The COVID-19 pandemic exposed cracks in diverse sectors in Nigeria; the true state of the health sector despite billions earmarked annually for it; unpatriotic law enforcement agents who would rather collect a thousand naira ($3) and let citizens cross the interstate borders in defiance of government orders; the zero maintenance culture and abandonment of government properties as in the case of isolation and treatment centers built in the days of Ebola; a country whose laws rule the common man and those in power flagrantly violate the law they made.
The family is not left out as parental negligence was equally exposed. Incessant cases of rape, teenagers absconding with Facebook friends, parents shifting their foremost responsibility to teachers and uneducated nanny in pursuit of wealth rent daily news space. The family is as sick as the nation.
Good parenting transcends ability to provide materials and devices for education purposes but primarily involves inculcating values, instilling discipline; impressing social norms, having regular open conversation as well as guiding and monitoring our young ones.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and consequently, the lockdown, some parents’ way of safeguarding their children from the dangers of the internet was a complete denial of access to smartphones and internet but the effect of lockdown on education necessitated a paradigm shift from classroom learning to online.
As imperative as this move is for education, we may have a more subtle pandemic on our heels if unchecked because just as the net is filled with quality and educative materials so also it has inappropriate content and predators lurking around for the vulnerable ones. While some of these children stumble unprepared into inappropriate sites and contents, some out of curiosity surf through these sites and explore further.
Such sites have pornographic contents that leave lustful images in these young minds with possible inclination to lewdness, masturbation, early sexual debut all of which disorientates, distracts and negatively affects their academic progress.
Unfortunately, parents are much more alert when their children express desire to visit friends than when they have their attention fixed on smartphones and other digital devices.
Unknown to them, a device connected to internet exposes these young ones to billions of people, ideas and culture, cybercrimes and cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, identity theft, sexting and the likes; the good, bad and ugly. Hence, as a chaperone is needed to guide these vulnerable ones physically, so much more guidance is needed as they visit the online environment.
The gruesome rape and murder of Cynthia Osukogu in Nigeria in 2012 went viral but many parents, teachers and children seem to have forgotten it; Cynthia a promising enterprising young lady died in the hands of men she met online.
Recently, a 40-year-old Philippine lady, Irene Torento Panas, was rescued in Enugu from the hands of Chukwudi Odo, a 54-year-old man whom she met on Facebook and chatted with for over 2 years; a 10 days supposedly romantic visit turned to abduction subjecting love-struck Irene to 6 months of sexual abuse and a public case; if a 40years old woman can be deceived, how much more a teenager?
These cases are just a few among the countless unrecorded cases of online predators that lure their target with sweet words only to extort, rape, blackmail or even kill after satisfying their evil desires.
A random sampling of Nigerian mothers on involvement in their child’s internet use, counseling and knowledge of internet filters revealed that although most parents are conversant with the dangers associated with the internet, they are ignorant of internet filters and rarely monitor these children’s activities online. This is quite pathetic.
Parental involvement is strongly advised; monitor their online activities, limit time they spend online but most importantly filter their internet access. While some internet filters are installed as software, strict filtering can also be activated from the privacy and security settings on laptops.
However, a desktop placed in a conspicuous part of the house is safer and preferred over a laptop or smartphone. This enables parents to cast cursory looks on the sites their children are visiting. As evil thrives in secrecy, laptops and smartphones provide unwanted detrimental privacy.
All hands must be on deck and a holistic approach adopted to curb the internet menace and safeguard our loved ones; aside from conversing with our children especially the teenagers on the imminent dangers associated with the internet and social media, there is need to observe their behavioral pattern as some changes are a pointer that something has gone awry; being always glued on the phone in secluded places, smiling or giggling while operating the phone, spending long time on the phone and the likes is a pointer and must be addressed with wisdom and knowledge.
Take a cue from the eagle; it intently watches the eaglet as it takes its first flight. When the eagle pushes off the eaglet from the nest, it watches its progress and is always right on time to pick it up again on its wings back to safety; adult involvement while our children surf the net is very important.
Some helpful tips for youths; never visit online friends in secluded places no matter how long you’ve been friends online; treat all online friends as the strangers they are because many young girls had visited a supposed online girlfriend who happens to be a man disguising as a young girl. Many have been gang-raped with their pictures taken and consequently blackmailed. Most postings on social media are fictitious with intent to lure, be wise.
Extend your online activities beyond entertainment to edutainment like video games, video clips as it helps one develop interest in educational, informative and social online experiences; it can also enable one develop a range of technical and critical capacities in preparation for the future but this should be approached with caution.
- Enugu Govt. Reveals Plan For Generating Plants At NERC Townhall Meeting - April 19, 2024
- Enugu Police Save 2 Men from Angry Mob, Abductee Rescued - April 16, 2024
- Prof Ngwu, 7 Others Confirmed as Chairman and Members Of ENSIEC - April 16, 2024
One comment
Ulasi chiamaka patience
August 3, 2020 at 10:24 pm
Wow this is wonderful n good rid on darling