Most parents would never knowingly leave their child alone in an unsafe environment.
We teach children how to cross roads safely. We warn them about strangers. We want to know where they are, who they are with and whether they have arrived home safely.
Yet many of the same children spend hours each day in digital environments that most adults do not fully understand.
Social media platforms, gaming communities, messaging apps and video sharing sites have become central to modern childhood. They offer opportunities for learning, creativity and connection. They also expose children to risks that previous generations never faced.
A recent legal challenge in New Mexico has reignited a global conversation about the responsibility of technology companies to protect young users. The state has sought to hold Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accountable for alleged harms experienced by children on its platforms.
While the case is taking place thousands of kilometres away, it raises an important question for South African families:
Who is protecting our children online?
The answer is more complicated than many people realise.
The Digital Playground Has Changed
Today’s children are growing up in a world where online interaction is often inseparable from everyday life.
Friendships develop through social media.
Entertainment is delivered through algorithms.
Communication happens through messaging platforms.
Even education increasingly relies on digital tools.
For many children, the online world is not separate from the real world. It is simply part of life.
That reality creates opportunities, but it also creates vulnerabilities.
Unlike a school playground, the internet does not close at the end of the day. It is always available. It is global. And not everyone participating in it has good intentions.
The Risks Children Face Online
When people think about online dangers, they often focus on cyberbullying.
While cyberbullying remains a serious concern, it is only one part of a much larger picture.
Children today face a range of risks that include:
- Online grooming
- Sextortion
- Identity theft
- Social media scams
- Gaming scams
- Exposure to inappropriate content
- Manipulative advertising
- Financial fraud
- Deepfake exploitation
- Privacy violations
Many of these risks share a common feature.
They rely on trust.
The same trust that makes children curious, social and willing to connect with others can also make them vulnerable to manipulation.
Grooming and Manipulation
One of the most serious online threats facing children is grooming.
Grooming occurs when an adult builds a relationship with a child for the purpose of exploitation.
The process is rarely obvious.
It often begins with friendship.
The adult may appear supportive, understanding and trustworthy. Over time, personal information is gathered, emotional dependence develops and boundaries are gradually eroded.
Many parents imagine this happening on obscure websites.
In reality, grooming can occur anywhere children interact online, including social media platforms, gaming communities and messaging applications.
The challenge is that the behaviour often looks harmless at first.
That is why education and communication are so important.
The Rise of Sextortion
Another growing concern is sextortion.
In these scams, children are manipulated into sharing intimate images or videos. The scammer then threatens to distribute the material unless money, additional content or compliance is provided.
The emotional impact can be devastating.
Victims often experience fear, shame and isolation.
What makes sextortion particularly cruel is that it weaponises trust and embarrassment at the same time.
Many young people are too frightened to seek help.
This silence benefits the scammer.
Open family communication remains one of the strongest defences against these crimes.
Gaming and Social Media Scams
Children are also increasingly targeted by scammers posing as friends, influencers or gaming contacts.
Promises of free game credits, exclusive items, prize giveaways or account upgrades are common tactics.
The objective may be financial theft.
It may be account hijacking.
It may be data collection.
The scam itself is often secondary.
The real goal is access.
Access to personal information.
Access to payment details.
Access to accounts.
Access to trust.
Children who have not been taught to recognise these tactics can be particularly vulnerable.
What Does South African Law Say?
South Africa does have legal frameworks designed to protect children.
The Constitution recognises the rights and best interests of children.
The Children’s Act provides important protections relating to child welfare.
The Protection of Personal Information Act, commonly known as POPIA, includes provisions relating to the collection and processing of children’s personal information.
Cybercrime legislation also creates mechanisms for addressing certain forms of online abuse and exploitation.
These laws are important.
They establish rights.
They create obligations.
They provide pathways for enforcement.
But laws alone cannot monitor every interaction occurring on a smartphone at eleven o’clock at night.
Nor can legislation replace parental involvement, education or community awareness.
Are The Platforms Doing Enough?
This is the question at the centre of debates taking place around the world.
Technology companies have introduced parental controls, age restrictions, content moderation systems and reporting tools.
These measures have value.
Yet concerns remain.
Many critics argue that platforms are designed to maximise engagement rather than prioritise child wellbeing.
Algorithms are intended to keep users online.
Notifications encourage repeated interaction.
Recommendation systems influence what children see and consume.
The result is a complicated environment where commercial interests and child safety do not always align perfectly.
Whether existing measures are sufficient remains the subject of ongoing legal and public debate.
The First Line of Defence
When discussing online safety, it is tempting to look for a single solution.
There is no single solution.
The reality is that protecting children online requires multiple layers.
Government has a role.
Schools have a role.
Technology companies have a role.
Law enforcement has a role.
But parents and caregivers remain the first line of defence.
That does not mean monitoring every message or reading every conversation.
It means creating an environment where children feel comfortable talking about their online experiences.
It means teaching digital literacy.
It means discussing scams, manipulation and privacy before problems arise.
Most importantly, it means helping children understand that asking for help is always better than staying silent.
Building Scam Intuition Early
One of the most valuable lessons a child can learn is that not everyone online is who they claim to be.
This lesson applies to strangers.
It applies to influencers.
It applies to advertisements.
It applies to competitions and giveaways.
It even applies to apparent friends.
Children who understand how manipulation works are better equipped to recognise it.
Just as we teach road safety and stranger danger, we must teach scam awareness and digital safety.
These are no longer specialist skills.
They are life skills.
A Final Thought
The debate taking place in New Mexico raises important questions about accountability and responsibility in the digital age.
Those questions matter.
But regardless of how courts, governments and technology companies respond, one reality remains clear.
Our children are already online.
The challenge is not deciding whether they should participate in the digital world.
The challenge is preparing them to navigate it safely.
Scammers do not need to break into your life. They wait for a trusted person, platform or institution to open the door for them.
Children are often targeted because they are curious, trusting and connected.
Those qualities should be protected, not exploited.
At Scamtuition, the goal is not to create fear around technology. It is to build awareness.
The more children understand about online risks, the more confidently they can enjoy the opportunities that technology provides.
And the more informed parents become, the stronger that protection becomes.
Because when it comes to online safety, education is not just prevention.
It is empowerment.