NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 2 – The National Council for Population and Development has stressed the need for the government to lay out measures that will protect youths against harm related to digital technologies.
According to the NCPD State of the Population Report 2023, the execution of solid strategies by the state will be pivotal in protecting young people against the obsessive use of digital technologies, platforms, and gadgets, which have consequently resulted in mental distress due to risks associated with them.
Digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have been used for social comparison, negative interactions, cyberbullying, and sharing violent content and violent or discriminatory language, many of which are watched and received by the youths, thus causing mental discomfort and anxiety.
Despite digitalization playing a critical role in triggering the empowerment of the youths, NCPD has pointed out that it has catalyzed other social threats such as cybercrime and related threats of financial resources and personal information, digital power concentration, violence, and reduced personal life security.
“While information access can empower the youth, digital addiction can cause mental distress attributed to obsessive use of digital technologies, digital platforms, and digital devices (UNDP, 2022). Some of these challenges among the youth caused by digital technologies include cyber harassment and cyberstalking associated with anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and depression (ibid),” it stated.
Furthermore, NCPD has pointed out that digital technologies and social media platforms are now commonly used in promoting gambling an activity associated with mental disorders, and recruitment by organized criminal gangs and terror groups.
Likewise, it has emphasized that social media platforms also provide fertile ground for false information and fake news that can be especially harmful in times of crisis and cause unnecessary distress to people.
