KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN CYBERSPACE: THE MOST SUITABLE AGE FOR A CHILD TO

OWN A SMARTPHONE

Rizal Technological University

Senior High School Division
Research

Presented by:
Baronda, Von Mathew
Camat, Loren Viktoria
Daanoy, Maria Ethyl Grace
Grimaldo, John Lorenz
Labrador, Rhiyanna Eunisse
Macapallag, Job Joshua
Solis, Geryn Erika

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

CHAPTER I: THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
Background of the Study
Research Paradigm
Theoretical Framework
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Scope and Delimitations
Definition of Terms

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Uses of Smartphones
Statistics
Age
Parenting
Child Development
Child Protection
Cybercrime Cases
Synthesis

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Method Used

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 Population Frame and Sampling Scheme
Description of the Respondents
Instrumentation
Data Gathering Procedure
Statistical Treatment of Data

REFERENCES

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 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Keeping children safe is surely the top priority of any parent. A fundamental part
of parenting is to set and to maintain children’s boundaries around technology. One of the
issues parents seem to face in keeping children safe is regarding the excessive and
intolerable use of technology, specifically smartphones.

A lot of children start asking for a smartphone as early as elementary school. Most
of the parents seem to allow their children to own one to give them the ability to
communicate with their friends, use them for seeking information online and for other
educational purposes, and for their own entertainment and enjoyment.

Smartphones are one of the wisest and most convenient technological inventions
throughout the history of mankind. It is both a luxury and a need that serves a number of
purpose in a man's life. It has become an essential device in the modern era for it is being
used by almost everyone most of the time. Enhancing the communication, increasing the
productivity, expanding the knowledge of the people are some of its key purposes.

Smartphones are not only for study and educational purposes, it also serves as an
entertainment for the adults and youth. However, not all devices are suitable or
appropriate for all ages.

With the rise of the smartphone technology, many parents let their children, as
young as six-year-olds, to have their own smartphones. It might be convenient to own
one because it seems to be harmless. Nevertheless, the disadvantages might be greater
in contrary to its benefits. Children begin to develop areas and aspects like psychological,
social, and physical at this early stage since this is where they start to interact with others.
Smartphones do not only hinder a child’s development, it also place them in great danger.
Their premature minds make them vulnerable to cyberspace hazards such as viruses,
malwares, hackers, and internet predators.

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 Due to the rising number of cybercrimes across the world involving children, this
study aims to determine the most suitable age for a child to own a smartphone to prevent
and protect them from such risks and hazards of internet crimes.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the modern generation, owning a smartphone has been becoming a demand for
adults and even for kids. People always try to be on trend by buying the latest models of
smartphones without even knowing the huge implications of these devices on the aspects
of a person's life. According to the latest study of Central’s 2016 Digital trends study, on
average, a child gets his or her first smartphone at 10.3 years old. The same study shows
that by age 12, a full 50 percent of children have social media accounts (primarily
Facebook and Instagram). This is not surprising because the technology is continuously
growing as well as the curiosity of the children about the world of social media.

On the average, children are 12 years old when they receive their first mobile
device. Research from Pew also found that 95 percent of teens have access to a
smartphone – either theirs or their parent’s. And about 45 percent of U.S. children ages
10 to 12 have a smartphone with a service plan.

Researchers who have done studies regarding the usual age a child gets their own
smartphones found out that kids normally own a smartphone in the ages 10-12. Owning
a smartphone is not extremely dangerous. In fact, other children who have smartphones
at their young age helps them on their workloads in convenient ways. Moreover, adults
motivate and tolerate the youth to use technology to reinforce and improve their learning
styles. However, it is very important for the children to know their boundaries concerning
the usage of smartphones in their daily lives. It may affect a certain area of their lives if
they have no proper management of time in using such devices that will lead them to
forgetting the intended purpose of owning a smartphone.

Toyama (2015), a computer scientist and the author of ‘Greek Heresy: Rescuing
Social Change from the Cult of Technology’, smartphones offer easy access to
cyberbullying, pornography, pointless distractions, and many unhealthy social media

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habits and research shows no educational benefit to children owning their own
smartphones. Yet, the accountability holds the guardian of a child who owns a
smartphone at their young age.

Having researched the subject for nearly a decade, the latest advice seems to
suggest waiting until eighth grade at the earliest. It gives children a year before high
school to get used to using a smartphone, dealing with the information overload and
learning to use the device responsibly. Snow (2017)

RESEARCH PARADIGM

1. Why do children get

their own smartphones at
an early age?

2. How does a
smartphone affect a
child’s:

2.1 Psychological
Development

2.2 Social
Development

2.3 Physical
Development

3. What is the best age

for a child to own a
smartphone?

Input Process Output

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Most of the population use smartphones for several purposes. It eases the lives of
the adults and even the youth. However, the content and information provided by the
internet is not appropriate for all ages. It may cause inevitable harms and risks especially
to children. It may greatly affect the development of a child in different aspects.

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Smartphones for kids may help them in learning but at the same time, it may also hinder
their growth and put them in danger.

Giving kids a smartphone is an important decision for a parent to think thoroughly.

Once they get one, they will have access to all sorts of content in the internet. Despite the
efforts exerted by the adults to limit such access, a child may still explore all the
capabilities provided in the cyberspace to suffice their curiosity. Smartphones are one of
the gateways to a vast world of content that young eyes should have limitations in seeing.
It is a device that provides endless routes to access inappropriate content. In addition,
cyberspace is where ill people (e.g., cyberbullies, sexual predators) linger and interact
with young kids.

According to Brooks (2018), adults should be careful and shield the kids from
inappropriate contents until they are a little older and more mature. On a research
regarding the negative effects of smartphones on a child's well-being, Brooks derived
conclusions that since kids and teens are spending a lot of time on screens, their "typical"
use might be "overuse." In addition, the overuse of screens seems to be associated with
negative health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. It might
also cause negative results by pushing out more need-satisfying activities, which include
sleep, physical activity, and in-person social interactions. Brooks believe that there are
valid reasons why parents should carefully consider when to get their child a smartphone.
With this in mind, kids will grow strong and gain healthy relationships with peers and
others without the "technoference" that smartphones may possibly outgrow.

Several studies show that children owning and using a smartphone is sometimes
inappropriate especially when a child is still in a middle of a class. Schreiner (2018)
identified the biggest lament of teachers in regards to smartphones is that they lead to
student distraction and off task behaviour. Texting a friend is a tempting diversion that
many students select over listening to a lecture or completing a class assignment. If not
silenced, cell phones can ring during class, drawing everyone's attention away from the
lesson and disrupting the flow of learning. Many teachers worry that this added distraction
negatively impacts students' school performance as it stops them from dedicating their

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full attention to their studies. This will affect the psychological capacity of a child to focus
in school.

Alan Brown proposed what he calls the cell phone theory (or divided attention).
This means that when we are distracted with something else, we subliminally take in
what's around us but may not truly register it consciously. Then, when we are able to
focus on what we are doing, those surroundings appear to already be familiar to us even
when they shouldn't be. This is related to what they call déjà vu. But at this theory the
main factor to for this to happen is when someone is using a smartphone. Using
smartphone will divide our focus on something, and if so the effect on the child is the
same. It means that using smartphone will divide a child’s attention. Instead of doing
school works or some activities that will help them, they tend to spend their time on using
mobile technology. Their ability on doing things will not be in action, they lose in
developing themselves on something that will totally help them to improve what they have
due to lack of concentration.

Saligari (2017) supports what Brown said. In this theory, Saligari stated that giving
a child their own smartphone is like giving them a gram of cocaine. Because for her using
smartphone is also addiction. If a parent gives a smartphone to their child, it will cause
distraction and poison to their mind and health. Because if a child get too serious on using
this kind of technology, it will equivalent to addiction respectively

Owning a smartphone is becoming an issue especially when parents provide this

device to their kids at an early age. Children are vulnerable to all types of harms and
disadvantages that smartphones and the cyberspace might offer. Their young minds
might still not be matured enough to handle and understand all the information the internet
may provide. The content can be accessed by anyone but this does not mean that it is
appropriate to all ages. Moreover, their innocence might be put at risk as they more likely
become the prey of internet predators.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. Why do children get their own smartphones at an early age?

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 2. How does a smartphone affect a child’s:
2.1 Psychological Development
2.2 Social Development
2.3 Physical Development
3. What is the best age for a child to own a smartphone?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study that aims to provide the effects of using smartphones in a child’s
development and determine the most suitable age for a child to own a smartphone
furnishes a number of benefits to the following:

Children (12 and below). The study will help the children in gaining the right and
appropriate knowledge and information the cyberspace may offer. It will aid on a kid’s
natural order of learning and on the development of the aspects in a child’s life. In addition,
it will help prevent them from being involved in cybercrimes and protect them from cyber
predators.

Parents. The results of the study will serve as a guide to the parents as to when it
is the right time for them to give their children their own smartphones. Moreover, it will be
a huge help in monitoring their kids on using the internet including the contents and
information they might access and encounter. The right guidance and monitoring of the
parents will put their kids on safety and prevent them from being victims of internet crimes.

Teachers. The study will help the teachers in assisting the parents in guiding and
monitoring the children. With the information given by the study, the teachers may
observe the development of a child in terms of psychological, social, and physical; and
report these observations to the parents for them to access their kid’s situations.

Policy makers. The data gathered in the study will help the policy makers in
strengthening the laws and implementing policies regarding cybercrimes especially with
the involvement of the minors.

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 Future Researches. The study will serve as a guide and contribution to the further
studies and researches of other researchers about the most suitable age for a child to
own a smartphone along with its positive and negative effects.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

This study aims to discover why children demand for their own smartphones at an
early age and why parents grant their children’s demand. In addition, it aims to determine
the effects of using smartphones in a child’s psychological, social, and physical
development as well as the best or most suitable age for a child to own a smartphone.

The researchers’ respondents are students from 7th grade in the Laboratory High
School of the Rizal Technological University and their respective parents. The selected
students and parents are chosen because they will be the key to finding a reason as to
why most of the kids at this age demand for a smartphone from their parents and why
their parents instantly hand them their demand.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Anxiety – Refers to the apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness about what might

happen.

Cyber Bullying – Is the use of electronic communication to post mean-spirited messages

about a person which is often done anonymously.
Cybercrime – Is a criminal activity (such as fraud, theft, or distribution of child
pornography) committed using a computer especially to illegally access, transmit, or
manipulate data.

Cyberspace – Pertains to the virtual computer world or the environment in which

communication over computer networks takes place.

Depression – Is a common and serious medical illness that causes feelings of sadness
and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.
Distraction – Refers to something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention.

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Diversion – Is the act or an instance of diverting or straying from a course, activity, or
use.
Hacker – Is a person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data.

Internet – Refers to the global computer network providing a variety of information and
communication facilities.

Internet/Cyber predators – Pertains to the people who use internet to exploit usually
younger people for sexual and other purposes.
Malware – Is a software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning.
Physical Development – Refers to the development in a child’s life that affects the body.

Priority – Pertains to something that is more important than other things and that needs
to be done or dealt with first.

Psychological Development – Refers to the development in a child’s life that affects the
mind or related to the mental or emotional state of a person.
Risk – Is a situation involving exposure to danger.

Smartphone – Is a cell phone that includes additional software functions (such as e-mail
or an Internet browser).
Social Development – Refers to the development in a child’s life that is affects how they
communicate and interact with other people.

Technoference – Refers to the interruptions in interpersonal communication caused by

attention paid to personal technological devices.
Technology – Is the practical application of knowledge in certain areas.
Virus – Is a computer program that is usually disguised as an innocuous program or file,
that often produces copies of itself and inserts them into other programs, and that when
run usually performs a malicious action (such as destroying data or damaging software).

Vulnerable – Pertains to someone who is in need of special care, support, or protection

because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect.

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter includes the ideas, finished thesis, generalization or conclusions,

methodologies and others. The studies included in this chapter were stated in a thematic
way. These will help in familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to the present
study.

USES OF SMARTPHONES

Smartphones— given the fact that it is a part of the emerging technology today—
has a lot of uses. Mainly, it is used for work and educational purposes. Smartphones
make it easier for people to access and to look for credible sources that can be used for
research in school and it can provide reliable information for people to use at work. Also,
it can be helpful for children regarding all the school work assigned.

It is also useful by means of entertainment; it is where people can watch videos,

listen to music, browse photos, and play games. Smartphones are very useful in terms of
communication and connectivity. As claimed by Kiran Bera, smartphones are important
due to the connectivity it provides. People are able to send e-mails or messages through
social media applications to other people across the world with the combined use of
smartphones and internet.

Smartphones are also good for storage and security. You can store important data
such as files, information and details on our phone (Bera, 2017). Smartphones today
provide specifications which ensures the security of it. Smartphones also allow people to
download applications that can be helpful in one’s daily life. For example, a calculator
application— people don’t have to go to the nearest mall to purchase one. It would be
easier if such application is already downloaded in one’s smartphone. Another example
is a Holy Bible. People can read God’s word without spending money. People can just
simply download a Bible app and read it from there.

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 Just like what any other people use their smartphones for, it is used for social
media networking. Social network applications such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
can be downloaded and used in such devices which increased interactions among people
in different parts if the world. It is also used as a platform for people to voice out feelings
and opinions regarding a certain issue or topic.

Another use of smartphones is financial transactions. Mobile money transfer has

been made possible by smartphones. Other transactions include mobile recharges and
bill payment which makes it very convenient for people who has workload (Nurayin, 2017)

In relation to the study, there are three main smartphone uses that become the
reason as to why children want to own one at such an early age namely: for
communication, educational purposes, and entertainment purposes.

STATISTICS

The number of smartphone users worldwide today surpasses three billion and is
forecast to further grow by several hundred million in the next few years. China, India,
and the United States are the countries with the highest number of smartphone users with
each country easily surpassing the 100 million user mark. Smartphones became worldly
used by 1.85 billion people in 2014. In 2015, 54 percent across 21 emerging and
developing countries such as Malaysia, Brazil, and China reported using the Internet at
least occasionally or owning a smartphone. In comparison, a median of 87 percent
reported the same across 11 advanced economies, including the United States and
Canada, major Western European nations, developed Pacific nations (Australia, Japan,
and South Korea), and Israel (Pew Research Center, 2016). South Korea showed the
highest rate of smartphone ownership of about 88% followed by Australia (77%), and the
United States (72%). In a survey on Korean smartphone use in 2016, 83.6 % of Koreans
aged over 3 years were found to use a smartphone. Among them, 86.7 percent of males
and 80.6 percent of females reported using a smartphone, and 95.9 percent of teenagers
were found to use a smartphone (Korea Internet and Security Agency, 2017).

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 Almost 66.7% of children surveyed in Bahrain, Japan and the Philippines use a
mobile phone. Bahrain has the highest proportion at 99%, followed by the Philippines at
nearly 60%. Japan has the lowest penetration rate at 57%. Looking at the age at which
children started to own a mobile phone, in Japan, age 15 was the most common
response. Meanwhile, in the Philippines is age 10 and age 12 in Honduras. Looking at
the three country average for Japan, the Philippines and Honduras, the most common
age for a child to first own a mobile phone is between 10 and 12 years. Therefore, this
study also found that all children they surveyed use their mobile phones to access the
Internet at 85% and 76% of all children in the Philippines use tablets that is why
Philippines has the highest proportion (GSMA, 2015).

AGE

Many parents have begun thinking about providing children with a phone during
the middle school years, when kids are more likely to be involved in after school activities
and more likely to be home alone. One in four children under the age of six has a
smartphone, a survey by MusicMagpie has found. Despite parents insisting that 11 is the
"ideal" age for children to have a phone, a poll found 25 percent of children aged six and
under already own smartphones and spends up to 21 hours per week on such devices.
Although as claimed by the latest research, on average, a child gets his or her first
smartphone at 10.3 years old. That same study shows that by age 12, a full 50 percent
of children have social media accounts (primarily Facebook and Instagram).

The age at which children get their first phones, has got even younger, and while
many agree that there’s no defined age to give a child a phone, there’s a lot parents can
do to ensure their child’s day-to-day life isn’t consumed by one. Researchers found that
8 in 10 parents don’t limit the amount of time children spend on their phones. This can
lead to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and even loneliness. Despite
the fact that researchers found UK parents feel that age 11 is the “perfect” age for children
to have an internet connected phone, there are still a high majority of younger kids using
smartphones.

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 As discussed by Moreno (2017) in the article Your Child's First Cell Phone, there
are no evidence-based age recommendations for when a child should get a phone. A
common rule of thumb is around the ages of 13 to 15 years, because kids are getting
ready to go to or are in high school and they may be involved in after-school activities and
would benefit from being able to text, call, or look up bus stops or schedules. Teenagers
this age typically have experience being online, and they may have learned how to handle
online information or interactions that are scary or inappropriate. It is better for kids to
learn how to handle these experiences with a teacher or parent available for support
compared with having a first experience alone on a phone.

PARENTING

Parents constitute an important factor influencing the smartphone usage behavior

of their offspring which can be attributed to their role model function for children
(Bronfenbrenner 1979). Specific parenting styles constitute one of the key factors.
Interestingly, laying down no rules (Cho et al. 2016) as well as implementing very strict
limits on smartphone use (Kesten et al. 2015) both increase a child’s device use. There
seems to be a strong complex interplay between factors such as a child’s age, parental
attitudes as well as screen time spent together motivating a child’s screen time and
smartphone usage (Lauricella 2015). This supports the claim that children are highly
influenced by the immediate environment and adopt the behavior the children are
exposed to (Bandura 1977). Moreover, the research shows that also the parents’
technology use and attitudes impact child’s smartphone usage behavior. More parental
usage motivates increased child’s smartphone usage (Connell et al. 2015, Lauricella et
al. 2015, Buxton et al. 2015). Parents’ eagerness to adopt technology as a learning tool
further fosters child’s smartphone usage, which at the same time might lay social pressure
on the child to use such technologies to succeed academically (Eutsler 2018). Finally,
environmental factors such as being personally involved with peers (Gallimberti et al.
2016; Bae 2015) and constant technology exposure (Raman et al. 2017) may foster
smartphone usage.

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CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Early childhood is a critical period in various areas of development. Previous

research has indicated that the preschool and early school years, during which children
are expected to acquire prosocial abilities that will prepare them for social and emotional
success, are a sensitive period for the acquisition of social competences and related
abilities associated to social adjustment. (Cole et al., 2003).

With the development of new portable and instantly accessible technology, such
as smartphones, the time that the children spend using digital devices is increasing
rapidly. As of today, the parents of the modern babies are close to maximizing the use of
the cyberspace as their grounds for keeping their child entertained and lessening their
burden in parenting. However, this can cause them to be emotionally attached to their
phones later in their teen years (Lohmann, 2017).

Increased media exposure can also displace time used for quality parent-child
interaction and reduce sharing of enriching experiences and activities which is associated
with negative developmental outcomes, including language development, self-regulation
and later academic achievement. (Landry, et al., 2002).

Frequent use of mobile devices such as smartphones and/or tablets, without

educational content is likely to be related to behavioral problems in childhood (i.e.,
conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention difficulties). It’s also likely to increase
children’s social isolation, and hinder opportunities for social interaction with family,
friends, that benefits the development of social competence, resulting in
emotional/behavioral problems. (Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018).

Hosokawa (2018) stated that researchers have found that using mobile devices,
such as smartphones and tablets, was associated with a higher likelihood of behavior
problems (i.e., conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention difficulties). Their analyses
were conducted using the propensity score approach. They found that routine and
frequent use of mobile devices without educational content is likely to be related to
behavioral problems in childhood. Several mechanisms are likely to be involved in this
relationship between mobile device use and the risk of emotional/behavioral problems.

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 Smartphones offer several conveniences in the life of a parent. However, if the
parents are not responsible for his/her actions regarding them letting their children use
smartphones, the child might develop a smartphone addiction which is a phenomenon
that pertains to uncontrollability of smartphone use and could lead to social,
psychological, and health problems (Heron and Saphira, 2004; Young, 1999).

Concerns have been raised that as time spent on digital technology increases,
time spent on physical activity is reduced, which might be a contributing factor to child
and adolescent obesity and physical health problems (Kautiainen et al., 2005).

Another cross-national study, drawing on a cross-sectional sample of over 5000 9-

11 year olds (LeBlanc et al., 2015) found that an increase in screen time was associated
with small reductions in physical activity and a slightly less healthy diet. Leblanc and
colleagues (2015) suggest that although screen time is an important aspect of sedentary
behavior, it would also be benefiecial to consider the positive and negative effects of non-
screen based sedentary behavior, to gain a better understanding of their relative impacts.

CHILD PROTECTION

The Internet can be a place to gain knowledge, shop online, play games, and
communicate. Despite the benefits the cyberspace can offer, it can also put the children
in a great amount of danger. Their innocence can make them vulnerable in all types of
online criminals such as sex predators, identity thieves, and cyberbullies.

A common way for a parent or guardian to keep or protect their kids online is by
discussing to them the purpose of the Internet and educating them about the different
online dangers. In order to be safe online, it is important for both the parents and kids to
be aware of such harms and risks the Internet may offer. Parents need to be vigilant about
these hazards their children might encounter online. Since kids today are curious
especially when it comes to technology, they most likely to stumble upon online predators
that might put their reputation and even their lives at risk.

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 Other than parents protecting their kids, there are also laws that are already
implemented for the safety of children online. This includes the Child Online Protection
Act (COPA). It is a law in the United States of America, passed in 1998 with the declared
purpose of restricting access by minors to any material defined as harmful to such minors
on the internet. In the Child Online Protection Summit 2017 in the Philippines, Gonzales
(2017) stated that, parents must impose rules and they should not be afraid to talk to their
children about the Internet for them to be safe online. In addition, Magno-Garcia of the
National ICT Governance Service stated that since both kids and adults have already
seen and heard the dark realities in the online world, the only solution is to start doing
something about them both online and offline and, ultimately, it should begin at home.
Moreover, the summit proved that the plight against online sexual exploitation of children
is a national priority. While the national and local governments need to strengthen their
efforts in addressing child online sexual abuse, it is crucial to tune in to families and
communities with their greater influence to their children’s social development.

The Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 was signed into law by
former President Benigno Aquino III on September 6, 2013. The law requires all
elementary and secondary schools in the country to adopt an anti-bullying policy.
Cyberbullying can be under this law as it is an example of bullying. Another act is the
Cybercrime Prevention Act wherein one who publicly or maliciously imputes to another a
crime, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or blacken the memory of one
who is dead may be liable for libel under this Code. These acts are more severely
punished when done online in addition to the civil action for damages which may be
brought by the offended party. Cyberlibel holds liable only the original author of the post,
likers or sharers of a post cannot be held liable under this law (Dela Cruz, 2017).

In order to keep kids safe online, parents should educate their kids about the
appropriate online behavior (netiquette) as well as knowledge about such cybercrimes.
This will help the children be aware and cautious in using the Internet. The safety of a
child is a responsibility of the parents for they are the ones who provided them
smartphones in the first place. Providing them such gadgets will lead to them gaining

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access to all sorts of content in cyberspace. This access may have a number of benefits
for the kids. However, it may also lead them to inevitable danger.

CYBERCRIME CASES

Cyberspace offers a number of benefits for both adults and kids. It can be used for
the purpose of gaining knowledge, entertainment, communication, and interaction.
Nevertheless, these benefits also brings harms and risks. Since children can access all
sorts of contents online through their smartphones, it is also possible for them to
encounter online predators. Children's involvement in such cybercrime cases may cost
their image, identity, reputation, money, or in worst cases, their lives.

The case in 1993 is a case which involves a minor kid. As reported by the FBI
(Federal Bureau of Investigation), in May 1993, a 10-year-old boy suddenly went missing
from his neighborhood in Brentwood, Maryland. After the boy's disappearance, police
detectives went door-to-door to talk with neighbors wherein they encountered a pair of
suspicious men who had been befriending local children—showering them with gifts and
even taking them on vacation. Investigators soon discovered that the men had been
sexually abusing children for a quarter century. More recently, these men had moved
online, setting up several private computer bulletin boards not only to “chat” with boys
and set up meetings with them, but also to share images of child pornography with a
larger ring of pedophiles. Both men were ultimately convicted of abusing children, but
there was no evidence to link them to the boy’s disappearance. This case spawned a
major national initiative, the Innocent Images National Initiative which aims to crack down
on illicit activities conducted through commercial and private online services and the
Internet. It became the centerpiece of the FBI’s efforts to protect children from cyberspace
predators.

In 1998, there were over 3,000 reports of child sexual abuse imagery. Just over a
decade later, yearly reports soared past 100,000. In 2014, that number surpassed 1
million for the first time. Last year, there were 18.4 million, more than one-third of the total

19
ever reported. Those reports included over 45 million images and videos flagged as child
sexual abuse (Harris, 2019).

The Times reviewed over 10,000 pages of police and court documents; conducted
software tests to assess the availability of the imagery through search engines;
accompanied detectives on raids; and spoke with investigators, lawmakers, tech
executives and government officials. The reporting included conversations with an
admitted pedophile who concealed his identity using encryption software and who runs a
site that has hosted as many as 17,000 such images. In interviews, victims across the
United States described in heart-wrenching detail how their lives had been upended by
the abuse. Children, raped by relatives and strangers alike, being told it was normal.
Adults, now years removed from their abuse, still living in fear of being recognized from
photos and videos on the internet. And parents of the abused, struggling to cope with the
guilt of not having prevented it and their powerlessness over stopping its online spread
(Keller & Dance, 2019).

The cases discussed above just proves that online predators continuously hunt for
their young preys over the years. These online criminals use kids merely for money and
for their inappropriate sexual desires. In addition, it leaves a huge mark and trauma to the
victims. With such cases reported, it is essential for a both children and parents to be
cautious in using the Internet. Most importantly, parents should think thoroughly when it
is the right time to give their kids smartphones as it provides them access to different
kinds of contents in cyberspace. Thus, cyberspace can be a wonderful place to both kids
and adults but it can also be a deadly one.

SYNTHESIS

Smartphones have a lot of uses. It can be used for the purpose of gaining
knowledge by providing credible sources and reliable information, entertainment by
games and movies, communication and interaction by chatting online. It is mainly used
for work and educational purposes. Some use their smartphones as a way to start a new
business, some even use it to apply as a driver in a transportation company which is

20
widely recognized nowadays. Students on the other hand, use their smartphones as a
way to help them in their studies. They take down notes in the note app of their phones
and review them later. It can also be used for financial transactions. Other transactions
include mobile recharges and bill payment which makes it very convenient for people who
has workload (Nurayin, 2017). Smartphones are good for storage and security. You can
store important data such as files, information and details on your phone (Bera, 2017).
Most of the students nowadays do their homeworks in their smartphones which is
important as these things need to be passed on time. A smartphone’s storage is good for
keeping important files like homeworks. It can also allow an application that can be helpful
to everyday life downloadable. These days, smartphones are used for the internet. But
sometimes, too much internet usage may lead to procrastination or even result to
neglecting tasks as defined by Lavoie and Pychyl (as cited by Thatcher, Wretschko, and
Fridjhon 2007). This may also be called as “cyberloafing” or “cyberslacking” wherein an
individual uses the internet for a purpose of avoiding work tasks because it is boring,
unpleasant or too unchallenging (Thatcher et. al, 2007). All in all, there are three main
smartphone uses that become the reason as to why children want to own one at such an
early age namely: for communication, educational purposes, and entertainment
purposes. Smartphone users worldwide today surpasses three billion and is forecast to
further grow by several hundred million in the next few years. Smartphones became
worldly used by 1.85 billion people in 2014. China, India, and the United States are the
countries with the highest number of smartphone users with each country easily
surpassing the 100 million user mark. In 2015, 54 percent across 21 emerging and
developing countries such as Malaysia, Brazil, and China reported using the Internet at
least occasionally or owning a smartphone. In comparison, a median of 87 percent
reported the same across 11 advanced economies, including the United States and
Canada, major Western European nations, developed Pacific nations (Australia, Japan,
and South Korea), and Israel (Pew Research Center, 2016). South Korea showed the
highest rate of smartphone ownership of about 88% followed by Australia (77%), and the
United States (72%). In a survey on Korean smartphone use in 2016, 83.6 % of Koreans
aged over 3 years were found to use a smartphone. This means that children who are
just 3 years old are already given a smartphone to use. Almost 66.7% of children surveyed

21
in Bahrain, Japan and the Philippines use a mobile phone. Bahrain has the highest
proportion at 99%, followed by the Philippines at nearly 60%. Japan has the lowest
penetration rate at 57%. Looking at the age at which children started to own a mobile
phone, in Japan, age 15 was the most common response. Meanwhile, in the Philippines
is age 10 and age 12 in Honduras. Looking at the three country average for Japan, the
Philippines and Honduras, the most common age for a child to first own a mobile phone
is between 10 and 12 years. Therefore, this study also found that all children they
surveyed use their mobile phones to access the Internet at 85% and 76% of all children
in the Philippines use tablets that is why Philippines has the highest proportion (GSMA,
2015). Many parents have begun thinking about providing their children with a phone
during the middle school years, when kids are more likely to be involved in after school
activities and more likely to be home alone. Despite parents insisting that 11 is the "ideal"
age for children to have a phone, a poll found 25 percent of children aged six and under
already own smartphones and spends up to 21 hours per week on such devices. Parents
who give their six and under year old children smartphones should think twice. This would
influence their children to depend in technology at such a young age and they will be
prone to pedophiles. Researchers found that 8 in 10 parents don’t limit the amount of time
children spend on their phones. This can lead to mental health issues such as depression,
anxiety and even loneliness. Although as claimed by the latest research, on average, a
child gets his or her first smartphone at 10.3 years old. That same study shows that by
age 12, a full 50 percent of children have social media accounts (primarily Facebook and
Instagram). Despite the fact that researchers found UK parents feel that age 11 is the
“perfect” age for children to have an internet connected phone, there are still a high
majority of younger kids using smartphones. Which is why children get their first phones
at an even younger age. A common rule of thumb is around the ages of 13 to 15 years,
because kids are getting ready to go to or are in high school and they may be involved in
after-school activities and would benefit from being able to text, call, or look up bus stops
or schedules. Teenagers this age typically have experience being online, and they may
have learned how to handle online information or interactions that are scary or
inappropriate. Handling inappropriate information or interactions is something that
parents must teach their children. Especially if they give their children their own

22
smartphones at an early age. There seems to be a strong complex interplay between
factors such as a child’s age, parental attitudes as well as screen time spent together
motivating a child’s screen time and smartphone usage (Lauricella 2015). This supports
the claim that children are highly influenced by the immediate environment and adopt the
behavior the children are exposed to (Bandura 1977). Because the early childhood is a
critical period in various areas of development. Moreover, the research shows that also
the parents’ technology use and attitudes impact child’s smartphone usage behavior.
More parental usage motivates increased child’s smartphone usage (Connell et al. 2015,
Lauricella et al. 2015, Buxton et al. 2015). Parents’ eagerness to adopt technology as a
learning tool further fosters child’s smartphone usage, which at the same time might lay
social pressure on the child to use such technologies to succeed academically (Eutsler
2018). Environmental factors such as being personally involved with peers (Gallimberti et
al. 2016; Bae 2015) and constant technology exposure (Raman et al. 2017) may foster
smartphone usage. Which is why parents should educate their child to control their
smartphone usage so they will not get dependent on it. With the development of new
portable and instantly accessible technology, such as smartphones, the time that the
children spend using digital devices is increasing rapidly. As of today, the parents of the
modern babies are close to maximizing the use of the cyberspace as their grounds for
keeping their child entertained and lessening their burden in parenting. However, this can
cause them to be emotionally attached to their phones later in their teen years (Lohmann,
2017). Increased media exposure can also displace time used for quality parent-child
interaction and reduce sharing of enriching experiences and activities. Frequent use of
mobile devices such as smartphones and/or tablets, without educational content is likely
to be related to behavioral problems in childhood (i.e., conduct problems and
hyperactivity/inattention difficulties). It’s also likely to increase children’s social isolation,
and hinder opportunities for social interaction with family, friends, that benefits the
development of social competence, resulting in emotional/behavioral problems.
(Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018). Smartphones offer several conveniences in the life of a
parent. However, if the parents are not responsible for his/her actions regarding them
letting their children use smartphones, the child might develop a smartphone addiction
which is a phenomenon that pertains to uncontrollability of smartphone use and could

23
lead to social, psychological, and health problems (Heron and Saphira, 2004; Young,
1999). The Internet can be a place to gain knowledge, shop online, play games, and
communicate. But despite the benefits the cyberspace can offer, it can also put the
children in a great amount of danger. Their innocence can make them vulnerable in all
types of online criminals such as sex predators, identity thieves, and cyberbullies. A
common way for a parent or guardian to keep or protect their kids online is by discussing
to them the purpose of the Internet and educating them about the different online dangers.
Parents need to be vigilant about these hazards their children might encounter online.
Since kids today are curious especially when it comes to technology, they most likely to
stumble upon online predators that might put their reputation and even their lives at risk.
Other than parents protecting their kids, there are also laws that are already implemented
for the safety of children online. In the Child Online Protection Summit 2017 in the
Philippines, Gonzales (2017) stated that, parents must impose rules and they should not
be afraid to talk to their children about the Internet for them to be safe online. In addition,
Magno-Garcia of the National ICT Governance Service stated that since both kids and
adults have already seen and heard the dark realities in the online world, the only solution
is to start doing something about them both online and offline and, ultimately, it should
begin at home. The Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 was signed into
law by former President Benigno Aquino III on September 6, 2013. The law requires all
elementary and secondary schools in the country to adopt an anti-bullying policy.
Cyberbullying can be under this law as it is an example of bullying. Another act is the
Cybercrime Prevention Act wherein one who publicly or maliciously imputes to another a
crime, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or blacken the memory of one
who is dead may be liable for libel under this Code. Cyberlibel holds liable only the original
author of the post, likers or sharers of a post cannot be held liable under this law (Dela
Cruz, 2017). In order to keep kids safe online, parents should educate their kids about
the appropriate online behavior (netiquette) as well as knowledge about such
cybercrimes. The safety of a child is a responsibility of the parents for they are the ones
who provided them smartphones in the first place. Providing them such gadgets will lead
to them gaining access to all sorts of content in cyberspace. Cyberspace offers a number
of benefits for both adults and kids. It can be used for the purpose of gaining knowledge,

24
entertainment, communication, and interaction. Nevertheless, these benefits also brings
harms and risks. Since children can access all sorts of contents online through their
smartphones, it is also possible for them to encounter online predators. Children's
involvement in such cybercrime cases may cost their image, identity, reputation, money,
or in worst cases, their lives. One case in 1993 involved a 10-year-old boy who suddenly
went missing from his neighborhood in Brentwood, Maryland in May 1993 as reported by
the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). After the boy's disappearance, police
detectives went door-to-door to talk with neighbors wherein they encountered a pair of
suspicious men who had been befriending local children—showering them with gifts and
even taking them on vacation. Investigators soon discovered that the men had been
sexually abusing children for 25 years. More recently, these men had moved online,
setting up several private computer bulletin boards not only to “chat” with boys and set up
meetings with them, but also to share images of child pornography with a larger ring of
pedophiles. Both men were ultimately convicted of abusing children, but there was no
evidence to link them to the boy’s disappearance. It became the centerpiece of the FBI’s
efforts to protect children from cyberspace predators. There were over 3,000 reports of
child sexual abuse imagery in 1998. Just over a decade later, yearly reports soared past
100,000. In 2014, that number surpassed 1 million for the first time. Last year, there were
18.4 million, more than one-third of the total ever reported. Those reports included over
45 million images and videos flagged as child sexual abuse (Harris, 2019). It also included
conversations with an admitted pedophile who concealed his identity using encryption
software and who runs a site that has hosted as many as 17,000 such images. In
interviews, victims across the United States described in heart-wrenching detail how their
lives had been upended by the abuse. Children, raped by relatives and strangers alike,
being told it was normal. Adults, now years removed from their abuse, still living in fear of
being recognized from photos and videos on the internet. And parents of the abused,
struggling to cope with the guilt of not having prevented it and their powerlessness over
stopping its online spread (Keller & Dance, 2019). The cases discussed above just proves
that online predators continuously hunt for their young preys over the years. These online
criminals use kids merely for money and for their inappropriate sexual desires. In addition,
it leaves a huge mark and trauma to the victims. With such cases reported, it is essential

25
for a both children and parents to be cautious in using the Internet. Most importantly,
parents should think thoroughly when it is the right time to give their kids smartphones as
it provides them access to different kinds of contents in cyberspace.

26
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter will present the method that will be used in the research. It will also
describe the subjects of the study, the instruments used, the procedure to gather data,
and the statistical treatment of the data.

RESEARCH METHOD USED

Qualitative methods are used in this study. This allows the researchers to
understand the research through a realistic view and gather data with the perceptions of
the participants. Surveys will be handed out to the chosen respondents which are 7 th
grade students from Rizal Technological University – Laboratory High School and their
parents respectively. This method will be used for it will enable the researchers to
determine the answers to the questions or problems related to the study such as why
parents provide their kids with smartphones at an early age, as well as the positive and
negative effects of this device to a child’s psychological, social, and physical
development, and the best age for a child to own a smartphone. The study will serve as
a guide to the child as well as their parents regarding this particular matter.

POPULATION FRAME AND SAMPLING SCHEME

Clustered Sampling will be used in this research because every element has a
chance of getting selected to be the part sample. By using clustered sampling technique
for the selection of representatives, the total number of 7th grade students and their
respective parent/guardian is taken to be able to get the proportionate sampling. A total
of 338 respondents were chosen. Which is shown by a table below. This includes the 7th
grade students and their respective parent/guardian.

27
 Students per
Grade 7 Section (RTU-LHS) Sample
section and their parent/guardian
S.Y. 2019-2020
Sphene 66
Quartz 70
Amethyst 70
Citrine 64
Pearl 68
Total: N = 338 n = 183

It is important that the total number of samples is determined first by using:

1. Slovin’s Formula

Where:

n = sample size

N = population (total of 7th grade students and their parents)

e = margin of error (0.05)

n = [338 / (1 + 338 * 0.052)] = 183.1978319

The answer is rounded to a whole number. Coming up with 183.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RESPONDENTS

The survey will be completed by 183 respondents which includes 91 students of

Rizal Technological University – Laboratory High School with their guardian which is
another 91 people. They are described according to their demographic profile such as
sex (male and female), and section (Sphene, Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine, and Pearl).

28
INSTRUMENTATION

The research instrument that will be used is a survey questionnaire. This instrument
will be able to gather the needed data and will test the validity and reliability of the
research study that will be conducted. A survey questionnaire will be used in the data
collection. The researchers will have a ready-made comprehensive set of questions. A
structured questionnaire will be used. The researchers will use an agree/disagree scale,
it is a range of answer options that go from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Items will
be put inside the table, and each column head has a corresponding scale (agree and
disagree) on which a subject indicates his/her response by putting a check mark. The
survey questionnaires will be very convenient to the researchers and respondents
because it will be easy to answer and it will be easy to gather data.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

This section discusses thoroughly how to obtain the necessary data needed in the
study. The researchers will use survey questionnaire as a medium in gathering the
needed data in the study to be analysed. Data will come from the selected 7 th grade
students of the Laboratory High School Division of Rizal Technological University and
their respective parent or guardian. The survey papers that will be given to the
respondents will be collected respectively, and carefully by the researchers. After
collecting all papers, the response of the students and their parent/guardian will be
examined, tallied, and analysed carefully.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

29
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to acknowledge the following who, without their help,
the researchers would have not been able to conduct this study. First of all, we would like
to thank the Almighty God for the talent, the skills, the knowledge, and the wisdom He
has bestowed to each and every single one of us. We also want to thank Him for guiding
us in conducting this study for without His grace, we wouldn’t have been able to make
this research into the making. Next to Him are our parents. who has supported us
financially all throughout. They have inspired us and encouraged us to constantly do
better not only in doing this study, but also in our other subjects or in simple words in our
academics. Last but not the least; we are beyond grateful for our Research Adviser,
Ma’am Danielle Denise Adorable who has taught us the things we need to learn in doing
a research study. Without her, we wouldn’t have been able to manage to complete our
research.

30
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