Children should use mobile phones only for educational purposes. While participating in online forums or playing games, they should never share their personal photos, locations, or contact numbers. In case of online harassment or blackmailing, they should immediately inform their parents. These thoughts were expressed by Ms. Sadia Rashid, President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, during her presidential address at the Hamdard Naunehal Assembly Karachi meeting, titled “Online Protection for Children,” held yesterday at the Bait-ul-Hikmah Auditorium, Madinat-ul-Hikmah. The meeting was attended by educationist, IT professional and former Hamdard Public School student, Dr Kashif Mehmood, as the guest of honour.
Ms. Sadia Rashid stated that the internet is one of the most amazing and beneficial inventions of the current century. It is an excellent source of modern information and research, which has led to the loss of dominance by a few countries over modern knowledge. However, many people are misusing it. The negative use of the internet is leading to harmful behaviors and anti-social activities in society, which mainly affect the younger generation. True happiness is derived from spending time with parents and siblings. One should serve the elderly and benefit from their experiences. The wisdom to navigate through difficult circumstances comes with time and experience.
Dr. Kashif Mehmood remarked that the online world has caused social isolation for everyone. Parents must also adapt to modern technology to stay informed about their children’s online activities. Parents should listen to their children’s concerns attentively and with an open heart. Children often cannot share cyberbullying or blackmail by criminals due to fear, leading to depression. No matter how big the mistake, parents should approach the issue calmly and provide enough trust for the children to feel comfortable sharing their problems. Excessive screen time is a waste of time. An online friend could be a terrorist or a criminal. Every day, incidents are emerging where a child befriended someone online, and when they met, they were abducted. To prevent such incidents, the whole society must play a role and prepare children not to make online friends. If they do, they should inform their parents. The FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) is a very proactive law enforcement agency, and if you are ever in trouble, immediately report it to them. Anything you don’t want people to see, avoid taking pictures or videos of it, as criminals can steal data from mobile phones. Excessive use of mobile phones weakens children’s reading habits.
Young speakers, including Ayesha Fawad (Leader of the House, Hamdard Public School), Syed Muhammad Shuja (Leader of the Opposition, Hamdard Public School), Fatima Zahra (Azimi Public School), and others, stated that the online exploitation of children has become a global issue, and no society is immune to it. Due to their innocence and lack of understanding, children become victims of criminals or begin to believe in organized propaganda against the state and its institutions. Children should inform their parents before downloading any game or application.
Students from various schools performed awareness skits or theater based on the theme of the session. The meeting concluded with Dua-i-Said, presented by the students of Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School.
