ZAMBIA, like many other countries, is experiencing a rapid growth in the usage of the internet.
Our children in schools and at home have greatly added to the numbers of people using the internet through the use of computers and other gadgets like smart phones.
Mobile phones have become an essential necessity in our country Zambia. It is clear that the number of children having access to mobile phones is increasing every day.
According to the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), children, especially teenagers, are the heaviest users of SMS and mobile internet services.
However, it is sad to note that most parents and guardians are not fully aware of the potential risks the use of smart mobile phones, tablets and other gadgets used to go online may pose on their children.
No doubt, the internet is such a beautiful and positive resource but a number of bad ‘eggs’ are spoiling it for everyone. These wicked people are using the internet for a good number of illegal activities.
One of the most disgusting abuses of the cyber world or internet is the distribution of pictures and videos of children being raped and sexually tortured for an audience of ‘mentally disturbed’ people who enjoy watching these disturbing images. These people are called paedophiles.
Whether it is pornography, lewd music, obscenities, or any other type of influence which parents wish to shield their children from, the Internet is a door to any content imaginable.
Many parents will not let their children watch an R-rated movie. However, they don’t realise that YouTube’s Most Watched video section contains just the sort of obscenities which they want to protect their children from.
While YouTube does not contain explicit pornography, a two-second Google search by a curious child is all that is needed to explore a perverted underworld of filth and grotesque imagery.
Now this is just one bad side of the internet and it might still be not a common occurrence in Zambia yet, but they say prevention is better than cure.
The Internet Watch Foundation has said the child sexual abuse images and videos sometimes referred to as child pornography are purely a case of child sexual abuse and nothing else.
In the West there is a phrase that has been coined for decades that “Sex Sells”. Today if you posted anything to do with sex on your social site pages, it will receive a thousand hits in a short time.
According to an academic research conducted by Aitkenhead, it was established that illicit pictures are even more addictive than alcohol and drugs. It is this addiction to the internet for wrong reasons that we should protect our children from.
The issue of child sexual abuse is just one but common abuse of the internet. Other emerging risks and dangers are;
•    Cyber crime
•    IRC crime
•    Internet gambling
•    Credit card fraud
•    Phishing (the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, online.)
•    Cyberbullying – The mean way kids treat each other online- Bullying happens on both the playground and in the digital world. Hurtful words are exchanged. Rumours start easily and spread quickly. Profiles and e-mails are hacked. And these types of activities are common today:
•    Net extortion
•    Harassment
•    Illegal pharmacies
•    Hacking
•    Brain Wash
•    Spamming
•    Cyber squatting and so on (the practice of registering names, especially well-known company or brand names, as Internet domains, in the hope of reselling them at a profit.)
Sexting – The unsafe ‘safe sex’- Sexting is sending or receiving nude or partially nude photos or videos through the Internet or cell phones. When teens engage in this risky behavior, many things can go wrong. These images are easy to forward on to others. At times, these images can be considered “child pornography,” and some teens have already been given felony charges. Predators – Those seeking to ensnare our children
The Internet is a perfect forum to meet new people, but some with malicious intent can use it to “befriend” your child. Internet predators are expert manipulators, able to foster a relationship of dependence with a teenager.
Most prey on a teen’s desire to be liked, their desire for romance, or their sexual curiosity. Often a predator “grooms” a child through flattery, sympathy, and by investing time in their online relationship. These can then turn into offline relationships or, in extreme cases, opportunities for child slavery.
When the internet and anything good begins to take a negative twist by starting to challenge our moral values, it is time for every Zambian to act and find solutions, especially when it is our children at risk.
In the coming articles, this column will try to delve into these potential online dangers and other emerging risks of the internet that we need to protect our children from.
The column will also discuss how parents and other stakeholders can play a role in ensuring that our leaders of tomorrow are not waylaid by hazards of the world’s biggest library-the internet.
Some information courtesy of Covenant Eyes
For comments: moseskabaila@gmail.com or 0954287102