A one-day workshop held here on Wednesday stressed the need for creating awareness among the youth about safe browsing on the internet. The training workshop titled ‘Surf Safely to Save the Generation – A Social Networking Practices Programme for Youth Aged 16 Onwards’ was held at the Crescent Model School and College Lahore.
The basic objective of the workshop organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology as part of an anti-radicalization program was to create awareness among the students about surfing the web safely.
Speakers at the event were of the view that although digital devices and the internet are common methods by which children access educational information, do recreation and communicate with their peers, the dangers associated with their use cannot be overlooked. They said the initiative is aimed at creating awareness among the youth on how internet bluffs its users and can direct them to the ‘unwanted’ sites. The participants were sensitized about potential threats of hacking of personal information, promotion of liberal ideologies, drugs business, violence and sexual harassment on the internet.
The speakers warned that unsafe internet surfing can result in stealing of the users’ personal information which can later be misused by miscreants. “We want to sensitize the target audience on how internet can brainwash its users and lead them to violent behaviours,” the speakers said, adding that the core objective of the event was to identify, protect and support those who might be vulnerable to being radicalized or influenced by extremist views on the internet.
The speakers stressed the need for working with schools and the local authorities to share good practices in order to improve safe surfing guidelines. “Creating awareness on the vulnerability about online recruitment by terrorist organizations offering money for livelihood is the need of the hour,” they maintained.
On the occasion, live demo with examples was presented to the teachers and parents in order to create awareness on the darker and inappropriate side of the internet. Brochures on Paigham-e-Pakistan declaration were also distributed during the ceremony.
Published in Daily Times, September 27th 2018.
