Oct 14, 2022
CAMPAIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
CAMPAIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Background of teen’s internet addiction in Kenya compared to Canada
The Republic of Kenya is one of the countries under the United Nations (UN). It is located in the East African regions of Africa bordering the Indian Ocean at the South Eastern regions. It is classified in the World Bank as a developing lower middle class nation. There are many developments that are taking place in the country including increased internet penetration.
It is very much in order for the country to prepare itself for any future eventualities that may occur due to internet adoption. The country is bordered by Ethiopia and Susan to the North, Uganda to the East, and Tanzania to the South and a long coastline at the India Ocean. The ruling Kenyan government headed by His Excellency President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta in the Jubilee party manifesto promised to give all class one pupils joining school laptops. Even though the project never materialized, it has brought in a ray of hope to many school going children who now have gadgets to help them learn from home.
Internet addiction in Kenya: Cause and Consequence
Many Kenyan youth are registered in the internet platforms such as Facebook twitter and instagram. They also play games such as PS4 and Xbox among others. The use of these platforms increased rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown period. The internet is a great equalizer since it creates opportunities for all. The challenge with the increased internet penetration in Kenya is that many youths are using it for the purpose which it was not intended. The high level of fertility among Kenyans have seen a majority of the population (40 %) being under the age of 15. This is similar to the Canadian population where a majority of the population are young. One of the negative influences of the use of internet too much is the recent beastly act where a young man stabbed his parents and siblings to death. On being asked why he did so, the young man said that he had watched a movie with violent scenes. He killed his father, mother and a sister. Other two sisters and their home servant luckily escaped. He was presented in a court of Law in Kiambu and was found to be mentally unfit to face trial.
Policy frameworks
In order to ensure that there is proper use of the internet, the government of Kenya has made deliberate efforts aimed at ensuring that the students are secure when they navigate the digital space. Just like in the Canadian scenario, school administrators must ensure that they practice safety precautions that seek to ensure the young ones are safe. There are certain sites that the young ones are not allowed to access unless they are over the legal age of eighteen (18). The government of the republic of Kenya is determined to ensure that many opportunities are created for the fast rising population both online and offline. The government is planning to create many job opportunities online for the students who are graduating from its local and international universities through concerted efforts by the ministry of information, communication technology headed by Cabinet secretary Mr. Mucheru. In this effort, many youth empowerment hubs are being opened all around the country in collaboration with the members of parliament as well as the Telkom company, an internet services provider.
Human mind organizer software
Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is rampant in the Kenyan online space. The government of Kenya recently signed into law a requirement that anyone found culpable to crimes related to cyber bullying or online impersonation to face stiff penalties to deter others who may be harboring plans to involve themselves in crimes of such magnitude. Many people have complained of loss of digital identities to unscrupulous businessmen who take photos and other personal information to open other accounts in which they perform illegal acts.
References
CIA (2021), https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/, Accessed on 26/1/2021.
Core (2021) https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/199460704.pdf, Accessed on 26/1/2021.
