By Our Reporter
The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has urged parents and caregivers to be more vigilant and monitor the audio-visual content their children consume on various platforms online and guide them appropriately.
Addressing Form Four parents at State House Girls Nairobi on February 17 2023, Ms. Emmah Irungu, KFCB’s Principal Compliance Officer, said that it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that children under their care are not exposed to age-inappropriate content.
She added that despite children having access to the internet and digital devices like smartphones, parents should take deliberate steps to monitor what their young ones are consuming in order to guide them accordingly.
“Parents should make use of the wide parental controls offered on various ICT devices and platforms as part of monitoring and guiding their children on responsible content consumption,” she said.
She noted that KFCB recognizes the need for parents to be equipped with necessary skills and knowledge on how to parent effectively in the digital age.
Irungu sensitized the caregivers on the Parents Digital Literacy Program (PaDiL) that the Board unveiled recently in partnership with Netflix, Google and Tik Tok, among other stakeholders.
PaDiL is geared towards empowering parents and caregivers with the requisite skills to guide children on safe and responsible use of digital platforms and creative spaces.
It also aims to create awareness on the effects of media content and emerging technologies on children as well as enhance parents’ awareness on emerging technologies.
Irungu appealed to parents and caregivers to support the child online safety programmes and campaigns that KFCB is spearheading in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Mrs. Everlyne Nabukwesi, Principal State House Girls, lauded KFCB for championing child online safety and creating safe spaces for children, especially on the internet.
