Stay safe online - Young people advised

Young people have been advised to stay safe online in order to protect themselves as well as those around them. 

Before posting anything online, they should think about what they are going to share, whether it is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind.

The advice was contained in a statement issued by UNICEF Ghana last Tuesday after it engaged over 100 young people and students at the University of Media Arts and Communication (UniMAC) in Accra, as part of activities marking this year’s Safer Internet Day (SID).

The day, which was observed on the theme  "Together for a Better Internet", is celebrated every year to promote a safer and more secure online environment for all users, with a special focus on protecting young people.

UNICEF Ghana, through its U-Report, a digital community for young people and by young people to raise their voices and share their opinions on topics that matter, created the platform for the young people at the event marking the day to share their opinions on issues affecting them online as well as learn from others.

Be smart

The international body also advised young people to learn digital literacy and share the knowledge; verify information before engaging with it and report anything abusive online to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) via 292 or call or text.

It, however, advised them to desist from sharing personal information.

“Before you click, be SMART online – stay Safe, don’t Meet strangers online, don’t Accept friend requests online quickly, not everything online is Reliable and Tell a trusted person or adult,” Nelson Darko, a representative of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) said.

Data

UNICEF Digital Communication Officer, Amiya Dhara Halder, shared the U-Report’s latest poll on Safer Internet Day, saying over 1,000 U-Reporters participated in the poll gathered through short message service (SMS) and Facebook Messenger about their online experiences.

Among the respondents, she said, 74 per cent expressed confidence in their knowledge of how to use the internet safely. However, 48 per cent reported having encountered abuse online, with 64 per cent of the incidents occurring on social media.

She said the impact of the abuse varied — 57 per cent of respondents said it affected them emotionally, while 27 per cent stated it impacted them emotionally, physically, and in their academic performance.

Ms Halder said many of the young people were concerned about false content and fake news, adding that they recommended a partnership between internet companies and mental health authorities in order to provide in-app resources for users who were struggling with mental health issues.

She encouraged users to take breaks from social media and offer support for those facing online harassment.

Panel discussion
The celebration also featured a panel discussion on internet safety with students and officials from UNICEF Ghana, Cyber Security Authority and AT Ghana.
The panellists, among others, spoke about the misuse of social media by young people where they ended up feeding attackers with personal information.