Students inspire with public debate

Secondary school students recently showed great flair for public speaking at a discourse on the Internet and its safety for teenagers. They described the visual world of Internet as a place to tread with caution. The students said this during the Southcreek Platform— an inter-school debate presentation organised by the Southcreek Study Centre, Lekki with the theme “Internet World: Is it a safe place for Teenagers?”

Osemedua Iwelumo, a speaker and pupil of Whitesands School Lekki, said: “the internet world is an unsafe spot for teenagers due to such issues as pornography, lewd music, online game addiction, internet bullying and psychological breakdown that follows these abuses”. On his part, Gideon Ikpefua of Global International College, Lekki gave the anecdote of a teenage girl, who committed suicide after being bullied online. He argued that the Internet is not safe for teenagers, as no one has been able to stop net abusers.

Another student from Kings College, Lagos, Tamilore Adebayo eloquently argued that the Internet world, as it is today, is very unsafe for teenagers, as most students depend on ‘Google’ for answers to their school assignments, rather than task their brains, as is demanded of a student. While speaking about online friendships, he noted that teenagers are quick to say ‘Hello’ to strangers they meet online and strike a conversation that usually leads to unhealthy relationships. He advised teenagers to seek parental guidance in accessing the Internet to avoid being victims of Internet danger.

The first prize went to Whitesands School Lekki, while Kings College Lagos and Global International College Lekki went home with the second and third prizes respectively.

Commending the students’ efforts in tackling the topical issue, one of the judges, who is the Managing Partner and Educational Advisor at Tienny Enterprises Nigeria, Mrs. Ifeanyi Olagbaju, praised the intellectual courage with which the boys discussed the topic. Dr. Demola Lewis of the Department of Linguistics, University of Ibadan enlightened the students on the etiquette of debate presentation and the need to acknowledge both sides of an argument or a topic. — Ijeoma Opara