Digital literacy, parental guidance key in curbing moral decay

In a move to curb moral decay, cyberbullying, pornography, and other dangers, the government is planning to restrict children from accessing TikTok, citing growing concerns over unregulated and harmful content.

State Minister for Youth and Children’s Affairs Balaam Barugahara says the short video platform hosts explicit and inappropriate material that is corrupting young minds. He says the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and the Ministry of Education are engaging TikTok’s parent company to explore stricter user verification mechanisms such as mandatory age confirmation and national ID submission before account registration.

While we agree with the spirit behind the move, the ban itself might not be the way to get meaningful change. And Mr Damon Wamara, the executive director of the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network puts it aptly. He points out that many children access TikTok through their parents’ devices, making access difficult to regulate.

He says that while accounts can be banned, access might not be easy to regulate, and recommends digital literacy and parental guidance instead. Mr Wamara is right on the money. The best way to parent is by example rather than threats and bans. It all starts at home, with parents and guardians. We must educate ourselves about the current threats that young people are exposed to today and how to thwart them. Otherwise, how can one be a gatekeeper against a threat they don’t know or understand? Digital literacy shouldn’t only be thought of as a job qualification requirement but as a tool to employ in proper and effective parenting in this age of digital innovations and disruptions. Money see, monkey do is also very much alive.

It doesn’t matter how many safeguards the government puts up against illicit content. If parents and guardians are consuming this content openly and unashamedly, it is only natural for the young ones under their care to emulate and then influence their friends to do the same.

Again, as is with substance abuse, bullying, sex education, mental health, etc., parents/guardians must sit their children down and warn them about the dangers that come with the digital world and all the platforms on offer. The problem is not necessarily the platform, it is the failure to educate the users parents and guardians, inclusive, and give them the power that comes with knowledge. TikTok as a platform can be used gainfully and appropriately to benefit our very young population in this global village. Its use or abuse should be our concern not necessarily the platform as a whole.