By Olabisi Olaleye
Stakeholders in the information and technology industry, under the aegis Broadband 2018 Coalition, have expressed concerns over Nigeria’s fall in the global Internet ranking.
According to them, Nigeria has declined on the broadband adoption and Internet use index, Affordability Drivers Index (ADI), ranking 13th (out of 58 countries surveyed) from its 12th place ranking in the 2015-2016 index in the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4aI) 2017 report.
They explained that this decline may affect the country, while reiterating that every 10 per cent increase in broadband growth in developing countries results in a commensurate increase of 1.3 per cent in gross domestic product.
The group said the implementation of the National Broadband Plan would have bridged the gap, and they wondered why the federal government has provided no updates on its plans.
They stressed that it was pertinent for the Nigerian government to expedite the implementation of the country’s five-year broadband plan that was developed and submitted by the Presidential Committee on Broadband in 2013.
In a statement released by the Broadband Coalition, it was stated that broadband has played a major role in transforming societies and economic opportunities across the world, facilitating education and knowledge dissemination, enabling trade and commerce and contributing to growing entrepreneurship across the world. The coalition is demanding that the National Broadband Plan (2013 – 2018) should be diligently implemented to spur economic growth and help Nigeria prepare for a post-oil economy.
The group quoted the minister, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, Mr. Bolaji Akinremi, who had said that information and communication technology was crucial to Nigeria’s quest for sustainable development by 2030, when he delivered Nigeria’s statement on “ICT for Development” at the UN General Assembly.
The National Broadband Plan was developed by a presidential committee chaired by the national coordinator of A4AI Nigeria and former executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, and Zenith Bank Chairman, Jim Ovia, supported by major IT industry players from within and outside Nigeria.
4 alarming things you must know about Instagram
1. Your account is set to “Public” by default
Unless you change it in your Instagram settings, your account and your children’s accounts will automatically be set to “Public.” This means every photograph you post of yourself and your children can be accessed by anyone trolling the Internet, including identity thieves and paedophiles. And even more alarming, your location can be easily added as well.
Make sure when setting up your account or helping your child set up his account that you turn on the privacy settings. In your Instagram settings, make sure your photos are set to post as “private” to your Instagram friends only, and not public. For safety purposes, avoid posting your location.
2. Instagram beauty pageants
A current trend on Instagram that parents should be aware of are beauty and ugly pageants. This new form of cyber-bullying involves teens (mostly girls) posting photos of themselves using hashtags like #beautycontest or #rateme. This is alarming on several fronts. First, if photos are public, these young girls are exposing themselves to online predators. Second, the “beauty pageant” contestants are subjecting themselves to unrealistic criticism, praise, and even poisonous ridicule. And perhaps the most disheartening to parents, what are these online pageants teaching kids about beauty?
“Winners” are the photos with the most likes, “losers” get a big X through their picture. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it.
3. Porn gets through
Despite Instagram’s terms, which state that users should be at least 13 years of age and that users are not allowed to post nude, partially nude, or sexually suggestive photos, pornography is still getting through.
As illustrated by my experience above, many Instagram users stumble upon porn accidentally through a seemingly innocent friend request. Sadly, it is most often men and young men who are targeted by Instagram pornography requests. In a recent conversation with a friend, she was at her wits’ end over the types of friend requests her 13-year-old son was getting. Luckily, he always approached his mom every time he got a new friend request, but she was shocked by how often the “friends” were simply porn sites in disguise.
What can you do? Not much besides blocking the user from your profile and reporting the content to Instagram. The best you can do: don’t accept friend requests from anyone you don’t personally know. Don’t even click on the picture to find out.
4. Beware of dangerous hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to categorise your pictures on Instagram. Say you include the hashtag #JonesFamilyTrip in photos of your summer vacation. Everyone in your family can see those photos and add their own using the same hashtag. This is an excellent way to share photographs.
But beware that there are some dangerous hashtags out there that can lead you and your children to pornography, violent photos, and sites that promote suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. For instance, the hashtags #Ana and #Sue aren’t girls’ names at all, they are code for anorexia and suicide. Clicking on or doing a search for these hashtags can lead you to photos encouraging self-destruction. There are many other dangerous hashtags like: #drivingselfie – encouraging users to take a photo of themselves while driving and then posting to Instagram. #thinspiration – users post photos of dramatic weight loss and extreme thinness. #cat – this hashtag refers to cutting oneself. #selfharmmm – the hashtag used to glorify destructive habits like cutting, burning, and hurting oneself.