Lack of enough time for parents to engage and nurture their children can be blamed to increased misuse of social media by sections of young people.
The Kiharu Assistant County Commissioner (ACC), Ms Priscilla Kiluti has noted that some youth are seeking attention and consolation from social media users, who sometimes may influence them to indulge into immoral behaviors.
While giving a talk, dubbed ‘ifikie wazazi’ to scores of young people, at Murang’a National Library building on Tuesday, Kiluti decried of increased cases of students falling to traps of social media perpetrators, who eventually manage to convince some youth to join bad groups.
“When young people lack parental guidance, social websites becomes their first priority, rather than the things that should come first, such as school, family and sports among others,” added Kiluti.
She continued, “Social media is very powerful temptation and some youth may be easily influenced to so as they may feel to change their physical appearance, by comparing themselves to the next person they see in the media.”
Kiluti said parents should be very keen in monitoring what their children are doing with their phones and computers, so as to curtail them before adopting immoral manners.
She added that use of social media is addictive and young people may waste they valuable time in engaging friends, instead of reading or doing other important chores.
The ACC underscored the importance of sensitizing youth on how to responsibly handle social media platforms saying some websites are portray filth materials which may negatively influence students.
“Some websites carry immoral behaviour materials and it’s the responsibility of parents, guardians and even us leaders to enlighten our young people on how to properly use various social media platforms,” she added.
She however, said learners should effectively exploit internet to increase their knowledge by doing research and accessing online books.
At the national library, users can freely access Wi-Fi and computers with the ACC, saying the facilities should be used for studies and research.
Speaking in the same occasion, one of the librarians manning the facility, Ms. Esther Ng’ang’a said the national library has availed internet to facilitate learners in doing online research.
Ng’ang’a noted they have several computers connected with internet and e-readers, aimed at boosting digital learning at grassroots.
“We encourage youth to take advantage of this library and exploit available facilities to boost their studies, as we urge them to avoid visiting websites which may negatively influence them,” she added.
By Bernard Munyao
