Digital Generation: Preparing our children for the new age.
In today’s world, technology has become and integral part of daily life and a major driver of development through access to information and education.
Technical skills and digital literacy are essential in a world of computers and phones. To prepare children for increasingly digital job and business markets, it is important that they are not left behind and learn to navigate digital devices and software applications. However, the online world also poses risks to children’s safety and wellbeing.
In preparation of the Day of the African Child #DAC2023 on 16th June 2023, African Partners for Child Poverty (APPCO) participated in a radio chat program to sensitize community members especially children, parents, teachers on this topic. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) details children’s basic rights to life, health, food and education as well as the right to express their views and have their opinions heard. Furthermore, children have the right to be safe from violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation, even more so in the digital sphere. The dangers include excessive time spent online, exposure to inappropriate content, e.g. pornography, cyber harassment and manipulation, among others.
Our discussion centered on parents’ roles in protecting children’s safety in the digital era.
Parents, guardians and teachers can do the following to protect children:
- Support and monitor children whenever they are using digital devices.
- Control and have a time limit for children when using digital devices.
- Ensure that TV channels subscribed and the programmes they are watching are suitable for children’s age.
- Be aware of the content children access online and talk with them about the experiences and learnings they got.
- Be mindful of children’s behaviors, moods and characters and talk with them about the things they have seen.
APPCO is an active member of the GBV working group in Gulu and participated in the radio talk show organized by Favour ministries in conjunction with Gulu city. We thank the organizers for the opportunity to share with our community on upholding children’s rights also in the digital era.
