We are 4th-grade students from Heritage International Xperiential School, Gurugram and we are writing this petition to ask for your help. We love using the internet because it's a critical pillar in today's age, helping us learn and explore new things. However, we want to make it safer for all kids like us.

Statement of Problem:
During our discussions in digital literacy classes, some of us shared our experiences of being bullied while playing online games. We've received inappropriate messages such as 'You're such a loser. No one wants to be your friend,' 'Ugly and dumb face. Go away.' from strangers who are not of our age, and it makes us feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Even when we are watching educational videos or good content on social media, we encounter inappropriate ads and rude comments on posts. These experiences have led us to question whether kindness truly exists on the internet as it should.

Proposed Solution:
We kindly request that the Ministry of Information Technology, NCPCR and The Ministry of Women and Child Development work together to make the internet a safer place for kids. This means we need the following:

• Stronger filters and software to stop harmful content from reaching us.
• An instant warning mechanism for people engaged in cyberbullying, which includes blocking them.
• Banning inappropriate ads that appear while browsing educational and good content
• Appropriate age-level questions or mechanisms that don't allow younger kids to access games designed for 18 and above.
• Games like Roblox have strong software and systems to control bullies.
• More child-friendly websites and apps that we can use safely.
  Better information for parents and teachers about how to keep us safe online.

We believe this is important because:

• Kids should be able to explore the internet without worrying about seeing things unsuitable for their age as the internet is a great place to learn and have fun, and we want to ensure it's safe for everyone.
• The New Education Policy and Sustainable Development Goals highlight the importance of using technology for learning and growing. With AI and new technologies emerging daily, the internet has become a valuable tool for education.
• We think parents and teachers will feel better knowing that we are protected online.
• We want our third graders and other students across India to learn without falling prey to these bullies because bullying can hurt the mental health and well-being of young learners.

Thank you for reading our petition. We hope together you all can help make the internet safer for us and other kids. We want to learn, play, and explore online without worries. #Technology #Safety #Internet #ChildrenVoice