Mothers have cautioned parents against giving their children and wards unhindered access to the internet, emphasising the importance of maintaining moral values.

They said this advice became necessary to promote healthy and responsible behaviour among children, especially those under 18.

In separate interviews on Sunday in Lagos, the respondents warned that failing to monitor children’s smartphone use could have serious consequences.

Olubukola Aladeusi, a teacher, stressed the need for responsible parenting to address the potential risks associated with smartphone use among children.

She recommended that children under 16 should not own a smartphone to safeguard their well-being and encourage responsible behaviour.

“Instead, parents can provide access to a phone strictly for educational purposes and under close supervision.

“They should also install software to track phone usage, limit access to certain apps, and block inappropriate content,” she stated.

Bolanle Yusuf, a mother, advised parents to be deliberate and concerned about how teenagers use smartphones, noting that “adolescence is a critical and formative stage in life.”

She said phone usage should be based on a child’s maturity level rather than current trends or peer pressure.

“There should be clearly set rules regarding phone use, and disobedience must come with consequences.

“Action and reaction are equal and opposite — if they break the rules, they must face the consequences accordingly,” she added.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC)’s research, 93 per cent of children are exposed to online risk.

It said Nigerian children between the ages range of 11 and 16 years faced huge risks online as 93 per cent of them go online using their mobile phones without any safeguards.

The findings of research conducted by the NCC, which focused on two age ranges, 11-16, and four-10 years, also found that 45 per cent of children in the latter age range also went online with their mobile phones, indicating a high rate of phone ownership among children in Nigeria.

According to the report, 7,013 respondents were surveyed across Nigeria. While the respondents included children, parents, and teachers, 5,681, representing 81 per cent, were children.

“The least popular means of access to the internet for both age groups is the school. The implication of this is that children often go online mostly through means that are not as actively moderated as either the Internet café or the school,” the report stated.

The NCC’s research also highlighted the various risks faced by children online.

According to the report, the survey discovered that unwanted sexual approach in a chat room, social networking site, or email was considered the biggest threat online by 97 per cent of the 11-16 year-olds in Nigeria.

“This is followed closely by being sent sexual images or content at 89 per cent.

“Cyberbullying incidentally, is not a threat rated highly by the children as only 30 per cent consider it a threat worth worrying about.”

It said, “The children also do not consider the possibility of someone taking unwanted photos of them and circulating them online as a major concern, hence only 35 per cent put it forward as a threat.”

The report recommended that mobile network operators in the country ensure content was classified in line with existing national standards of decency and appropriateness to identify content unsuitable for viewing by children.

It also advised the network service providers to provide appropriate means for parents and schools to control children’s access to content classified as only suitable for adult customers in equivalent media.

Schools and teachers were advised to develop educational materials for parents and guardians to support young children in learning and acquiring digital and critical thinking skills for a balanced life.

“A child’s excessive use of online services or the Internet, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a potential problem,” it warned.

(NAN)