A security expert, Larry Pepple has raised alarm over the increasing rate at which minors and other young people are involved in activities on the Internet and the inherent dangers they are exposed to.

He warned about the dangers associated with such trend and the dreadful impact such trend would have on the affected youngsters and the society at large.

Pepple gave this warning while making a presentation tagged “Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media: Cyber Safety” at the Bonny Kingdom Youth and Adolescent Programme (BYAP) held at the Ibanise Hall, Bonny.

Larry Pepple, a Security, Post-Conflict and Community Development Consultant, expressed worry that 25 per cent of 8-11 year olds have social media profiles (most times, unknowingly created by parents); 75 per cent of 12-15 year olds have a social media profile; nearly 50 per cent of teens share their photos online; and 57 per cent of teens have made friends through the internet.  

He called on parents, guardians, teachers, and public sector regulators to pay greater attention to this rising menace given its dire consequences on the society, family life and general safety of the minors involved and the society at large.  

The former Chief Security Officer to ex-Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, noted that social media, which “are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Myspace, among others” have seen “22 per cent of young people log into their social media site or application at least 10 times a day”.

He traced the emergence of Social Media to “CompuServe – The earliest forms of the Internets – 1960s; UseNet communication through a virtual newsletter – 1979; Internet Relay Chats (IRCs) – 1988 and 1990s; Six Degrees – 1997. First time users upload profile and make friends with other users; First Blogging sites – 1999 (Social Media sensation); MySpace, LinkedIn – early 2000s; Photobucket and Flickr – online photo sharing – late 2000s; and YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – from 2005 – 2010”.  

Pepple, who was the former Technical Assistant on Reintegration in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, pointed that the Internet and Social Media has, over the years, enhanced networking and interaction among individuals and corporate bodies, marketing, advertisement and business relations, greater access to employment opportunities, and public sector accountability.

He further explained that added to these were “belonging to newer and more engaging ‘communities without borders’ and responsible digital citizen culture and identity exchange, linkages and reinforced collaborations,” “technological advancements and capacity building, which entails “continual use of social media apparatus to improve technological awareness and prowess,” replacement of oil and gas business with technology and services”.

Other benefits, as enumerated by the Bonny-born former Executive Director of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), included “Educational and Informational Development Technological Advancement and Capacity Building, which has helped millions to “access wide-range of information and educational materials, thus improving educational ability of the user, improve awareness through access to information and news items across the world, and information sharing and support”.

According to him, the Internet and Social Media has successfully created ‘Communities Without Borders’ thus engendering the opportunity for several people to “join and participate in discourse without borders, express opinions and views in public or societal-oriented issues such as governance and other public-spirited issues”.

He, however, observed that the negative Implications of Social Media such as 1) Independence and Lone-ranging 2) Isolation from peer-to-peer association and networking 3) Over-dependence on the Social Media, and 4) Reduced face-to-face contact and social isolation: together but far-apart could lead to ‘Social Media depression’”.

He also alerted that “unregulated share and use of content, inappropriate share and access to harmful content, Cyber-bullying and harassment, Sexting, cyber-pornography, nudism and uncensored materials, recruitment into cults, fraternities and sororities that promote insecurity, violence, addiction” were veritable dangers promoted by the Internet and Social Media.

He warned against the “spread of falsehood and unconfirmed information and news items, trolls (annoying) and haters of a positive philosophy or movement that can destroy through wrong information, access to information that could lead to substance abuse especially amateur medical advisers, among others.

The Security czar cautioned the participants of the programme and other youths to “Protect Your YAPPY”, which he defined as “Y – Your full name; A – Address; P – Phone number; P – Password; and Y – Your plans”.