Nigerians are privy to how parents are always referring to the past with pride when admonishing children for either good or bad behavior. The phrase is ‘In my time…And as a cultured child, you have to listen to them even if it is absentmindedly. We all dread these sessions with our parents.
This said this is the exact attitude being displayed by parents towards technology generally and the internet specifically despite its seeming advantages. They frown at the way the internet is radically changing children and the society at large.
This has led some parents ‘beefing’ the internet. As an internet or web savvy person, you will disagree as the benefits of the internet far outweigh the negatives. So, what are these grievances Nigerian parents have against the internet?
Spending hours online
Forgive our parents, there was no Facebook or social media in the 70s and 80s. They concentrated on their studies which is why they always pass in flying colors! But, today, their grievance is that you spend hours fiddling with your phone when you have books to read and pending chores. They just simply shake their head grieving for ‘this generation’.
Easy access to adult content
Just punch in any keyword related to pornography in your search engine, within a few minutes, you have access to millions of contents. With the rise in the use of mobile phones and crashing internet data prices, it has led to an increase in the number of people addicted to pornography. Because you can be discreet with the way you watch mobile porn. Consider these general stats – The average age of first exposure to porn is 11 years old, 25% of online search engine requests are related to s*x and 35% of all internet downloads are pornographic content. And the numbers are rising…
Decline in socio-cultural values
Parents mourn the decline in socio-cultural values. Young Nigerians dress indiscriminately, the craze for money which has led to increased online scams (Yahoo Yahoo/ Wire Wire) and the dearth of morals. The internet is a key contributor to this.
Early adoption of phones
Today, children are learning fast and with the internet revolution, parents cannot deny them phones. This is why many young chaps own sophisticated phones with internet access. But the question for the parents are – at what age should a child use a phone? What type of phone should a parent buy for children?
Loss of human touch
Parents are on their own especially when children are grown. Their children barely visit. They prefer to either call or chat. The internet has simply made many Nigerians lose human connection or touch.
