Rebels in Colombia are recruiting youth on social media. The UN wants TikTok and Facebook to do more

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Category: Technology/Innovations

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. marginalized / ˈmɑr dʒə nlˌaɪzd / (adj.) – relating to a person or group who cannot fully live, work, or take part in society because they do not have the same rights, resources, or chances as others
    Example:

    The new mayor promised to help marginalized neighborhoods where people have fewer jobs and poor housing.


  2. glamorize / ˈglæm əˌraɪz / (v.) – to make something seem more exciting, attractive, or better than it really is
    Example:

    The movie glamorizes war by showing exciting battles but not the pain and fear soldiers feel.


  3. enlist / ɛnˈlɪst / (v.) – to join or ask someone to join the army, a group, or an organization
    Example:

    The youth club asked people to enlist as members to help with the charity event.


  4. hypocrisy / hɪˈpɒk rə si / (n.) – the behavior of saying one thing but doing the opposite, or pretending to believe something but not following it
    Example:

    Many people criticize the hypocrisy of leaders who say they care about the environment but do not take action.


  5. legitimate / lɪˈdʒɪt ə mɪt / (adj.) – describing something that is real, reasonable, or allowed by law
    Example:

    Dina provided a legitimate reason for missing class, which was a doctor’s note.


Article

Read the text below.

Rebel groups in Colombia are using apps like Facebook and TikTok to recruit children and young adults, and social media companies must do more to moderate content, the United Nations says.


The U.N.’s top human rights official in Colombia, Scott Campbell, in an interview with The Associated Press, said more investment is needed in both automated tools and human moderators to take down videos posted by gangs and rebel groups that are targeting youth from marginalized communities.


Colombian rebel groups such as the FARC-EMC are increasingly posting videos that glamorize life in their ranks and urge youth to enlist.


Campbell, who previously served as a human rights and technology specialist at the U.N.’s Geneva office, said he recently met with representatives from Meta, which owns Facebook, to discuss how rebel groups and gangs can be stopped from using the company’s platforms to recruit young people.


He said the company pledged to work on the problem, and added that he is also seeking a meeting with TikTok representatives.


The recruitment of children has become a major problem in rural areas of Colombia that are disputed by the military, drug gangs and rebel groups.


According to Colombia’s Human Rights Ombudsman, 409 children under 18 were recruited into rebel groups in the South American nation last year, twice as many as in 2023.


Anyi Zapata, a human rights specialist with ACIN, an Indigenous association in Cauca, said rebel groups there have long targeted vulnerable children, offering them money to do small favors and gifts like cellphones.


Now they are posting videos on social media that show members with motorcycles, SUVs and adventurous lifestyles. One TikTok account recently featured a video of a man on a motorcycle wearing camouflage, with the caption: “Join me and you will know friendship without hypocrisy.”


The images often show logos of rebel groups.


Campbell said that even when accounts are taken down, they can be replaced by others.


“It’s difficult to get the balance right between freedom of expression and legitimate speech, while pulling down content that is clearly illegal and can cause harm,” Campbell said.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Rebel groups offer gifts like money or phones to attract poor children. Why do you think children from poor or rural areas are more at risk for recruitment? What can communities or schools do to protect these children? What opportunities do you think could help stop recruitment (ex. job, education)? Discuss.
  • The U.N. says it’s hard to balance removing harmful content and allowing free speech. In your opinion, should freedom of expression have limits online? Why or why not? Do you think people behave differently online when it comes to using free speech? Why do you say so? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Rebel groups post videos that glamorize their lives and urge youth to enlist. Why do you think showing a “cool” lifestyle works to attract people, even in dangerous groups? What does this say about how social media can influence people’s views of reality? Discuss.
  • A video said, “Join me and you will know friendship without hypocrisy.” Why do you think messages like this might feel powerful or attractive to someone (ex. they feel lonely, they feel left out)? Do you think messages like this online are usually honest or fake? Why? How can people tell the difference? Discuss.