As South Africa reflected on Safer Internet Day on February 10, Karen Farred, CEO of Girls and Boys Town South Africa (GBTSA), which operates a campus in Kagiso/ Randfontein, is raising a serious concern: Are children safer online, or more exposed?
Farred, who also speaks as a mother, says the rise of next-generation Wi-Fi technologies – faster connections, smarter devices, and instant access – has created new challenges for children’s safety. While the internet offers opportunities for learning, connection, and personal growth, it also exposes young people to risks from predators, cyberbullies, scammers, and harmful content.
“Today, danger does not arrive loudly. It does not knock at the door. It comes quietly, through screens we willingly place in our children’s hands, often unsupervised,” Farred says.
She further explains that faster, smarter connectivity means children are online earlier, for longer, and in more private spaces than ever before.
“Exposure is no longer gradual – it is immediate,” she warns.
She points to a troubling reality in many homes: toddlers watch videos, teenagers scroll endlessly, adults respond to messages – all together, yet worlds apart.
Farred calls this digital silence, which creates a vacuum that can leave children vulnerable.
At GBTSA, Farred works with children who have already been harmed – emotionally, psychologically, and sometimes irreversibly.
“Many of these harms began online: unnoticed, unchecked, and unaddressed until it was too late.”
She stresses that this is not about blaming parents, but about awareness and action.
Farred cautions that screens not only expose children to danger but also quietly separate families. Conversations are replaced by scrolling, eye contact by notifications, and emotional connection by constant digital noise.
“When families stop connecting, children start seeking belonging elsewhere. And the internet is always ready to receive them without the built-in boundaries and care that healthy families provide. We cannot outsource parenting to technology.”
To protect children, Farred urges parents and caregivers to respond with intention, not fear.
She offers practical steps:
• Slow down the home, even as the internet speeds up. Create moments where phones are put away, and conversation is restored
• Be curious, not confrontational. Ask children what they watch, who they talk to, and how they feel online
• Set firm boundaries rooted in love. Limits are care, not control
• Model the behaviour expected. Children cannot learn digital discipline from distracted adults
• Stay involved, not invasive. Presence protects more than surveillance ever will
Farred emphasises that Safer Internet Day is not just about online safety, but about responsibility, awareness, and courage.
“Children do not need unlimited access. They need guidance. They need a connection. They need us.”
Girls and Boys Town South Africa remains committed to protecting, nurturing, and advocating for children both online and offline.
“No matter how fast the internet becomes, childhood must never be rushed, exploited, or left unprotected.
