Open Voice: Should students be monitored when on Facebook?

Issue on table: There have been calls from a section of the public to ban social media platforms such as Facebook and Watsapp. They argue that these sites have a negative effect on the children in terms of morals. Some argue that if they can’t be banned then parents should monitor how their children use these sites. This week, The Education Times visited Glory Secondary School to find out what the students think about that proposal. Manzi Tibere Mulinzi Manzi Tibere Mulinzi It is okay to monitor a child as long as they have not yet reached university. Most of the Internet material is developed in the West and tends to contradict our culture. Christian vita Christian vita I think a little monitoring of children could do. The challenge, however, is that no parent has all that time to keep watch. The best thing is to advise the children on how to deal with some things when they come across them. Benjamin Binamungu Benjamin Binamungu If restrictions are not put on what students do or watch during the holiday, many of them could waste a lot of their time watching pornographic material or learning how to take drugs. This can be dangerous to the child’s morals. Deborah Uwamahoro Deborah Uwamahoro I think students should be monitored when using social media because it’s a platform used by both good and bad people. People post a lot of indecent content which very few teenagers can sieve on their own. They need guidance from older people. Sandrine Rugema Ikirezi Sandrine Rugema Ikirezi I think watching what one does depends on how old they are. I think once someone clocks 18 years of age they should be responsible enough to know what is good and bad. You can’t monitor their phones and computers for 24 hours. Besides, the Internet is used for research and you don’t want a child who is not informed. Candice Amata Teta Candice Amata Teta It has both negative and positive implications. For instance someone may post an educative article on Facebook or Twitter to the benefit of the students. However it could also be a misleading article to the readers. I think parents should just teach their children especially those above 12 years of age to differentiate between what is constructive and what is destructive. If you have a comment or want the Education Times Open Voice team to visit your school, please send an email to education@newtimes.co.rw ******************* How to effectively use Facebook Launched in 2004 as a college-only social network, Facebook now boasts over one billion active users. Facebook has a number of benefits as dicussed below. Keep in touch Facebook can prove an invaluable way of keeping in touch with people you otherwise wouldn’t see, whether it’s an uncle on the other side of the world or a friend who’s moved to the next city. Facebook also enables you to hear about real-life events and gatherings you might otherwise miss if you weren’t on the social network. Share with others If there’s something big happening in your life — such as a new baby or a wedding — then Facebook is a quick, free and convenient way of letting friends and family know about it. If you have an announcement or a group of pictures to share, then Facebook is one of the easiest ways of getting the message out. From holiday photos to interesting Web links, Facebook is a powerful tool for sharing. Keep a journal Facebook can be used for your own benefit as well as the benefit of others. Through the use of photos, check-ins, events and status updates you can build up a detailed journal of your life. The Facebook Timeline is ordered chronologically and enables you to look back on years gone by and relive the experiences. Facebook however has some disadvantages. Lack of privacy With a Facebook account, your life is made public to be viewed and dissected. Even if you don’t choose to share something yourself, your friends can tag you in status updates and photos, so you might find your worst moments shared on the site as well as your best ones. Time-wasting While it can be useful to know what your friends and family are up to, Facebook can also be a significant time sink with no real value. A quick check of the site can turn into half an hour of scanning photos, videos and company brand pages that you don’t really have any interest in. Consider how productively you could use the time you spend on Facebook elsewhere. Targeted advertising Facebook uses the information stored on your profile to target you with advertising, building up a picture of you, your location and your habits in order to sell you goods and services. Any content you upload to Facebook may be used to tweak this advertising. Agencies