SPEAK TO KIDS ABOUT ‘SEXTING’

Sir,

We live in a digital world where the world has shrunk. We can, at the press of a button, publish anything on WhatsApp and before we know it, it has gone viral, meaning people throughout social networks have it in their phones.

It, therefore, surprises me that my country lives in denial of this. Presently there are no laws to protect innocent people who, without even a second thought, fall for tricks from experienced network users. Recently it was divulged in an investigative programme that a so-called ‘friend’ dared his friend to prove to him that he could bend down sufficiently to get his mouth to reach his private parts. Unbeknown to the innocent boy his ‘friend’ was recording the whole thing and published it on WhatsApp. As a result of this ‘infringement’, the ‘innocent’ boy was degraded and abused by his peers resulting in him suffering severe depression, undergoing counselling and having to move from the school.

I think we have all heard of the pastor who took a picture of ‘himself’ and thinking he was sending it to his mistress, he sent it to all church members. We all know he subsequently committed suicide for he could not face the consequences of his actions and could not face the congregation.

Numerous parents purchase expensive mobile phones for their children. Do they know what those children do while in their rooms? Vindictiveness is all around; this cannot be denied, we observe this daily. People will coax one into believing they can trust another as that picture will only be for them ‘alone’ and if parents do not educate their children on the dangers of taking nude photographs, in revealing positions and sending them to ‘a dear friend’, before they know it, they will be all over social networks. Who can live with the consequences of such an action? There is nothing one does that has no repercussions.

As previously stated, the world has ‘shrunk’ and even moving may not assist for there is always that one person who remembers what they saw and where they saw it. Anything published on WhatsApp ends up on Facebook and other sites and before one knows it, the whole world has viewed it. Google does amazing work! Although people shun such videos they do watch them, laugh about them, and pass them on quite unconsciously and without realising that such an act may even lead to someone committing suicide.

We cannot deny that children now start having sex as early as 13 years of age. Denial by parents does not change the status quo.
Children believe parents are old fashioned and know nothing about what happens today. Parents must find ways of speaking to their children about sexting which is performing sexual acts while on video calls, or of taking nude photographs because unless people realise the stigma that will follow them, they will never be able to live down that one moment in their lives (For the full article go to: www.inalda.co.sz).

Inalda Jorge-Antonio

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