Education stakeholders in Uasin Gishu County have expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of social media and technology among children, noting that this trend could negatively impact their studies and future prospects.
Speaking at an event aimed at preparing Grade 6 and Grade 9 students for national examinations, the stakeholders advocated for stricter regulations to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying, online addiction, and the inappropriate use of technology.
Meanwhile, two parents from Nakuru County have formally petitioned Parliament, calling for rigorous age verification for social media users.
This issue was also highlighted at Hill School, where the Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Management, Antonina Inyangala, urged parents to be vigilant regarding children’s use of smartphones and social media.
“My plea and cry is let’s train our children and make Kenya a very good nation the way it was because Kenyans are very good intellectually, but now with this social media, we are watering down our intellect,” she said.
Hill School Principal Naftali Mibei argued that all children under the age of 18 should not be allowed to access any social media platform, as this will negatively affect them as they access harmful content like drug and sexual abuse.
“We are really in support of this policy, and we call upon the legislators to look into this issue so that we protect our children from social media, which will negatively impact them. By so doing, we shall be able to protect our future generation from inappropriate use of technology,” he noted.
Furthermore, they warned against an over-reliance on artificial intelligence tools for school assignments, noting that unsupervised use could stifle children’s ability to think critically, solve problems, and formulate their own answers.
While advocating for parents and schools to set appropriate boundaries regarding technology use, the leadership of Hill School has warned of the dangers of youth drug use facilitated through online networks.
“Even if you ask a child a simple question nowadays, the first thing he does is to consult AI. This is really embarrassing, as children have failed to train their brains to think and provide solutions. As a parent I totally disagree with this trend,” remarked John Macharia, one of the parents.
By Jevvah Kiplimo
