Islam is a complete way of life, and its principles benefit not just Muslims but all of humanity.
Islam has made humility a component of its faith and rigorously prohibits nudity and immorality.
Whenever it comes to modern life, technology continues to infiltrate more aspects of it. It is vital to note that many of Pakistan’s 83 million internet users are young individuals who might be exposed to dangerous online information, which can lead to social/moral concerns and even participation in severe crimes later on.
It begins with the search for indecent/immoral internet information and may escalate to the young person doing illegal activities and engaging in serious crimes. The number of such children is growing by the day, and if not regulated, it might have a terrible influence on our society as a whole.
We cannot prevent young people and children from using the internet/social media in this modern age, but we can surely educate them about the hazards involved with online activity.
Online hazards differ depending on age, gender, and country. However, looking for/viewing sexual material may be the most harmful internet peril our children face, inciting them to commit additional immoral actions.
To reduce the danger, parents must talk and discuss such internet information with their children.
They must also discuss cyberbullying, predators, harmful internet material, and the legal consequences.
To prevent the commencement of penal consequences, young people should be made aware of Pakistan’s current internet laws, which include the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and (ii) Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards), Rule 2021.
Some guidelines for parents/guardians to follow in order to reduce online hazards for their children are summarised and mentioned below:
Always spare time for your children.
Treat your kid like a friend and keep communication lines open so that they may openly discuss any threats they encounter through the internet/social media.
Always teach your children about possible internet dangers and how to prevent them, such as not interacting with strangers, not disclosing personal information to strangers, not allowing strangers onto your group/page, not following their orders, and so on.
Use parental control software to establish controls over IT devices based on age, such as setting watch time, allowing only acceptable programmes, access to history, and so on.
A list of parental control software is also accessible on the PTA website (on the main page under “quick link”) or by going here.
Try to keep the computer in an open area so you can monitor their internet activity.
Encourage and create opportunities for physical activities for your children rather to just allowing them to play online video games, particularly those with violent graphics. Excessive usage of such games may have a harmful influence on children’s personalities and health.
When children are exposed to more violence, they may emulate the violence they witness and exhibit violent behaviour when dealing with other children their age.
Furthermore, users may report banned material to the relevant Social Media Platform(s) or the PTA to secure its removal as soon as possible in order to limit related consequences, particularly in defamation situations.
PTA has created an easy-to-use Complaint Management System (CMS) for immediate complaint lodging at https://complaint.pta.gov.pk/registercomplaint.aspx or install PTA CMS mobile app (available on Android & iOS). Users may also send an email to [email protected] or make a complaint via the Prime Minister Citizen’s Portal (PM Portal).
With meaningful talks and mutually coordinated actions, we can protect our children from online hazards and assist them in safely navigating the online realm.
