Ugandan children using TikTok more than Facebook - study
Officials from Cherished Children's Foundation and Project Rescue Children's Foundation engaging pupils of Roya Academy Nursery and Primary school in Wakiso District on October 14, 2024. PHOTO/BUSEIN SAMILU
What you need to know:
- Uganda has majority of its 45.9 million population aged under 17, according to official government data.
A study, part of an ongoing campaign in different primary schools about safe online spaces by children, has revealed that majority of Ugandan youngsters are more familiar with TikTok and WhatsApp as compared to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Organizers of the Be Brave campaign by the Cherished Children and Project Rescue Children Foundation, suggest that most children are active on social media and majority use their parents’ phones to access microblogging platforms.
The campaign started on October 11 in Kiboga District and continued to Wakiso District on Monday, where Cherished Children's Foundation executive director Julius Ezra Ssebuliba said that they have so far visited two schools- Bamusuuta Primary School in Kiboga District and Royal Day Care Nursery And Primary School in Wakiso District.
Ssebuliba said they engaged 200 learners in Kiboga District and 150 in Wakiso District.
“We found out that 80 percent of learners are exposed to Whatsapp, 90 per cent are familiar with TikTok, 60 per cent use Facebook, 70 per cent are active on Instagram, while only 40 per cent engage with other platforms such as IMO and X,” he said.
Through the Be Brave Campaign, Ssebuliba said, they are focused on teaching young learners about the proper use of technology.
“We discovered that many children in schools use social media and some parents have no idea on the dangers about social media,” he observed.
Adam Whittington, the founder and executive director of Project Rescue Children Foundation, said that the Be Brave campaign will draw attention on cautioning against online grooming, child trafficking, and exploitation.
“The "Be Brave" program encourages students to speak out if they or their peers are victims of exploitation,” he noted.
Grace Kiberu, the director of Royal Academy Nursery and Primary Schools said that such campaigns will not only help learners at his school but to others where it will be extended.
Uganda has majority of its 45.9 million population aged under 17, according to official government data.
