World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2009

^{Back to MainPage.  Back to MiscellaneousStuff.}

Yesterday (May 17th, 2009) marked this year's World Information Society Day.  The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies. The theme of WISD2009 was: "Protecting children in cyberspace", an important and seemingly intractable issue.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) reports some alarming statistics (http://www.itu.int/wtisd/2009/theme.html):

• > 60 % of children and teenagers talk in chat rooms on a daily basis,
• 75 % of  children online are willing to share personal information about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services, and
• one in five children will be targeted by a predator or paedophile each year.

The Internet provides access to many resources of great value to young minds.  Children should be free to explore and learn in the online world, without danger from predators.

--

World Information Society Day and World Telecommunications Day were merged in 2006 at an ITU Conference.

The World Information Society Day was first celebrated in 2006.

World Telecommunications Day has been annually recognised since 1973.

^{Back to MainPage.  Back to MiscellaneousStuff.}