ADDRESSING THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

There is an alarming need to address the dangers that social media poses among children. We have to protect our students from the perils of the internet.

Last year, the Department of Education eyed the development of a social media literacy program in schools that would guide students on the dangers of using the worldwide web, especially concerning fake news and misinformation.

In this day and age, there is no avoiding social media anymore. It has influenced our youth and has penetrated their consciousness. Admittedly, its hold over all our activities is very wide.

In a report, UNICEF stated that 1 out of 3 internet users worldwide are children, but that there is little being done to protect them from the online world.

Social media management platform Hootsuite and consultancy firm We are Social Ltd., meanwhile, reported that the country ranks first in time spent on the internet.

What has happened to us, dear Filipinos?

A leading international software company, Kaspersky Lab, also identified internet risks that children face online, which include cyber bullying, cyber predators, posting of private information, among others.

That is why there is really a need to guide the children on the use of the internet. The DepEd said that currently, social media literacy is incorporated in one of the tracks of the K-12 curriculum.

But is this enough, considering the magnitude of social media and the internet? According to the Department, it will develop a separate track dedicated on this, after thorough consultations with their stakeholders.

This will start with developing the learners’ “skills of discernment”, like how to discern facts from fake news, and how to react to social media posts.

We all know that social media is a powerful tool, but it should not be used to spread misinformation.

--oOo— The author is Teacher III at Benedicto Elementary School, Floridablanca, Pampanga