In 2014, Singaporeans were reported to
be one of the most active users of social media in the world, spending 2.2 hours
on average a day (Mohd, 2014). This is not surprising as through the use of
social media, users are able to communicate rapidly, making them feel more
connected to others. It is, however, worrying that this increase in
connectivity is not just limited to friends and family members in users’ social
circles, but extends to strangers as well. A study has shown that more than 50% of
Singaporeans have befriended strangers on social media (Trend Micro, 2013 as
cited in Nurul, 2013) and this has especially impacted the young people who are
more vulnerable to cyber-scams. Although, an organisation, Touch, has worked
with Singapore schools to implement cyber wellness programmes to educate the
young about the potential dangers of adding strangers online, parents can also
play their part by monitoring children’s online activities through the use of
software.
Young people in Singapore are defined as
14 to 16 years of age by the Children and Young Person Act (2011). They are
more likely to add strangers on social media as they are at the stage of
looking out for new friendships. Having a high tendency to be reckless and
trusting to their friends also results in young people being more vulnerable to
cyber-scams (Tai, 2013). When teens befriend strangers on social media,
information such as their whereabouts, contact details and daily routine are
made known to them. This allows cybercrime perpetrators to look for targets who
are more vulnerable. For instance, in 2012, a 15-year-old teen was exploited to
become a loan-shark runner after he posted on his Facebook that he was not
receiving enough pocket money (Tai, 2013). Knowing his situation, a middle-aged
man befriended the teen and offered him an irresistible offer of making a few
hundred dollar for each “assignment” he took on. As evident, teens who are
naïve can be easily exploited by cybercrime perpetrators who befriend them
online.
Another growing concern is that these
perpetrators would often chat with the youths through social media and attempt
to meet them in the ‘real world’ upon gaining their trust. It was found that
26% of the youth population has met an online stranger in the ‘real world’ (“Norton
Online Family”, 2010). This can lead to negative consequences such as rape or
molestation, which saw an increase in the number of cases over the years (Tai,
2013). One of the cases that occurred in 2003 was a polytechnic graduate that
found young girls to rape through the Internet chatroom, resulting in three
girls aged 13 to 14 getting raped. (Chong, 2013). The statistics and cases
mentioned above have highlighted the potential dangers of befriending strangers
on social media and the urgent need of educating the young to be more aware of
online perpetrators.
To combat the issue of young people
falling for cyber-scams, a non-profit charity organisation, Touch, has come up with
a cyber-wellness program entitled CRuSH (Cyberspace Risk and where U Seek Help)
and has worked with schools to widen their outreach to students. Their program
addresses issues such as cyber relationships and contacts, equipping youths
with the skills to make informed decisions when challenging cyber wellness
issues are encountered (Touch Cyber Wellness, 2013). Assessment and counselling
are also available to help those with online relationship problems and other
cyber issues. The Touch 2013 report revealed an increase in the number of
schools and students their programmes have reached (Touch Community Services,
2013). The rise in number is also evident in their counselling programs,
implying success in the areas of public awareness and education. Furthermore,
CRuSH also has received positive reviews from secondary school students, with
more than 90% of them rating the programme as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. However,
it is not known if reports of cyber-scams happening on young people have decreased
after the implementation of cyber education, making it difficult to assess its effectiveness.
To further prevent teens from falling
for cyber-scams, parents can opt to install software such as the Singtel Family
Protect or the Norton Family. These software allows parents to gain insights on
their children’s online activities. The Singtel Family Protection allows
parents to limit the amount of time their children spend on the Internet and block
unknown email addresses to minimise conversations with strangers (Singtel, 2015.).
It also increases parental supervision by recording down conversations held on
social media. The Norton Family extends these services to mobile phones as
well. Despite these tools being able to inform parents about children’s online
activities, it is vital that parents are able to maintain a close relationship
and have open conversations with their children when they addressed cyber
wellness issues. Parents can negotiate with their children the amount of time
they can spend on social media and set boundaries in their monitoring of
conversations. In that way, teens would not feel that parents are infringing on
their privacy or being too controlling. By gaining insights of their children’s
online activities, parents can then intervene before their children fall prey
to cyber-scams.
It is fortunate that the dangers of
befriending strangers online have been made known to teens through cyber
wellness education. However, social media users must nevertheless, continue to
protect themselves online. As the Internet evolves and individuals become more
tech-savvy, cybercrime perpetrators can come out with new ways to exploit the
young. To minimise teens’ exposure to negative experiences on the cyberspace,
parents should constantly monitor their children’s online activities and
educate them to make wise decisions.
References:
Children and Young Person Act (2011) (SSO) (SG) Retrieved from http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId%3A911aba78-1d05-4341-96b7-ee334d4a06f0%20%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0
Chong, E. (2013, February 5). 23 years' jail, 24 strokes for Internet sex fiend. The Straits Time. Retrieved from http://www.corpun.com/sgj00302.htm
Mohd, A. A. (2014, January 10). Singapore among the most active on social media: Report. TODAY. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/tech/singapore-among-most-active-social-media-report
Norton Online Family report 2010 reveals 73 percent of Singaporean kids have had a negative online experience. (2010, July 6). Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://www.symantec.com/en/sg/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20100706_01
Nurul, A. A. (2013, October 25). 1 in 2 users in Singapore add strangers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Yahoo! News. Retrieved from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/1-in-2-users-in-singapore-add-strangers-on-facebook--twitter--instagram-142503612.html
Singtel (2015) Family protection. Retrieved from http://info.singtel.com/personal/internet/addons/family-protection/detail
Tai, J. (2013, June 12). More teens
falling prey to cyber-scams. The Straits Time. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/case-you-missed-it/story/more-teens-falling-prey-cyber-scams-20130612
Touch Cyber
Wellness. (2013). Educate. Retrieved
from http://www.planetcrush.org/programmes/educate.htm
Touch Community
Services. (2013). Touch report 2013.
Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/files/annual.report.2013.pdf
