Laos promote social media campaign among its youth
Students from 10 secondary schools in Vientiane have upgraded their understanding on the use of social media networks to ensure that they know how to use new media forms safely and appropriately.
Official committees from the Lao National Internet Centre, the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications joined hands to hold an internet use campaign for students and teachers at Vientiane Secondary School yesterday.
The official committees will be touring more secondary schools of other districts in Vientiane after this campaign.
More than 300 students and teachers of Vientiane Secondary School have learned the differences between social networks and social media use and have a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of social media.
They have also learned about the administration and regulation of social media use in Laos, while the students also shared their opinions and exchanged some comments during the campaign.
The official committee gave the definition of social networks by saying that they create convenience for internet users, who can send and share information among different people or groups.
Social media has become one of the more popular pastimes among the youth; social media has made communication more easily and also allows for the dissemination of information.
Users not only send and share information, they are also able to forward and comment or offer their opinion on shared information, the official committee noted.
The advantages of social media include helping members of the public share information and communicate among various people and groups.
Meanwhile the disadvantages of social media include that because everyone can share information, both good and bad things can be shared.
Social media can also become a tool for bad people to create riots in society, especially affecting the political situation, while bad elements can also use social media for illegal trade and other activities.
In the administration and regulation of social media use in Laos, authorities forbid users from sharing fake information, posting indecent photos or videos, or anything else which affects or disturbs the peace in Laos.
The official committee also reported on the number of Lao people who use social media. There were some 530,000 Lao people using Facebook in 2014, with most users being youth aged between 18-24 years old, at 43 percent of users.
Mina Keopanya, a student who joined the social media campaign, told traditional media afterwards that this campaign brought many benefits to the youth because it displayed how to use social media safely and appropriately.
“Most users, especially the youth, had more interest in social media through playing on their smart phones. Some used it to their advantage while others used it for questionable practices,” she said.
“I am a Facebook user and I spend time to play with Facebook when I leave school. Sometimes I saw some Facebook users post some things that are not good for children. I never post those things, I use the internet to search for knowledge and to communicate with family and friends only,” Mina Keopanya said.
