While the internet remains a great resource for learning, research, entertainment and a great many things, the use of same has been found to be problematic because of its abuse. To this end, stakeholders in IT have warned users of the internet to exercise restraint and great caution in its use.
This is because information put on the internet could remain accessible over extended periods of time.
These sentiments were shared by the Head of Department (HOD) for the C.K Tedam University for Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Professor Edward Baagyere when he spoke on a radio panel discussion to mark the Africa Safer Internet Day (ASID) at A1 Radio.
“The internet never forgets. Data on the internet never gets eroded so for hundreds of years, such data will still be available. But the beautiful thing about the internet is that it is so rich with information that we can harness and bring development to our lives,” he said.
On child protection, Professor Baagyere said it was mind-numbing the information some parents put about the child on the internet adding that the parents forget that such information could bring harm to the children. He reminded users of the internet to be cautious about what they post, particularly on social media saying “even when you delete it, it is still there”.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer at Afrikids, Daniel Kpabitey said that Ghana had made inroads in the use of internet services by young people in the country, citing statistics from the Ghana Statistical Services Population and Housing Census.
“In 2010 when the census was conducted, we saw that about 10 per cent of young people were having access to the internet. In 2021, a survey that was conducted by the National Communication Authority showed that we had about 37.9 per cent of young people who had access to the internet. The trend of the internet itself has been growing so fat. In 1990, we had 0 per cent internet, as of 2019, we have 53 per cent of internet usage”.
“This tells you that internet usage is growing so far. Even between 2018 and 2019, the jump is over 20 per cent. This means that as more people have internet access, more households have access to the internet and of course, children would also have access to the internet,” he said.
Mr. Kpabitey said the continuous increase in internet access while pleasing should be a source of concern for parents and guardians. “We have access, but even now because of 4G and 5G there is also speed in the access so we need to be worried,” he said.
Afrikids, a Child Rights NGO, partnered with the media and members of academia to mark the Africa Safer Internet Day (ASID). The Africa Safer Internet Day was a general discussion by all African International Telecommunication Union (ITU) members’ states to begin to champion the Celebration of the Day within the continent effective 2020. This enables the choice of theme for the celebration to take on board the peculiar and diverse needs of the continent.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East, the External Affairs Manager, Raymond Ayinne said the ASID is important because it provides a platform for stakeholders to have conversations around safety for children on the internet and focus on drawing up workable solutions for same.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga|Ghana
Thanks A1 Radio for contributing to make our children safe online. The awareness thats raised will help keep our children safe and protected from harm.