The First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama, has urged international leaders to prioritise child safety, emphasising that while digital technology presents enormous benefits, it also poses significant hazards to young people everywhere.
Speaking at the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit in Washington, D.C., Mrs. Mahama thanked US First Lady Melanie Trump for organising the gathering and used a personal anecdote to illustrate the conflicting effects of technology.
She cited the quick expansion of the digital realm, pointing out that about 70% of people on the planet use social media. The majority of Ghana’s 8–15 million internet users are young people.
“Our children belong to a generation equipped with tools that earlier generations could scarcely imagine,” she stated, citing President John Dramani Mahama’s Independence Day speech. “In their hands, a smartphone serves as a classroom, a business hub, a creative space, and a gateway to the global economy.”
The First Lady cautioned that despite these advantages, children may be seriously harmed by technology if it is not properly regulated.
One in five teenage victims of cyberbullying avoid school as a result, according to studies she referenced.
Ghana has implemented the “Safer Digital Ghana” campaign to raise awareness and reduce online abuse, strengthened regulations, and improved enforcement in order to address these issues.
Building on frameworks like the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the UN’s Children and Digital report, the two-day conference seeks to strengthen international cooperation on child online protection.
Source: newsthemegh.com