Mother cautions about technology

By Sarafina Sanerivi 12 January 2017, 12:00AM

Technology is a great tool.

But it can also be a very disruptive force when it is misused.

And for a small developing country like Samoa, the negative impact of technology is starting to scare some people.

Sina Seumanu from the village of Salelologa Savaii is one of them who has cautioned about the negative influence of technology.

Aged 31, Sina said a lot has changed in Samoa because of technology.

“I believe that the changes we have in our country nowadays are mostly influenced by technology,” she told the Village Voice. 

“Life is not the same anymore and I can see that technology is one of the main reasons why.”

While she accepts that technology has many positive impacts, it’s the wrong use of it that worries her.

“A lot of people are not using it wisely. We see a lot of young people fighting over the internet and most of them spend more time on the internet and with their phones than their families,” she said.

“I am a mother of eight, and my children are growing up very fast and this is what I have been telling them. 

“I always tell them to be careful when it comes to technology. They should only use it for the right reasons. 

“I also try and stop them from going on the internet and use phones until they finish their school. Because I want them to have a good education so they can have better jobs for the future.

“Phones and internet will only disturb them from their studies. 

“I know a lot of people can agree with me that technology is affecting a lot of our children. And we as parents are not careful, the results will be so bad.

“We’ve seen it on television and heard it on the radio that some have committed suicide because of a small fight on the internet or because of a text.”

Sina believes that it’s just natural for a development to have both negative and positive impacts. 

“Like I said before, technology has negative and positive impacts. But for me, if our people are not doing anything about the negative impacts we have already, it will spread out like a disease and it will only get worse.

“We should never stop telling our children to keep their eyes open and to only use it for the right reasons. 

“I believe that we should work together to make sure that our children do not suffer from the over-use or the abuse of technology and internet.

“It can affect them in so many ways if we don’t do something about it. And to me, I don’t want my children to suffer because of their addiction to technology and the internet.”

By Sarafina Sanerivi 12 January 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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