Ngu-Evelyn Kasina, Umxhumanisi We-IT Womndeni kanye ne-CEO ye-Eveminet Communication Solutions Limited
Kusukela ekuqaleni kweCoronavirus, kube nesicelo esingashiwongo nesingahlangatshezwanga esivela ezinganeni zethu, “Sibakhumbula abangane bethu, sifuna ukuxhumana nabo senze izinto ezijabulisayo njengakuqala!” Yize iCoronavirus yenqabele izingane zethu ikhono lokuya esikoleni, ukudlala nabangane bazo futhi zenze lokho ezikwenza kangcono kakhulu - ngezingane, leli gciwane liphinde ladalula isidingo sethu esingokwemvelo njengabantu sokuhlala sixhumene ngokomzimba. Njengoba sonke sijwayela izindlela “ezintsha ezivamile” zokuxhumana nabantu esibathandayo, Inkundla Yezokuxhumana isiphenduke umngane wethu oseduze kakhulu namakholi wevidiyo anikeza ulwazi olusondele kakhulu “lobuso nobuso” oluvamile kubantu abadala nasezinganeni ngokufanayo.
Inkomfa ngevidiyo kanye nezinhlelo zokusebenza zemithombo yezokuxhumana manje sezivumela imihlangano ebonakalayo, ama-webinars, amaphathi abukhoma namaqembu ahlanganisa imiphakathi ukuze kusizakale ngokufanayo naphezu kokuqhelelana komphakathi. Ukufunda okuningi kuphinde kwasebenza njengezikole zisebenzisa izifundo ezibonakalayo ukuze uhlale unolwazi lwakamuva ngekharikhulamu nokugcina izingane zibandakanyeka. Ngaphandle komsebenzi wesikole, izingane ziphinde ziphequlule i-inthanethi njengengxenye yokufunda kwazo nesikhathi sokuzijabulisa. Njengoba “okusha okuvamile” kuba iqiniso lethu elisha, izingane zisebenzisa isikhathi esiningi ku-inthanethi njengoba zibheka izindlela zokusebenzisana zokujabulisa nokuxhumana nabangane bazo.
Ngokombiko wakamuva we- Internetworldstats Q1 2020 March, ukungena kwe-inthanethi e-Afrika kuyenyuka njengoba ukungena sekuphelele ngama-39%. Ukungena okuphezulu kakhulu kubonakala eKenya kufika ku-87%, iLibya ngama-74 % kanye neSeychelles ngama-72%. Nakuba lezi zinombolo ezikhuphukayo zibonisa ukukhula okuhle esikhaleni sedijithali, futhi zikhombisa ukukhathazeka lapho kukhona ukusetshenziswa okungalawulwa kwe-inthanethi yizingqondo ezisencane ezithatheka kalula. Akunakugwenywa ukuthi izingane zethu zizochayeka kakhulu ezinkundleni zokuxhumana kunangaphambili futhi lokhu kwenza abazali bazibuze ukuthi kumele balawule kangakanani ekusebenzelaneni kwezingane zabo nezinkundla zokuxhumana.
Unalokhu engqondweni, izinhlelo zokusebenza zeselula ezihlose ukuthuthukisa izilawuli zokuphepha ezinganeni zamukelekile futhi ziwusizo kubazali. Izindaba ezinhle ukuthi siya ngokuya sibona izinkundla zokuxhumana zihamba phambili ekuhlinzekeni ngezixazululo. Muva nje i-Facebook yethule i-Facebook Messenger Yezingane, uhlelo lokusebenza lokuxoxa ngevidiyo nokuthumela imiyalezo olusiza izingane ezineminyaka ephakathi kweyisi-6 kuya kweyi-12 zixhumane nabangane nomndeni endaweni ejabulisayo, elawulwa abazali. Inkundla ikhuthaza ukuxhumana okumangalisayo nokuphephile phakathi kwezingane nabazali. Ngezinhlelo zokusebenza zeDeshibhodi Yomzali, abazali bangalawula futhi baqaphe imisebenzi ye-inthanethi yezingane zabo. Kuhle ukuqaphela ukuthi ideshibhodi ingakwazi ukuqapha abathintwayo bakamuva, umlando wengxoxo, futhi ibone ilogi yezithombe namavidiyo ezingxoxweni. Uhlelo lokusebenza luphinde lube nezici ezithakazelisayo ezifana nobungani obugadiwe okuvumela abazali ukuba bakhethe ukuvumela izingane zabo ukuthi nazo zamukele, zenqabe, zengeze noma zikhiphe abathintwayo, kuyilapho begcina ikhono lokukhipha noma yiziphi izimvume ezintsha zokuxhumana ezivela Kudeshibhodi Yomzali. Ukuphuma Ngesilawuli kude kuyisici esivumela abazali ukuthi babone wonke amadivayisi lapho ingane yabo ingene khona ku-Messenger Kids futhi baphume ohlelweni lokusebenza kunoma iyiphi idivayisi Ngedeshibhodi Yomzali. Uhlelo lokusebenza futhi lwenza abazali bakwazi ukulanda ulwazi lwengane njengendlela yokuhlala unolwazi lwakamuva ngemisebenzi yabo ye-inthanethi.
Njengomsebenzi we-Digital Literacy Online and Safety, ngalithanda iqiniso lokuthi i-Messenger Kids ihlinzeka ngendawo ephephile yokuthi abazali bafunde ngezinkundla zokuxhumana kuyilapho beqeqesha izingane zabo ukuthi zingaluphatha kanjani ulwazi lwazo futhi zixhumane nabangane nomndeni. Lapho ngikhuluma kabi ngohlelo lokusebenza kwabanye babangane bami abaseduze baqale bazwakalisa ukukhathazeka okuvamile mayelana nenkundla yezokuxhumana becaphuna okuqukethwe okubekela sobala, abahlaseli abaku-inthanethi, isikhathi esiningi sesikrini kanye nokulutheka ku-inthanethi. Ngiyazi ukuthi ukuba umzali akulula nokuthi iningi labazali linemibuzo eminingi mayelana ne-Social Media nokuthi kufanele bazethule nini izingane zabo ngakho. Ngeluleka abazali abacabangela i-Messenger Kids nezinye izinhlelo zokusebenza ezilungele izingane ukuthi babe nezingxoxo mayelana nenkundla Yezokuxhumana nezingane zabo- bangase bamangale ukuthi kungakanani izingane zabo ezikwaziyo! Kunokuba bagweme ukukhuluma ngezihloko ezinjengokulandelana nobuxhwanguxhwangu, abazali kufanele bancike kulezi zingxoxo ezikhuthaza izingane ukuthi zihloniphane kanye nokwehluka kwazo futhi zihlabe umkhosi noma yikuphi ukuhlukumeza noma ukuhlukunyezwa ezibhekana nazo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana noma esikoleni. Kubazali abafisa ukwethula i-Messenger Kids ezinganeni zabo, kuyaphawuleka futhi ukugqamisa ukuthi uhlelo lokusebenza luvumela abazali nababheki ukuthi balawule isikhathi sesikrini ngokusebenzisa isici semodi yokulala esikhawulela inani lesikhathi esichithwa ku-inthanethi.
Ekugcineni, i-Messenger Kids iyintuthuko yezobuchwepheshe futhi ngokubona kwami ithuluzi elihle abazali abangalisebenzisa ukuze bathuthukise ukufunda nokubhala kwedijithali nokukhuthaza ukuphepha ku-inthanethi. Abazali bangaphinda basebenzise uhlelo lokusebenza njengendlela yokuxoxa ngenkundla yezokuxhumana nezingane zabo kusukela zisencane. Kule nkathi yedijithali, ngikholwa ukuthi abazali base-Afrika bangasebenzisa uhlelo lokusebenza ukukhuthaza ukuxhumana kwezingane zabo kuyilapho bezikhuthaza ukwabelana ngokuqukethwe okufundisayo mayelana nokwehlukahlukana kwazo namasiko. Uhlelo lokusebenza lwe-Messenger Kids lungasetshenziswa njengenkundla yokufundisa lapho izingane zingasebenzisana nothisha bazo.
Ukudala izakhamizi ezidijithali kuwumsebenzi owela kubazali, ababheki kanye nabafundisi ngakho kufanele silwele ukuhlomisa izingane zethu ngokuzimela okunengqondo ngokuzimodela.
