Topic: 2025 – Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: AJAX INDISH
Country: South Africa
Delegate: Ajax Indish
School: Williamston High School
Committee: HRC
Topic: Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Protecting the youth in digital spaces is one of the most important issues on the planet. Because in a new age of technology the youngest generation is the one moving into uncharted territory. Many places are beginning to realize that the young impressionable kids are the ones to gain or lose the most on the internet because of how much they can learn for free. But this freedom may come at a cost, scammers and many other bad people are also on the internet trying to prey on the people who do not understand what they are doing online and trying to make them give out information. But South Africa is very prepared with this issue and has many big plans.
The DBE is very important to the children because it makes the rules for everyone to follow. DBE is the department of education. They focus on cyber-bullying, prevent online harassment (because of the racism), try for safer social media use, and report harmful online behavior like cyber-bullying and such.The FPB regulates what is posted online, enforces age restrictions and runs many online safety campaigns. This is extremely important because of how open social media is and many people can be sucked into rabbit holes of bad things and wrong thoughts. Like racism and many other terrible things taught to the youth over social media. There are also many laws that protect children online such as the cyber-crimes act of 2020 which makes many online actions such as cyber-bullying and online fraud actual crimes that lead to people being much more safe on the internet when there are actual repercussions for their crimes.
While what they have now is a great start they also plan on creating digital literacy classes for children to get them prepared for what is to come. They are making it an essential class so if you want to graduate you gotta take it. They also want to make it so parents are aware of what kind of place the internet is so they will be prepared to teach their kids what to do.
SORCES
https://www.education.gov.za/ArchivedDocuments/ArchivedArticles/OnlineSafetytraining.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://powerlaw.africa/2022/11/01/south-africa-fpb-issues-child-protection-rules-for-isps/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/deputy-minister-philly-mapulane-communications-and-digital-technologies-dept-budget?utm_source=chatgpt.com
