MANILA (November 27)– “Gadgets cannot replace the relationship between parents and children. Personal interaction is still the most important facet of parenting, ” Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Executive Director Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy emphasized.
Cajayon-Uy said that while social media provides connection and knowledge, it also has negative effects. “Parents must ensure that their children are protected against online predators, cyberbullying and other danger in the world wide web,” she emphasized, as gadgets like mobile phones have become the most common gifts of parents to their children when they get high grades.
“One drawback of technology is that children nowadays do not know how to wait because digital media has taught them to get what they want and what they need to know immediately. Hence, children and youth become used to instant gratification, not realizing that patience builds up character and discipline,” Dr. Michelle Alignay, a psychologist and guidance counselor said.
Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) Assistant Secretary, Atty. Carlos Mayorico E. Caliwara said that technology has replaced traditional parenting so parents must continue to educate themselves for them to properly guide their children.
A survey on child online safety by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed patterns on online use and access of children aged 9-17. Almost all children surveyed were found to be hooked online and spend some precious time in their daily lives accessing the internet.
Most of the children access the internet at home, in school, coffee shops or malls, cybercafes and Pisonet, and a few through the mobile phone.
Moreover, most children often used a smartphone and a tablet to go online. In general, children in the younger age group (9-11 years old) had limited use of devices to access the internet compared to older age groups, and most children connect to the internet by themselves, while those who cannot connect on their own were helped by their parents.
The survey also identified the risks experienced by children when they go online, such as exposure to exploitative strangers, cyberbullying, cybersex and other forms of harm.- ecz/ NewsLine with DSWD
