An-Najah News - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) warned that the proportion of the addiction on the internet and smart devices among children spiked significantly since the start of the quarantine measures to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus. 

The director of the union, Doreen Bogdan Martin, said in a an online briefing that: "Many children are coming online earlier than their parents had intended, at much earlier ages, and without the necessary skills to protect themsleves whether it is online harassment or cyber bullying," 

she also added: "The other thing is the lenght of time, children are spending online whether simply for schooling or for entertainment, gaming, socializing after their learning is completed." 

She also declared that the ITU is working on launching for recommendations and guidlines in order to solve this issue and child protection on the internet amid the pandemic. 

She, however, warned of the danger of preventing children from reaching the internet since it can be devastating for their education, adding that, the ITU is working with the UN children's fund to enable their acces to the internet and communicate via 2G technology.