Andrew
Siphathisiwe Maziwa
YOUTHS have been advised to use social media responsibly because it has the capacity to shape or destroy their future.
Speaking during a youth conference organised by the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Harare Central District youth lobby group, Safe and Us director and founder, Mrs Lucia Mutsvedu, said social media had exposed youths to new forms of vulnerability. “In the digital age, children have surpassed adults in terms of technology usage,” she said.
“They have been thrown into the deep end of technology, exposing them to new forms of vulnerability.
“Social media has exposed them to paedophiles and traffickers which leads to child sexual abuse, trafficking and sometimes drug abuse.”
Mrs Mutsvedu said social media was contributing to a high rate of suicide cases in the country.
“The number of suicide cases is on the rise because our children do not have a lot to do and as result, they end up looking for things to do on the internet.
“Oftentimes, they give in to peer pressure leading to suicidal thoughts. Therefore as Safe and Us we are saying let us have a strategy of managing our lives as youths and adults through what we call digital balance.
“This is where we balance the time we spend on social media and the time we spend with our families.”
Safe and Us training representative Mr Tapiwa Gotora said youths should use social media wisely. “As young people, you have to be careful on how you use the internet because the things that are there sometimes do not end there but they can come into your life and damage you. The internet is a place that scammers have used to take advantage of people, leaving them in debt after promising them a good life,” he said.
Safe and Us is a private organisation that seeks to address the root causes of violence against children.
Online Reporter