THE world on February 7th, 2017 marked Safer Internet Day. This day has been set aside to mark safer and better internet for all.
THE fact is that the internet is one powerful and marvelous tool that can be used to advance development and enhance learning. It brings the world closer, opens up a world of opportunity and enhances globalisation.
THOUGH a good master through which one can have access to educational and life enriching content, it can serve as a bad master sometimes through the inappropriate content that are sometimes dumped there for unsuspecting users to consume. Some of such content could have the potential to pollute and destroy.
CRIMINAL activities like cyberfraud, which otherwise is known as sakawa, is perpetuated by many of our youth today via the internet. Indeed, cyberfraud is just one of the many fraudulent activities that is committed on the internet. There are loads of them.
HERE in Ghana some corporate entities marked the day by engaging pupils and students on safe internet usage, laying emphasis on red flags and actions young people must take when they encounter inappropriate content on the internet. This is very encouraging, especially as the internet has become one powerful tool that people use to seek information.
CLEARLY, we live in an internet age and its usage has consumed our everyday lives, thus becoming practically a part of us.
THIS is why it is important the day is not celebrated as a one-off thing, but more importantly, activities are lined up to sensitise, particularly on safer and responsible use of the internet.
TODAY many of our young people use the internet to watch pornographic movies and videos. Others too have found the internet convenient to commit all kinds of crimes. This is quite worrying thus necessitating urgent attention, possibly at the national level.
IT is in the light of the above that Today believes it is critical that we promote safe and responsible use of the internet for everyone. This, to a large extent, should include a long sensitisation campaign for our youth on the responsible use of the internet. And such campaigns should not only be limited to students and pupils but in our various communities.
WE should be made conscious of the fact that though the internet is an indispensable tool in this technology-driven world, it has its dos and don’ts. The Ministries of Education and Youth and Sports should lead such a crusade by educating our pupils and students on the responsible use of the internet.
PARENTS also have a role to play in ensuring that their children use the internet responsibly. In fact we must all get involved to make this happen, and this will demand a lot of commitment.
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