By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ) has called on African governments to bar children under the...
The Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ) has called on African governments to bar children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, aligning with a growing wave of regulations in other countries aimed at protecting young people from the harmful effects of excessive online exposure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NPJ Team Leader, Ibrahima Yakubu, said unrestricted access to social media has contributed to cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful and violent content, declining academic performance, addiction, and increasing mental health challenges among children and teenagers.
Yakubu noted that several countries have already taken steps to tighten controls on children's use of social media. He cited Australia, which has enacted legislation prohibiting children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.
He also cited France, where parental consent is required for children under 15 to open social media accounts; Spain, which has proposed raising the minimum age for social media use to 16 while strengthening age-verification requirements; and Norway, which has announced plans to raise the minimum age for access and introduce stronger safeguards for minors.
He argued that African countries should adopt similar policies to protect children from online risks and promote healthier childhood development.
The NPJ Team Leader further recommended that governments enact clear legislation requiring social media companies to implement robust age-verification systems and impose stiff penalties on platforms that fail to protect underage users.
He also called for increased government investment in digital literacy programmes to educate children, parents, and teachers on responsible internet use and online safety.
Yakubu urged schools to integrate digital citizenship and online safety into their curricula. He also appealed to parents and guardians to closely monitor their children's online activities, enforce reasonable screen-time limits, and encourage them to participate in constructive educational and recreational activities.
He further called on religious institutions, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, and the media to intensify public awareness campaigns on the dangers of excessive social media use among children.
According to him, safeguarding children from harmful online content is a collective responsibility that requires collaboration among governments, families, educators, technology companies, and communities.
Yakubu stressed that introducing such regulations would not deny children access to technology. Rather, he said, it would ensure they engage with digital platforms in a safe, responsible, and age-appropriate manner while protecting their mental well-being, education, and moral development.
.jpg)
No comments