Parents Urged to Regulate Children’s Social Media Use to Curb Online Risks

An issue of concern has been raised over the increasing exposure of children to unregulated social media and internet content, with stakeholders calling for stronger parental control and guidance at home.

A member of the Board of Trustees of Kindest Care Foundation (KCF), Mr. Abiodun Bamidele, made the call in Abuja during a Children’s Day outreach programme organised for paediatric cancer patients.

He warned that many children are gaining unrestricted access to digital devices, stressing that parents must take responsibility for monitoring what their children view online in order to protect their wellbeing and development.

“Parents have to be proactive and manage their children properly when giving them tablets or phones to use. Why are we giving them phones? Are we controlling what they are seeing on the internet?” he asked.

Mr. Bamidele noted that while the internet remains an important tool for learning and development, it must be properly regulated within the home. “It needs to be regulated. It is something that has to be controlled from the home. We cannot control that from the street,” he said.

He described children as “very important” and compared child upbringing to an investment, urging parents to prioritise proper training and care. “If you take care of money today, the money will take care of you tomorrow. In the same way, if you take care of children today, they will take care of you tomorrow. Train them and manage their health very well,” he said.

He further warned that unregulated social media use could expose children to harmful content and negatively affect their mental and physical development, calling for increased awareness on digital parenting and child online safety.