Anglican Church launches campaign to protect children online

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While children use the Internet for education, timely communication, social networking and entertainment such as games and music, ensuring their safety and well-being in the digital realm is also crucial.

Recognising this pressing need, The Anglican church launched a ‘Safe Screens, Safe Kids’ campaign dedicated to foster a child-safe media environment while nurturing responsible media consumption habits among young minds.

Speaking to New Vision, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, said that the campaign is a rallying call to action, inviting parents, educators, content creators, regulatory authorities, and responsible citizens to join forces in creating a digital space that nurtures creativity, curiosity, and growth while shielding children from harmful content.

“With children spending an average of 6-7 hours a day engaging with digital media, the campaign seeks to strike a balance between the tremendous opportunities for learning and entertainment and the potential risks lurking in the shadows,” Dr Kaziimba said.

The campaign is for anyone invested in the well-being of children. Whether you are a parent, caretaker, educator, content creator, regulatory authority, or a responsible brand.

“By aligning with the "Safe Screens, Safe Kids" campaign, you become a guardian of child safety, committed to creating a world where technology and media serve as tools for growth and enlightenment,” Dr Kaziimba said.

In a survey titled Uganda Children’s Online Survey, UCC said regardless of gender, children begin using the Internet at about 14 years  majority from their bedrooms at home.

The minister of ICT Dr. Chris Baryomunsi speaks during the breakfast launch of safe screen program at Kampala Serena Hotel on April 3, 2024. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)

UCC indicated that one in every five children online had seen a sexual image in the 12 months to the survey, with majority conceding that they had accessed them through social networking sites using (44.7 percent) Internet-enable mobile device.

During the breakfast meeting, Government and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) inclined to the well-being of children in Uganda resolved to scale up and combine efforts in curbing the escalating forms of cyber, sexual and other forms of harassment children face through the internet.

Speaking at the event, Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director of Church of Uganda Family TV, said that unregulated media consumption has posed a real threat to the safety and well-being of children.

Cases of cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content (violence, adult content), cyber predators, sexual abuse, depression, addiction, anxiety, and suicide, among others, have since grown out of hand because of the internet.

“The Safe Screens Safe Kids alarm ought to be louder than the HIV/AIDS drum that sounded in the 90’s. It is intended to create awareness about responsible media consumption among children in homes, schools and public spaces, advocate for age-appropriate content, and provide resources to ensure a safe media environment for families,” Mwesigye said.

Through collaborative partnerships, digital engagement, and sponsorship opportunities, the "Safe Screens, Safe Kids" campaign aims to inspire a global shift toward more responsible media consumption habits, ultimately promoting healthier and happier generations to come.