The Kenya Film Classification Board in collaboration with Netflix, Google, TikTok and other stakeholders on Tuesday unveiled a Parents’ Digital Literacy Programme (PaDiL) that is geared towards empowering parents and caregivers with the requisite skills to guide children on safe and responsible use of digital platforms and creative spaces.
The Program also seeks to create awareness on the effects of media content and emerging technologies on children.
Speaking during the PaDiL launch at the Sarova Stanley hotel, Principal Secretary, State Department for Youth Affairs and the Arts, Mr. Ismail Maalim Madey, applauded Netflix and other partners for collaborating with KFCB in the PaDiL initiative.
“This is indeed a welcome initiative, given that Kenya’s level of broadband penetration is among the highest in Africa. As a result, the use of ICTs, including social media, has become pervasive across the country, especially among the youth and children. I am pleased to note that this launch has been organized to coincide with Kenya’s 10th commemoration of Safer Internet Day under the theme: Together for a safer internet,” the PS noted.
To promote online safety for children, PS Madey noted the need for parents to be assisted to appreciate and deal with the realities of the digital age.
The PS also lauded KFCB for joining hands with the digital platform operators to equip parents and caregivers with the requisite skills and knowledge to guide children on online safety.
In his remarks, the KFCB Ag. CEO, Christopher Wambua, noted that parents and caregivers are critical points of contact for children and hence the need to arm them with skills that they can use to help the young ones under the care to navigate the digital space safely.
“It is gratifying to note that all our partners in this programme, have either instituted parental control mechanisms on their respective platforms or created safe online spaces for children. These solutions play a critical role in ensuring that children at various stages of development are protected against access to inappropriate material online.
“More specifically, Google, through the YouTube Kids, for instance, offers family-friendly content along with parental controls that can set time limits on apps and turn off search functionality. TikTok, on the other hand, has a series of safety features and functionalities meant to protect young users on the platform. Users under the age of 13 can, for instance, watch videos without interacting with strangers through the comment page,” Mr. Wambua noted.
Fatuma Kanteh, 16, who represented children at the event reiterated that indeed children are exposed to inappropriate content, especially through the internet and need to be guided accordingly. She cautioned her peers against interacting with strangers online.
