Visit schools, colleges to create awareness about effects of social media: Lakshmi Hebbalkar

Bengaluru: Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Thursday asked the police personnel to visit schools and colleges four days a week and create awareness among students about effects of social media and to protect them from exploitation.

She was speaking after inaugurating a district-level officers’ workshop on ‘Children’s Online Safety’, organised by Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in association with Child Fund India.

The minister said, “Police officials should create awareness about the negative part of social media. Various departments, including the police department and the education department, should invest in the all-round development and protection of children and their rights.”

According to the minister, a report stated that 78% of children from rural areas are addicted to mobile phones, laptops, tabs and computers and other gadgets. “Such addictions at a young age are causing crimes against women and girl children. Steps must be taken to prevent this,” she added.

The minister also highlighted that children aged 14 to 18 were the most getting addicted to social media.

“Though an inter-departmental committee, comprising Departments of Law, Education, Health and Rural Development, has been formed, the online crimes, crimes against women and children have not reduced,” Hebbalkar added.