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Foundation alerts on dangers of social media on teenagers

Foundation alerts on dangers of social media on teenagers
By Talatu Maiwada
Teenagers
Abuja, Aug.24, 2018 (NAN) World Impact Development Foundation has advised parents, guardians and school teachers to teach and guide teenagers on the dangers associated with the use of social media.
Mr Dexter King, Peak Performance and Leadership Coach of the foundation, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
King alerted that social media sites have positive aspects as well as dangers that come with its usage.
According to him, statistics has shown that a teenager spends averagely 27 hours weekly on social media.
He noted that the social media plays a significant role in defining social interaction where one can connect, relate and interact with several others from distant places.
He said social media has become a prominent part of life for many young people and teenagers, adding that unlike many adults they spend more time without thinking of its effect.
King said there are subtle daily dangers of social media that are either unknown, being ignored or minimised, thus the need to educate and set appropriate boundaries for them to stay safe.
“There are lots positive and negative aspects and teenagers need help and guidance on its usage, as they could ignorantly go beyond boundaries which may come with lots of consequences later in life.
“These sites become popular and easily accessible, with just a click, they can have varieties of information at their disposal and certainly there are dangers and effect teenagers are exposed to.
“When it comes to technology and teens, the dangerous things they are expose to are cyber bullying , sexing and online predators, which are incredibly damaging and issues that must be addressed,’’ he said.
King listed some dangers of social media to include loss of focus to academic work, noting that teens can get obsessive and addictive to social media which could become detrimental to their academic work.
“The time for their studies is mostly spent on frivolous activities of social media, like chatting, reading news feeds and visiting several links or gaming sites, hence affecting their academic performance.
“The danger of premature exposure, this exposes their fragile minds especially the girls to dangers of online world, such as various fashion trends which out of curiosity they want to practice.
“Teenagers are also often exposed to cyber-bullying which is usually done by sending intimidating or threatening messages through electronic communication, this also can lead to emotional trauma and loss of self-confidence.
“Access to unhealthy groups, social networking sites which allow hate groups to recruit and distribute propaganda, sexual predators who assault victims, and relying on rumours or unreliable information to make real life choices,’’ he added.
He further advised parents that teenagers must be taught to take caution of who they relate with, share personal or family information with on social media in order to groom future leaders. (NAN)
TIM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

NPAN, NUJ urge journalists to see social media as positive challenge

NPAN, NUJ urge journalists to see social media as positive challenge
NAN-H-17
Powers
Port Harcourt, Sept. 21, 2017 (NAN) Mr Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Thursday advised the Nigerian media to see the social media as a positive challenge.
Obaigbena made the call while delivering a goodwill message at the ongoing All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) holding in Port Harcourt.
He stated that the emergence of the social media was being wrongly viewed as a problem to the mainstream media.
According to him, the emergence of the social media had instead created room for Nigerians to have their say within the public sphere.
“The social media should not be seen as a problem to mainstream media but a spur to build strong brands,’’ he said.
The President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Waheed Odusile, urged the mainstream media to see the social media as a call to reposition journalism practice.
He said there was need for media stakeholders to meet in order to discuss ways of aggregating the issues being raised in the face of the social media.
“We need all stakeholders to work as one; the entire issues challenging the profession confront us all too,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s edition of ANEC is “Nigerian Media: Balancing professionalism, Advocacy and Business’’. (NAN)
AZU/JEO/MST
Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Social media addiction causes depression – NOUN

Social media addiction causes depression – NOUN

NAN-HG-3

Depression

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Abuja, April 7, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Abdalla Adamu, the Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has attributed high-level depression to addiction to social media platforms.

Adamu said this at the celebration of this year’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Day on Friday in Abuja.

The theme of event, organised by NOUN’s Faculty of Health Sciences in collaboration with the Nigerian Psychological Association, is “Let’s talk Depression’’.

According to the vice-chancellor, lack of money is a major cause of low-level depression as such depression is cured once poor people get some money.

“I am not a psychiatrist neither am I a psychologist but I know that money can cure depression at the lower level; when people do not have money, they are depressed.

“At the higher level, they have all the money but they do not communicate.

“Go to a rich home and you will see that they are not talking to one another; everybody is on Snap chat, Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook, among others.

“Experts should develop a way of teaching people how to effectively use the social media to avoid alienation and its attendant depression,’’ he said.

He listed some of the causes of depression as poverty, unemployment, alcohol abuse, emotional problems and loss of a loved one.

Adamu noted that the theme of the event was in tandem with the economic situation in Nigeria which had pushed a lot of people into depression and suicide.

The don regretted that Nigerians, previously reported as among the happiest people in the world, were getting depression.

Dr Jane-Frances Agbu, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, NOUN, said that the WHO Day, marked on April 7 annually, provided institutions the opportunity to mobilise action on topical issues.

She said that the theme was chosen because of the increasing rate of depression in Nigeria.

According to her, more than 300 million people are living with depression globally.

Agbu said the event aimed at informing the public about depression, its causes and how to take care of it.

In his presentation, Dr Akorede Wahab, Consultant Psychiatrist and retired Controller of Prisons, said that environmental issues were not mostly the causes of depression.

He said that indigenous depression, which was internal, was the severe type of depression which could lead to suicide.

The consultant said that it was always easy to diagnose depression, but there was need for such person to be taken to a hospital.

“Some symptoms of severe depression are illness, low mood-serious happiness that could last for more than two weeks.

“There are emotional symptoms such as reactiveness of mood to external issues, always feeling guilty, irritability, hearing of voices – the voice could be telling you to jump into a river to save the world.

“Variation of mood especially at wake in the morning, waking up been very sad.

“There are also biological symptoms such as retarded monotonous speeches, lack of sexual urge, among others,’’ he said.

Wahab urged people to consult a specialist or counselor while depressed instead abusing or misusing drugs. (NAN)

CJ/HS/MST

Edited by Halima Sheji/Muhammad Suleiman Tola