INTERNET | YOUTH | INTERNET COST

KAMPALA - Young leaders across the country have said cyberbullying and prohibitive internet costs are a huge hindrance to their creativity and innovation for the advancement of society.

They said the Government should come up with stringent measures that deter cyberbullying and online criminality that has had negative psycho-social effects, especially on female users.

Esther Birungi, a digital marketer,  said relevant authorities should ensure that the internet is a safe space for young entrepreneurs if Government wants to capitalise on technological advancement for development.

“As a girl-child activist who has run successful campaigns on social media, I know how fascinating it is to rally thousands of people virtually for a cause, but that kind of exposure can also be the cause of untold suffering and this is a first-hand experience because I even suffered depression,” Birungi said.

She said besides the prohibitive cost of the internet, cyberbullying is life-threatening and that Government should have measures in place to curb it.

Birungi argued that “affordable internet will be useless if we have a rising number of suicidal tendencies  and increasing public expenditure on mental health.”

The remarks were made on Friday during a National Youth Council  E-conference organised in Kampala for young leaders to discuss thematic areas of concern, including governance,  technology and innovations and the challenges faced in the education sector, occasioned by COVID-19.

A recent report by the UN Agency for children showed that one in every three young people in over 30 countries have been victims of online bullying, with at least one in every five affected children reporting having skipped school due to cyberbullying and violence.

In Uganda, the study indicated that out of 4,057 respondents aged 15-24  years, at least 40% had been victims of online violence and cyberbullying and that this mostly happens on social media platforms, especially Facebook.

Abubaker Matanda, the national youth co-ordinator of the Alliance for National Transformation  (ANT), argued that besides young entrepreneurs, the Government should be worried about young students that have taken to online learning in the face of COVID-19.

“Contending with COVID-19 means that classrooms are now virtual,  unfortunately, so is schoolyard bullying. Both parents and authorities should take a keen interest in the safety of the children in the search for knowledge,” Matanda said.

The Eastern Youth MP, Bernard Odoi, said if the Government clampdown on social media spaces, such as Facebook and the cost of the internet is a matter of urgency to the young people, they should all rally around the same cause other than sitting back to wait for action from their leaders.

“For the first time, a country of young people that is dependent on the internet should be focused and deliberate in their efforts to advocate for what they believe in. If the youth are affected by the shutdown of  Facebook and the cost of internet, we should all speak one voice against the policy, instead of waiting for leaders,” Odoi noted.

In February last year, a study by Uganda Communications Commission put the cost of acquiring 1GB of internet in Uganda at sh9,819 higher compared to her neighbours Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, which makes it the most expensive in the  East African region. 

This was attributed to operating costs while purchasing data and  Uganda’s geographical area that puts it out of reach to the coast, where it can easily access the infrastructure.

However, Gilbert Buregeya, the programmes manager at StartUP  Uganda, said for innovation to thrive, young leaders should stop lamenting about the cost of internet and instead search for information on what opportunities Government has to support the young people for technological advancement.