Zamtel urges responsible use of social media among youth

Zamtel says young people have a significant role to play in shaping the future of Zambia.

Zamtel Public Relations Officer Changwe Kabwe said the youths should be encouraged to adopt responsible lifestyles that will guarantee a better future.

Speaking ahead of this year’s commemoration of Youth Day under theme “I take the Lead”, Mr Kabwe said Zamtel believes that Zambia can attain meaningful social and economic growth if the country harnesses the power, creativity and innovativeness of the youth.

He however advised young people that irresponsible use of social media by posting inappropriate content has the potential to ruin their lives forever.

“As a Zambian business that prides itself in providing world class digital solutions, we are gravely concerned about the growing number of young people using the internet and social media specifically to commit crimes such as cyber bullying, online fraud and circulation of pornographic content,” Mr Kabwe stated.

He continued, “Youths should also realise that their reputation or the reputation of others, could be heavily injured by the inappropriate comments they make on other people’s profiles. Once posted online, a photo or video clip can be freely copied, manipulated and circulated and it can potentially exist forever.”
Mr. Kabwe added that youths should also be aware that content posted in the naivety of youth could cause embarrassment in years to come.

He said as a responsible corporate citizen, Zamtel has intensified collaborations with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and other industry players to raise awareness on the need for clean cyber behavior among youths.

“On Youth Day, we wish to encourage young people to take the lead in the effective utilization of the internet as a tool to foster lifelong linkages and opportunities that would bring immense value to themselves, their communities and to the nation as a whole. Using social media to commit crimes, insult elders and upload inappropriate content is not only immoral but also illegal.”

According to the 2018 National ICT Survey commissioned by ZICTA, Zambia recorded an 8.8 percent increase in the proportion of individuals who used the internet from 2015 to 14.3 percent in 2018.

The survey further showed that access to internet services by households increased between 2015 and 2018 from 12.7 percent to 17.7 percent.

Source: Zamtel