Please don't leave your children exposed to the virtual world.

Students use phones at a school in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NHU HUNG

Smartphones are increasingly present in people's lives, interfering in most relationships with family, friends, teachers and students. The benefits are countless, but it is undeniable that its negative side is affecting young people in many ways, especially students.

Over the years of teaching, I have witnessed students secretly using their phones during class. Can the screen suddenly light up under the desk or the table shaking violently make the children focus on the lesson? Incoming messages, ringing calls, likes and shares, comments all urge the children to hide their hands, secretly swipe, swipe, tap, press…

Challenges for teachers

Phones help with learning, but how can teachers manage those flashing screens? Confiscate all the phones and put them on the teacher’s desk? That’s not good! Remind students to put their phones in their bags and limit their use when the teacher asks? It’s impossible to convince all the kids with words.

Many teachers boldly believe that it is not difficult to control students' use of phones in the classroom. This is probably true for classes with stable input in terms of learning ability and good awareness.

As for us, the secondary school teachers who are "mothers" of a huge number of "rebellious" children, it is really difficult to tell them to put their phones away in their bags, and to not use their phones during this time and to obediently let their "pets" lie there.

Children are growing up, curious about everything, learning all the good and bad things. And the online world behind that sparkling screen is a world full of fun and temptation.

From online games to social networks like Facebook, Zalo, TikTok... it is easy for children to fall into a trap when they lack the skills to become smart technology users and lack guidance from adults.

Game addiction has become a nightmare for many parents when children skip school to play games at game shops, neglecting their studies because they are focused on the virtual world in games. Living a virtual life is a new concern when many children are absorbed in watching, looking at, and wishing for the luxurious and sparkling life of some people online.

"Internet gangsters" suddenly became idols of many children; their vulgar speech, swearing, cursing, and vulgar behavior unintentionally made children misunderstand and cheer them on.

School violence has been on the rise recently, with many incidents stemming from conflicts on social networks caused by a comment, a criticism, or a "like".

That is dangerous.

Tripartite Alliance

The skills needed to use technology intelligently are still lacking. We adults are still addicted to social networks, online games, virtual life and countless fake news traps, so how can we create a "safety net" to protect children comprehensively and effectively?!

There are countless traps and risks inside the mobile screen, while software to control, filter fake news, block offensive and violent videos, etc. is still not complete and has not become a solid armor to protect children.

Therefore, to avoid the painful consequences of using social networks without awareness and poor skills, families - schools - society must take drastic action.

The three-party alliance will help control and prevent bad and toxic information, purify the network environment to be clean and healthy; regularly organize training courses on safe and effective social network usage skills; pay more attention to children's "digital footsteps" online to promptly correct deviations, adjust wrong behaviors and protect children from the "toxic smoke" from cyberspace.

Please don't leave your children unattended with cell phones.

Many opportunities, big worries

Previously, smartphones had to be given to children with parental permission, and schools banned phones so that students could focus on their studies.

Since Circular 32 officially took effect, allowing students to use phones in the classroom, the chances of children touching their phones have increased, and the concerns of parents and teachers have also increased exponentially as it is completely impossible to control what children will access online and how they are getting lost in the virtual world.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xin-dung-tha-rong-tre-cho-the-gioi-ao-20240915221110318.htm