The word “internet” is not well understood in its full and wholesome context by a size-able number of Ugandans and perhaps the majority. Smart phone usage has grown tremendously and with it the gospel of this thing called the internet. I often think of a radio advert on data bundle subscription where one person is trying to explain how communication has become easier, and even cheaper by buying data bundles. An old lady at the end of the line replies, “dota?” meaning daughter, not comprehending this whole data thing. Of course with smart phones come the popularisation of social media and the applications that simplify internet use and access. It would seem that internet familiarisation has grown with these new gadgets.
However, that may in itself be one of the ways in which internet policy has been bracketed outside. There must be continued promotion of internet policy with as much vigour as the promotion of social media. Not in a competitive kind of way, but as a complementary action towards the promotion of policies that may otherwise be overshadowed by the narrowed down, end-user attitude of looking at the internet. We are faced with a size-able portion of people that struggle to differentiate between the internet and social media. And this is quite understandable, most often the introduction to the internet starts with social media and sometimes fails to expand outside of it and spread to other resources that the internet can provide and avail to those who can take advantage of it.
Read the full article in GenderIT.org .