Negative Impact of Social Media on Ghanaian Youth Worrying.
By thefourlens.com
Krobo-Techiman, Bono East region
September 12, 2022
The Women’s Wing of the Islamic Mission Secretariat (IMS) has appealed for collective support for teachers to effectively impart godly-knowledge and moral uprightness to children.
Hajia Mariam Suleman Nketia, the General Secretary of the Wing, made the appeal at the 24th National Conference of the Wing, on the theme: “Combating the Negative Effects of Social Media: The Role of Muslim Woman”, held at Krobo-Techiman in the Bono East Region.
She said the move would greatly help in reducing the negative impact of social media on the youth in the country.
The three-day conference was attended by members of the Wing from the 16 regions of Ghana.
Hajia Nketia explained the Mission and the Wing worked to promote unity and ensure peaceful co-existence between Muslims and other religious and faith groups to create a harmonious environment, thus facilitating accelerated national development.
The conference therefore aimed at sensitizing parents and guardians to monitor the lifestyles and activities of their children and wards through effective guidance and advice to protect the children from social vices and negative social media impact, she said.
Hajia Nketia said women could do their part in “training our children properly through the fear of God and utmost respect for the elderly in the society because every woman is a potential teacher to inculcate Islamic values and sense of godliness in children at the home”.
She commended successive governments for policy interventions such as the National Service Scheme, Youth Employment Agency, NABCO and You-Start, which had been providing financial relief for out-of-school youth.
Hajia Nketia, therefore, appealed to the Government to increase collaboration with the private sector to create more jobs for the unemployed and an enabling environment for graduates to create jobs for themselves.
The IMS’ vision is to promote unity among Muslims and non-Muslims for harmonious and peaceful coexistence, renew the faith of Muslims to be more committed to the rules of Islam and facilitate fund raising for developmental projects.
The Women`s Wing, formed 27 years ago, aimed at championing women’s concerns, including support for the vulnerable in society and engaging in vocational skills training for the less privileged.
Hajia Nketia observed that though social media had been beneficial to humankind in terms of technological advancement, its use was being abused by the youth.
She said a section of the youth had taken advantage of that to engage in unacceptable and criminal activities such as cyber fraud, LGBTQI+ practices and promotion of nudity.
The conference was, therefore, to bring to the fore the significant role women could play as mothers in combating the negative impact of social media on individuals, families and the larger society.
The special guest of honour, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, in her address lauded the contributions of the Secretariat and the Wing towards the development of the Muslim communities and the country at large.
Mrs. Bawumia emphasized that Muslim women played essential role in helping to stem rising social vices among Islamic youth and asked them to play such roles proactively and also guide them to moderate and use their social media productively.
“As Muslims, Allah commands us to protect our children and it is therefore our duty as Muslim women to ensure our children and other young people around us are not exposed to things that affect them negatively”, she said.
The Islamic Mission Secretariat (IMS) is constructing a modernized 100-bed capacity Islamic Hospital at Krobo-Techiman to enhance easy access to quality health care services delivery in the area.
Mrs. Bawumia pledged 1,000 bags of cement in support of the construction of the Islamic Hospital.
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