Wise minds say adolescent or teenage is the crucial time between childhood and adulthood. At that age, they love to act like grown-ups, express own thoughts, ideas, opinions. But the conflicts begin when parents do not value their views. They start arguing or act stubbornly and this practical change is not uncommon.
Parents all over the world are concerned about their teen’s infidelity, disobedience, stubbornness, loneliness, emotional exhaustion, internet addiction, cigarette-alcohol consumption and so on. Sometimes they (teenagers) face psychosocial disorder or trauma, which can lead them in wrong pathways. In fact, these symptoms are very obvious as the adolescent minds want to become a free-soul by breaking the bars of parents.
On the other hand, we are living in a world where technological advancement reached its peak. So, from village to town, rural to urban, the availability of the internet is now everywhere. Like everything, our activities also changed from physical to virtual. Even, our children, whatever they do, do it mostly on the internet and it is nearly impossible to keep them away from devices. Researchers say that due to the bang of the digital world, internet addiction disorder has been taken place ahead of technological achievement.
For example, according to UNICEF, In Bangladesh, adolescent boys (63%) and girls (48%) in terms of high-frequency online access and use. I can bet, the real scenario is something else and this tendency increasing rapidly.
Now, the million-dollar question is, how to save our teens from the potential damage in the sea of opportunities surrounding us, that actually stalking us. As per social scientists, it is doable in a constructive way. Parents need to pass quality time with their teens. Quality time can be defined as anything like storytelling, watching TV or playing games together. Or, parents should find some useful digital platforms that will ensure proper utilization of the internet, and they will social norms through playing.
To make it easy for you, Riseup Labs developed a social guidebook in association with UNICEF for your teens named ‘Digital Platform for Adolescent’ in a view to ensuring safe access to information, social networks and services.
What is the platform?
Simply, it is a digital application with a backend panel for adolescent club members to connect, share knowledge and have access information. The admin panel contains a protected consolidated database of adolescent clubs whose GIS information is available, with the capacity to add more. In the admin panel, users can configure different settings of the application, add GIS information, add menu details and much more. The digital app has an opinion poll feature to allow adolescents to express their ideas on a variety of issues. This app has a link with Child Help Line 1098 to report on child marriage. This app also has an information center and FAQ function on key topics of interest.
What do adolescents do with that platform?
The platform has many options like educational contents with Image, Audio, Video, Pdf viewer and MCQs. In this section, adolescents can learn about life centric skills, skills for earning bread and butter, health protection, taking care of child, food and nutrition, ICT knowledge, Gender know-hows, emergency situations, child protection, human diversifications, moral education and many more. In this platform, there is a poll feature named U-Report Bangladesh, where they can play the quiz in learning methods on various topics such as important days, common laws, women rights, climate change, period cycle and hygiene, cyclones, abuse, and early marriage and so many things.
The platform is also linked with emergency contacts such as child help, women and child help, emergency help, etc. The interesting part of the platform is, it has an attractive option for chatting with friends which helps in making friends.
And more…
In addition to that, the platform has a content repository system, dynamic chatting module, activity report management, user management, and media management. Download this amazing application from play store today, so that your teen finds a good alleyway and learn life with a positive blow.