Effectiveness of educational guidelines about social media misuse and electronic extortion on knowledge, attitudes and digital skills of school age children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing / Tanta University, Egypt).

2 Lecturer of community health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing / Tanta University, Egypt).

Abstract

Electronic extortion is one of the most deadly crimes faces young children and associated with 
social media misuse. Parents and all society have the responsibility to protect children from 
digital crimes. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational guidelines about 
social media misuse and electronic extortion on knowledge, attitudes and digital skills of school 
age children. Subjects and Method: Design: A quasi-experimental research design was 
utilized. Subjects: A stratified simple random sampling of 200 students from three schools, 
Ali Mubarak Elementary School, Sabarbay Preparatory School and Elsadat Secondary School 
affiliated to Tanta City at Gharbeya Governorate. Three tools were used: Tool I: Students’ 
knowledge assessment sheet, Tool II: Students’ attitudes toward social media misuse and 
electronic extortion and Tool III: Students’ digital skills reported questionnaire. The results:
86.6% of children had low knowledge level, 48% had positive attitude towards social media 
misuse and 77% had unsatisfactory digital skills before educational guidelines while 93% of 
children had high knowledge level, the majority of them had positive attitude and satisfactory 
digital skills after guidelines with positive correlation between students’ knowledge, attitudes and 
digital skills The study concluded that the educational guidelines enhances students' knowledge, 
attitudes, and digital skills regarding social media misuse and electronic extortion. The study 
recommended that regular seminars should be held at schools to educate students the potential 
effects of social media and protection of electronic extortion