a paradoxical reality that we must face. The benefits of digital technology must reach every child, in particular the most marginalised children being left behind,” Rao said. He was speaking here yesterday after releasing the UNICEF’s ‘The State of the World Children Report 2017’ at Raj Bhavan here, Swati Mohapatra, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Maharashtra, said in a release. “The access to information, skills and platforms that the digital world provides is unparalleled. But we must also ensure that the content that children access online is safe and child-friendly,” he said.
Rajeshwari Chandrasekar, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Maharashtra, said, “Digital technology is not only changing the world, but the nature of childhood as well. Smartphones and tablets have become all-pervasive, entering even the child’s bedroom and crib.” “There is a need to ensure that children’s experiences online and offline are positive. We must also work together to make a child-safe digital world accessible to all children, cutting across gender, economic and cultural barriers,” she said. “Access to safe online content can empower every child,” she added.
