THREE LITTLE GIRLS

by Wilhelmina S. Orozco

I am writing here in this internet kiosk and a little before 11:37, this time, three little girls were in front of the computer. The eldest (tallest) was using the computer, looking at pictures in the facebook page. But the smallest was already crying and wanted to go home, probably feeling drowsy already. An hour was still to pass, said G___, the counter chief. Someone offered to pay off the girl the remaining hour so that they could go home. The eldest stood up grudgingly, and then with the two girls in tow, left the kiosk banging the door behind her. G___ ran after her and scolded her for doing so.

This is what I am saying about this laissez-faire policy in the business set-up. The government through the DSWD does not police the children who go to the internet shops. They should have representatives who will be roaming the cities checking up on whether there are children who should observe curfew hours. These girls are learning the wrong things about using the internet and nobody is guiding them. Their mother is working; their father is out of the house. Who will teach them the need to sleep early so that they would grow up healthy? Who will teach them that only some pages are reserved for them?

It's time to have another assembly of NGOs to tackle the pernicious ways by which children misuse the internet.