Aliviado: Parental Responsibility

WHENEVER I have spare time, I sometimes went to an internet café to surf to my favorite websites (youtube, wikipedia, facebook and friendster) or just to play also my favorite PC game, Command and Conquer: Zero Hour. Those who are continuously updated with new LAN and RPG games must be laughing at me for being outdated, especially my younger brother who always hangs out in internet cafes. I don’t mind at all being labeled as such, since spending time inside the café is just one of the my ways to relax after work. Besides, my favorite game enables me to develop strategic thinking and proper use of my units to defeat the enemies.

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This is not the main subject I am going to tackle, however. Since the time I began to work here in Cagayan de Oro, I notice that many students go to such establishments during school hours purportedly for research, as I heard from them many times since I would casually ask their purpose of coming.

Well, I don’t know if surfing on Friendster or Facebook, having personal digital pictures printed or playing online games have anything to do with research. Let them do what they want to do, I told myself, yet if these people were to be the hope of our motherland, what kind of future will we have from this setup?

Cuss words are even uttered by these youngsters, especially those who are playing, along with heavy scent of cigarette smoke lingering inside the café, disregarding the no smoking signage.

I don’t know yet if there is an ordinance banning the entry of students in internet cafés during school hours, and if there is, a continuous enforcement should be done. Owners of the cafes will really be crying foul over this since this would mean loss of income, but these are the younger generation that we are talking about. If we need a better, brighter future for these kids, I believe we need to guide and to teach them properly on the use of this medium.

Parents and teachers also play a vital role as they must teach their students the proper use of the internet, as well as instilling in them a personal responsibility of how much time is to be spent. Without proper guidance, there is a strong possibility for them to access violent, graphic and pornographic websites, affecting the mentality and behavior of the viewers. As early as possible, we should not wait for this thing to happen. Let us have a preventive, not reactive, type of preparation for the sake of the younger generation.

(Be one with me in hoping for a better change. Send your comments at jaliviado2001@yahoo.com)