What started as a normal day of selling at the Nausori market turned into an eye-opening experience for 66-year-old Sereana Vakadani of Namara, Tailevu, after she attended a public consultation on the review of the Online Safety Act 2018.
Vakadani says she was invited to join the consultation by representatives of the Online Safety Commission while selling at the market and is grateful she accepted the invitation.
Speaking to fijivillage News, she says one of her biggest concerns is the amount of time children are spending on mobile phones and social media.
She says many children appear to be addicted to their devices and spend most of their free time online rather than engaging in other activities.
Vakadani also raised concerns about the content some primary school students are posting and sharing on social media, saying children are being exposed to information and behaviour that may not be appropriate for their age.
She is calling for stronger measures to address excessive social media use among children and believes more needs to be done to protect young people online.
She says the consultation helped her better understand the role of the Online Safety Commission and the importance of staying safe online.
Vakadani is also urging parents and guardians to closely monitor their children's use of phones and social media, saying protecting children online is a shared responsibility and vital for their future.
VITI INSERT: Vakadani urging parents to monitor children 31st May
Meanwhile, consultations will be held at the Sigatoka Sai Hall from 11am to 2pm tomorrow, followed by sessions at the Nadi Civic Centre from 9am to midday and at the University of Fiji's Saweni Campus Main Hall from 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, consultations will be held at the Ba Town Council Hall from 9am to midday and at the Garvey Park Hall in Tavua from 2pm to 5pm.
The review team will be at the Rakiraki UN Market Hall from 9am to midday on Thursday.
On Friday, consultations will be held at the Labasa Police Bure from 11am to 2pm, while the final consultation will take place at the Grand Eastern Hotel in Savusavu from 9am to midday on Saturday.
