Fatima Jabbi-Bio who was the keynote speaker at the first ever Safer Internet Day (SID) commemoration in the country said abuse of the internet by school children can result in regrettable results such as attracting unwanted attention into one’s privacy or presenting oneself as prey to pedophiles.
She particularly warned against school girls sharing information with their male teachers that could allow the latter access to personal information about them.
Mrs Bio also spoke about the dangers of sharing of personal information online as it could prove problematic in the future. She said students should use internet to do research for the betterment of
themselves and country.
The Safer Internet Day is organised in February of every year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technologies and mobile phones, especially among children and youths across the world.
This year’s celebrations were scheduled for 5 February. And the commemorations were held on the theme: “Together for a better internet”. The organizers say it is a call to action for all stakeholders to join together and play their part in creating a better internet for everyone, and especially for younger users.
The day has been commemorated since 2004, starting in Europe. Today, according to the organisers, it is celebrated in more than 140 countries. Speakers at the Freetown celebrations, who included the Minister of Information and Communication, stressed on need for productive use of
the internet and protection of underage users.
The Ministry of Information and Communication hosted the celebrations. In a statement ahead of the day, it said the significance of the event was to raise awareness among the citizenry, especially school going children, on safer internet use and to encourage them to adopt positive online practices.