“Café with Google”, a social program held by Google for the first time in Vietnam at one primary and one secondary school in Ho Chi Minh City, provided Vietnamese parents with knowledge and helped them understand, accompany, and protect their children in the digital age.

With a young population, Vietnam has a high ratio of internet access, at up to 53.2 per cent, compared to the global average of 50.1 per cent and 45.6 per cent in Asia, according to figures from Internet World Stats (IWS) released at the end of last year.

When internet and technology penetration goes even deeper into the daily lives of people of all ages, internet and technology knowledge and skills will become even more essential.

Google co-organized the program with Tran Van On Secondary School and Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School, holding workshops to provide parents with the knowledge and skills to use technology as a tool to understand and protect their children as internet penetration rises.

According to the Google Parents Survey 2016, conducted on 6,453 parents from ten European and Asian countries and the US, Google found that children are becoming exposed to the internet at earlier age, averaging nine years. 

They are able to access the internet from their own devices, with 22 per cent of children using at least two devices to access the internet, and the two biggest concerns among parents when their children use the internet are stranger danger and inappropriate content.

Google believes the best way to protect children is for parents to understand their child and become reliable props. 

At the workshops, Google provided knowledge in using helpful Google tools in time management and assisting their children with homework and outdoor activities.

It also touched on online safety and protecting personal information, and has spoken with online content providers to provide a thorough understanding about the study and entertainment needs of children in the digital age.

“Google’s survey found that nearly 70 per cent of parents have spoken about the danger of sharing personal information with strangers,” said Ms. Ha Lam Tu Quynh, Head of Communications at Google APAC. 

“Google understands that parents, at all times, want the best way to protect their children.”

“We actively support parents in using family-friendly apps in their daily lives so they can communicate in the children’s ‘language’,” she went on. 

“We believe that when parents know about technology as well online safety principles, they will be more confident in communicating with their child and understand the need to protect themselves in digital environments.”

VN Economic Times