Within a month of launching, Mxit’s new online safety advice app has gained impressive traction with 114 916 subscribers.
As part of its launch, the Mxit safety app ran interactive opinion polls and allowed a targeted sample of users (98% aged between 13 and 17) to comment on the various content pages, revealing some interesting insights about online safety concerns amongst the youth:
* 27% of subscribers said that seeing sexually explicit content online was the most concerning to them;
* 25% voiced cyber-bullying as their main concern
* 20% say parents finding out what they do on the internet is what they feared most; and
* Whilst 18% cited strangers finding their personal information.
Of all the safety content pages available ‘meeting strangers online’ was by far the most viewed and commented on. When app subscribers were asked who they talk to when they have a bad experience on the Internet, nearly half (49%) said their friends, followed by 22% who said their parents or an older family member and just 10% saying their teacher.
The app, which has already received an impressive 9 240 poll responses and 3 026 comments on content pages, provides information about Google Safety partners, Childline contact details, links to Childline chat rooms as well as a direct link to Mxit’s HELP support centre, which hosts practical safety tips for both parents and users.
Alongside the launch of the new safety app, Mxit is supporting the eleventh anniversary of the Safer Internet Day (SID) movement, aimed at promoting safe and responsible use of online technologies among young users, via a learner and parent safety workshop hosted by Google in Johannesburg.
The half-day workshop taking place on the 11 February at Jules High School, east of Johannesburg, will equip learners and parents with tools and knowledge to enable them to use the Internet more safely and responsibly. The workshop will also look to educate those attending, about the important role they too can play in making the Internet a better and safer place for all.
