Online freedom brings internet dangers. With regulation limited and hard to enforce, education could be the key to keeping our children safe

Last year, 14-year-old Breck Bednar was murdered by 19-year-old Lewis Daynes whom he met via an online games forum. His mother has advised parents and guardians to monitor the online activity of their children. This unfortunate case highlights the dangers to children in the digital world, which cause serious concern to parents, teachers and regulators as well as technology developers and vendors. When children are young, we can control their online experience by filtering content and deciding which apps to allow them to download. But as they grow up, the position becomes complex.

Online games and social media help children develop motor and social skills. If they are having problems, they can find online support and advice – anonymously if they need to. Developments like eye-gaze technology free physically disabled children from isolation by allowing them to text their friends and surf the web.