The importance of good parenting cannot be overlooked. From the moment a child enters the world, parents, particularly mothers, play a crucial role in shaping their lives. Parents are teachers, caregivers, and role models. They are responsible for teaching their kids respect, discipline, and all other virtues that are cherished by society. One reason kids turn out to be touts (uncultured) is when the parents fail to play and fulfill their responsibilities. Growing up, my parents were in charge of every aspect of my life. Whether it was movies or books, they always made sure they watched over us. My mom, especially, was strict about this rule. I watched mostly cartoons until I got to secondary school. At that time, the internet was not as bad as it is now. Without a doubt, the internet was safer back then.
In the world we live in today where technology is advanced and the internet has taken a different turn, kids need to be watched with hawk eyes. This is because most of the things on the internet now are unhealthy for their consumption. No place is safe anymore. Social media platforms, movies, books, websites, and even cartoons. The importance of content censorship, especially when it comes to kids should not be overlooked. This breeds the question “Who is responsible for censoring online content, particularly when it comes to children? The owners of the platform or the parents of the children?”
In my opinion, both parties are responsible for content censorship. As I mentioned, nowhere is safe anymore. Not even cartoons. In January, I saw a cartoon trailer on Instagram. The title of the cartoon is “NIMONA.” I'm a big fan of cartoons, so that caught my attention. Usually, when I come across cartoons on the internet, I read reviews about them before watching them. But this time, I was so hyped that I forgot to follow my usual “tradition.” I downloaded the cartoon and watched it with my cartoon buddy. To our surprise, it featured a same sex relationship. Two male characters in a relationship. They even kissed. We didn’t expect to see that in a cartoon. It caught us off guard.
Kids love cartoons. What would they think if they watched two male characters kissing? This is where content censorship comes in. Content censorship is not a simple topic. All hands have to be on deck, particularly the parents. Parents or guardians play a vital role in monitoring their children’s activities. Parents are the best people to know their children. They spend most of their time with them and know their personalities, their needs, and also what they are capable of doing. This is why they are in the best position to keep an eye on what their kids consume.
One of the ways parents can monitor what their kids consume is to draw a firm line. In today’s world where technology has taken over the world, many kids have cell phones. Having a cell phone has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that kids get access to almost everything on the internet, including unhealthy content. Parents can curb this issue by setting boundaries. It is up to parents to be strict on what they want their kids to consume. They should also read reviews of movies online before allowing their kids to watch them. If I had read reviews of Nimona online, I probably wouldn’t have watched it. Also, there are unhealthy books and content on social media platforms. These areas should not be overlooked.
Also, platform owners have an important role to play. The truth is that most of these owners don’t care about their audience. All they care about is how much money they make. In fact, some of them purposely publish unhealthy and disgusting content just to generate more income. The best platform owners can do is to reduce the unhealthy content (I don’t think most of them would completely stop putting unhealthy content out.” They can also implement strict age restrictions. But kids nowadays could easily bypass that. Unless the age restriction system is very strict.
Summarily, in my opinion, a large percentage of the responsibilities falls on parents. They are in the best position to monitor what their kids consume. Kids should not be neglected, but be watched over with hawk eyes.
Parents have maximum role to play especially now that the technology has spread like wild fire.
Even if parents would monitor their children, how about their peers whose parents may not monitor their children, therefore influencing the once who their parents monitor?
If possible, a child shouldn't have access to the internet until after 18.
Hello, Iska. I agree with you. It's true that parents can't control everything, especially the influence of their children's peers. However, by setting a good example, having open conversations, and establishing clear boundaries, parents can shield their kids from the “unhealthy” world.
That's right ✅️
18 is quite far, I would suggest 15. And at that their phones would be monitored; we have parental controls that would help with that.
Honestly, I also think 18 is far. 15 seems like a fair age.
Yeahh. Thank you for reconsidering the age.
I got my first phone at a very early age. Though, the contents out there now are too unhealthy, but I believe at that age they should to an extent know what's right and wrong and should be able to make good decisions.
It's a shame that the pursuit of profits surpasses the boundaries of common sense. This is how a society will be destroyed, when profits are valued more than moral sense, corrupting people's minds from childhood.
It's so sad. There are stories of where children were exposed to strippers in schools, and they claim it is for their education. How does that even make sense?
!BBH
Thank you!
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Thank you! @justfavour 😄
Sadly, no one is doing anything about this issue.
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Definitely parents should monitor what their children are able to watch. It is not their sole responsibility like you have rightly stated. The platform owners should also filter out unhealthy contents as much as possible.
When they only optimize for money, they lose sight of basic values. We should also call on these platform regulators to fine / caution them whenever they allow such unhealthy contents on their platform
Hello there, @yinjuolu . I'm glad you agree with me. All hands (parents and platform owners) have to be on deck if we want to make things work.
Thanks for stopping by.
!BBH
💯
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