Technology separates youths, family: Fr Ambrose

THE digital age today has disconnected many youth from their families compared to the past, Catholic Church social communication secretary Fr Ambrose Pereira said.
Fr Ambrose made the comments during the World Communications Day in Port Moresby yesterday.
He said children needed guidance and to know how to manage their use of social media, the internet and new technologies. “Family requires human connection and not a digital connection,” he said.
Fr Ambrose said young people needed with connect with nature and set time aside for socialising, family and for screening time (mobile phones).
“They (youth) spend so much time on social media and have less time to sleep and study which doesn’t benefit them.”
He said the internet was a valuable tool but could also be misused.
“Cyber bullying is one of the biggest issues that affects many young people because the right way of using it (social media) is lost,” he said.
Fr Ambrose said schools like Mariannville Secondary, Limana Vocational, Don Bosco Technical School, Jubilee Catholic Secondary were incorporating media training workshops into their programmes for students are given opportunity to speak on radio and television about gender-based violence, refugees and other issues affecting the country today.
“It’s good to give the students a chance to express what they know and what they have learned from school,” he said.