By: Lic. Ricardo Oliveras-Morales, MSW, EDH-IHL
Coordinator
Relationship Smart Plus 4.0 Program
With the passing of time, generations evolve and society becomes more vulnerable due to the impact of technology. This impact is reflected in children and young people through the force and influence generated by the media, music and social networks. The exposure and time they spend using technology, and the lack or little supervision of adults, puts their safety and well-being at risk. More than 88% of 10-year-olds use computers and access the Internet. From the age of 14, nine out of 10 children have a mobile phone. (rtve.es)
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) digital technology and interactivity also propose significant risks around: the safety, privacy and well-being of children, increase the threats and harm many already face offline, and make already vulnerable children even more so. .
The data from the UNICEF study shows that 90% of young people connect to the internet every day. They also reveal that 1 in 3 adolescents would be making problematic use of these technologies. This means that they spend a very high number of hours on the internet and social networks, and that this interferes with their day-to-day activities, such as their education, relationships with family and friends, personal development, and other areas.
For its part, another of the main risks for youth is cyberbullying. According to the report, 2 out of 10 adolescents could be victims of harassment through the Internet. The problem is that most are not aware of it. Only 2.2% believe that they have been a victim of this type of harassment, which mainly occurs for reasons of physical appearance or sexual orientation.
They are also concerned about the numbers of sexting and grooming. The sexting is the sending of photographs or videos of an erotic/sexual nature through digital media, and is increasingly common among adolescents. Although the sexting It is practiced by both genders, it is the girls who are usually pressured to send this type of content. On the other hand the grooming refers to a new form of pedophilia on the internet, where an adult pretends to be a minor with the intention of gaining the trust of another minor and ending up having sexual contact. Contact with strangers through social networks is becoming more common among young people and becomes a more favorable environment for grooming.
Although it is true that technological advances have made online education, telemedicine, electronic commerce and online banking possible, among other services that improve the quality of life of human beings such as mental and physical health, communications, personal economy and social relationships. However, there is a reality and it is the risk faced by children and young people.
In order to achieve the right balance, prevention, communication and active supervision are of the utmost importance. According to data from the portal World Vision, 67% of people in the world have a cell phone, which means that it exceeds the percentage of people who have access to water and electricity in the world. 43.3% of the world population, 3.2 billion people, they have access to the Internet although the speed at which they can connect and the download capacity varies depending on the development of the region of the world where they live.
In the world there are currently more mobile phone subscriptions than humans. It is our responsibility as a society to reflect on and raise awareness about the importance of our values and to promote the message of prevention. For mothers, fathers or caregivers I present some advice:
- Reinforce their learning with educational applications.
- Reinforce your skills in finding information.
- Establish time and place of technology use.
- Listen to them, promote communication and build trust.
Also, accompany them in their digital life, promote their values with love, common sense and self-love. Let us be spokespersons for the legacy of Sister Isolina Ferré where her full desire was that every man be a better man and every woman be a better woman. Let's do it with love, dignity and respect.
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