Is Technology Hurting Our Rights as Children?

By Shilla Lwangu

Technology is a huge part of our lives now. We use it to learn, play games, watch videos and talk to our friends. While it helps us in many ways, it can also cause problems for us as children. It’s important to think about how technology might be affecting our rights, like our right to privacy, safety and good health.

Privacy Problems: Many of the apps and games we use ask for our personal information, like our names, ages, or where we live. Sometimes, we don’t even know how much information we’re sharing. This can put us in danger because our personal details might be used in ways we don’t expect.

Cyberbullying: Some children face bullying online through social media, games, or text messages. This is called cyberbullying. It can make us feel really sad, scared, or alone and it can even lead to serious mental health problems.

Screen Time Addiction: Many of us spend a lot of time on our phones, tablets, or computers. While it’s fun, spending too much time on screens can be bad for our health. It can stop us from getting enough sleep, playing outside, or spending time with family and friends.

Exposure to Harmful Content: The internet has lots of good things, but it also has harmful content, like violence or bad language. If we come across this kind of content, it can confuse or upset us and that’s not good for our emotional health.

We need help from adults, like our parents and teachers, as well as the people who make the apps and games, to make sure we are safe online and that our rights are protected.