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PARENTS and guardians are being urged to step up their game as digital role models to ensure children are using the Internet safely. The call came from experts in cybercrime, child protection, information technology and security who addressed Flow's Safer Internet think tank on Thursday.Flow Jamaica Country Manager Stephen Price, who was one of the panellists, stressed that having frequent open discussions about online safety with children is necessary."Even though many parents and caregivers aren't necessarily up to date with the new forms of communication in terms of social media, it is incumbent of them. They must get up to speed so they know exactly what is happening with their children," he said."Teachers, educators and social workers can also help by equipping their students with digital literacy skills and by developing their critical thinking skills, which will also allow them to better navigate the online world. They, too, can set a positive example of online behaviour for their students," Price said.He added that young people can also make an effort to be kinder and more respectful to their peers in social media spaces, to protect their online reputation and those of others."Everyone has a responsibility to make a positive difference online. We can all promote positive experiences and seek out positive opportunities to create and connect. We can all respond to the negative by reporting illegal and negative content online," he said.Head of the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT), Lieutenant Colonel Godphey Sterling, who was among the panellists, agreed."Being a part of the national committee for the protection of children online allows us to reach out to our younger folks to get them to understand what responsible behaviour is and some of the dos and don'ts," said Sterling.He stressed, however, that it will take a collaborative effort to enforce proper Internet use to ensure a safe online environment."It is more of a cooperative approach to try and bring the different arms at play within the cyber ecosystem together to ensure that we have a safe environment for all our constituents and we grow and mature and build resilience over time," he said.Meanwhile, head of the Communication Forensics and Cybercrimes Division, Deputy Superintendent of Police Warren Williams pointed out that since the advent of the novel coronavirus in the country there has been increased Internet usage, which has created more opportunities for cybercrime."We are seeing things such as malicious communication on the rise," Williams said, arguing that the development could be a result of more cases being reported and how people are being impacted by that type of threat."It is important that we look at the security aspect of things to ensure that the public is educated about the best practices online, because we know how technology operates," he argued.Flow Jamaica and its parent company Liberty Latin America have been championing a safer online space.The telecoms provider has been staging events to mark Safer Internet Week, which started on Tuesday, to promote positive self-imagery and smart online decision-making.