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Participating in the 10th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, enabled me to learn about experiences in other countries in fields such as the development and installation of infrastructure and other technical aspects, diplomatic relations around the information society and internet governance, and the expansion of inter-institutional relations and cooperation agreements.
My work in Bolivia focuses on psychological support and educational and preventive efforts around the issue of digital violence, working with children and adolescents, parents and educators, and through the IGF I was able to come into contact with experiences in other countries involving similar organisations.
We were also able to share the experience of Fundación REDES in the development of awareness of the shared responsibility of each and every one of us in the exercise of internet rights.
Personally and professionally, my participation in the IGF allowed me to see that many people and organisations are focused on the promotion of access to the internet.
Personally, I reinforced my approach, in terms of the importance of clarifying the psychological, social and cultural conditions of the people accessing the internet. I believe it is important to place emphasis on social understanding of this virtual world, and create awareness of the dangers that people can be exposed to (violation of rights on the internet). We have seen that many people have no guidance on the use of digital information and the application of this knowledge in their daily life. It is important to promote access to information and individual training online, which means that people need have access to digital education processes, with a high degree of participation and involvement of families, something that is currently absent from most digital inclusion initiatives.
From a psychological perspective, I have encountered various realities in terms of the generation gap in the use of digital information for development. On the basis of our experience in Bolivia, we have observed that many parents are busy working, teachers have difficulties in using the technology, and the new generations are entering the world of the internet with no guidance, resulting in a series of “digital risk behaviours” that have been clearly identified by Fundación REDES since 2010. Our research demonstrates that many develop habits that make them “online consumers” of information and content that is inappropriate for psycho-emotional development, which in the long term can result in other types of social problems such as poor school performance. We are facing issues such as addiction to pornography and online gaming, which are affecting families in the areas of interpersonal relations, as well as in economic and social terms. There is insufficient concern for personal image, due to the lack of a clear notion of the meaning of the exercise of rights, and this is something that we should take into account when promoting access to the internet “without education”.
We have identified large gaps between massive access to the internet and the identification and reporting of cases of digital violence. In many countries there are difficulties for reporting these types of cases. At Fundación REDES, we are currently producing material for “Expert assistance for victims of digital violence” and developing practices for the reporting and investigation of these cases in coordination with computer experts, lawyers and the police.
I believe it is crucial to address the impacts of digital violence on the child and youth population in terms of issues related to mental health and public health. It is important to combine policies on access and digital inclusion with consideration of the possibility of overexposure to inappropriate content. In many cases, internet access is promoted uncritically, leading to social irresponsibility with regard to protection of the rights of children and adolescents. In Bolivia, we have observed an exponential increase in issues of violence against children that result from this access without family guidance and geared primarily to consumption.
When we exercise rights, we also need to learn to respect the rights of others, especially since each and every one of us lives within a surrounding community. We cannot address the exercise of rights without the fundamental basis of respect for others. In order for this to happen, we need to focus on the new generations, who are growing up without clear guidance in this regard. This is one of the areas that Fundación REDES has been working on through its workshops on “Prevention of Digital Violence in Schools”. As part of the workshop content we have created links between psychological and sociological concepts, the exercise of rights, and the use of technology on issues of human development. By recognising ourselves as human beings with feelings and emotions, capable of taking care of ourselves and of others, we can stimulate the development of a sense of solidarity and collaboration, and also learn to be more respectful and sensitive to the needs of those around us. These are fundamental issues of public health and mental health.
Some observations on the organisation of the IGF
I think it is important to create spaces that are a bit more flexible in terms of time, and it would perhaps also be good to plan the subjects addressed in advance and send participants a summary of the information, so that they can send questions, comments and proposals before the meeting.
Overall, the organisation, the spaces and the events that were planned for the IGF took place as planned. However, I am Latin American and my language is Spanish. I would have liked there to be translators in all of the meeting rooms, because the lack of translation somewhat limited my participation in some of the workshops.
