The harmful impact of the internet on child upbringing in the digital world, including cyberbullying, internet fraud, sexual abuse, and drug and emotional abuse are some of the issues discussed at a forum organised by “The Wife.’’
The forum, which came under the theme, ‘Raising the next generation’ also outlined strategies on how children can be properly groomed by parents in the midst of the above challenges.
Speaking at the event, the founder of “The Wife,” Nkem Okoro acknowledged that parents were not finding it easy to train children in the digital world due to the influence of information technology on the young ones.
According to her, some of the youth pay more attention to the happenings on social media than giving heed to the instructions from their parents.
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Lamenting the increased cases of youth involvement in immoral behaviours, Okoro said: “Many of them now practise homosexualism, lesbianism and these sins provoked God and He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God does not change, this generation may not escape the destruction of the Almighty God.
“The contemporary youth wants to make money at all cost; they are not ready to work, they are into drug selling to make money and in the course of selling drugs, they become entangled and destroy themselves.’’
On the other hand, she appealed to youths to desist from vices, embrace morals and pay more attention to their academics. She also stressed the need for parents to equip themselves with the techniques of information technology so as to understand the happenings in the digital world which in turn will help them to train their children well.
“We parents should know that our children know more than us when it comes to information technology, so parents should know how to use gadgets such as handsets, and computers so as to understand what is happening in the contemporary world to be able to train children properly.
“Artificial Intelligence is gradually taking over, parents should study to know how it operates, so as to monitor the activities of their children,” she said.
On her part co-ordinator “The Wife”, Lovina Emeka Matthew said that the annual programme also aimed to award couples that have married for over two decades.
Matthew attributed some of the challenges facing the young ones in society to divorce.
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According to her: “God hates divorce, most of the deviant children in the society are mostly those from dysfunctional homes. Couples should not consider divorce as an option because it is detrimental to the children and the society at large.”
Some of the awardees at the event who spoke in an interview lauded the organisers of the event for appreciating them in that capacity.
“The Wife” is a group of married women burdened with enhancing the institution of marriage and family.
