Essay draft 1 + outline

In 2014, Singaporeans were reported to be one of the most active users of social media, 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. However, what is worrying is that this increase in connectivity is not just limited to friends and family members in users’ social circle, but also to strangers as well. More than 50% of Singaporeans have befriended strangers on social media (Trend Micro as cited in Nurul, 2013) and this has especially impacted the young people who are more vulnerable to cyber-scams. An organisation, Touch has worked with schools to implement cyber wellness programmes that they came up with to educate the young about the hazards of the Internet.

Youth are more likely to add strangers on social media as they are at the stage of looking out for new friendships. Their tendency to be reckless and trusting to their friends also caused them to be more vulnerable to cyber-scams. By allowing strangers to befriend them on social media, information such as their whereabouts, contact details and daily routine are made known to the strangers. This allows cybercrime perpetrators to look for targets that 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 offer him an irresistible offer of making a few hundred dollar for each “assignment” he took on. As evident, youths 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 reported that 26% of the youth population had met an online stranger in the ‘real world’(“Norton Online Family”, 2010). This could lead to negative consequences such as rape or molest, which see an increase in the number of cases over the years (Tai, 2013). One of the cases that occurred in 2003 was when a polytechnic graduate used the Internet chatroom to find young girls to rape (Chong, 2013). As a result, three girls were raped. 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.

With the rising number of cases in Singapore, 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 relationship and contact, equipping them with the skills to make informed decisions when challenging cyber wellness issues are encountered (Touch Cyber Wellness, 2013a). Assessment and counselling is also available to help those with online relationship problems and other cyber issues. Through counselling, clients are able to solve their problem through goal-setting while being guided by the counsellor. Touch is considered the pioneer in the development of cyber wellness education and has been awarded the Singapore Youth Award in 2011 for their commitment to youth development programmes. Touch 2013 report revealed an increase in the number of schools and students their programmes have reached to (Touch Cyber Wellness, 2013b). The rise in number is also evident in their counselling programs and TOUCHline, implying success in the area of public awareness and education. Furthermore, CRuSH also received positive reviews from secondary school students, with more than 90% of them rating the programme as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.     

To further prevent teens from falling from cyber-scrams, 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 also block unknown email addresses to minimise conversations with strangers (Singtel, n.d.). It also increases parental supervision by recording down conversations on social media. In addition, the Norton Family extends these services to mobile phones as well. Despite that these tools can inform parents about their activities, it is also vital that parents are able to maintain a close relationship and have open conversations with their children when they addressed cyber wellness issues. Parents should also 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 and would be glad to share their online activities with them.

Fortunately, the dangers of befriending strangers online have been made more aware to youths through cyber wellness education. However, 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 youths. Parents thus also play an important role in monitoring their children’s online activities to prevent their children from having negative experiences on the cyberspace.

References:

Chong, E. (2013, February 5). 23 years' jail, 24 strokes for Internet sex fiend. 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 (n.d.) 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. (2013a). Educate. Retrieved from http://www.planetcrush.org/programmes/educate.htm

Touch Cyber Wellness. (2013b). Touch report 2013. Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/files/annual.report.2013.pdf

Outline:

Problem: Raising number of Teens in Singapore falling for cyber-scams through strangers they befriended on social media

Affected target group: Teens in Singapore

Agent of change/stakeholders: Moe, schools, Parents, NGOs

Solution 1: Touch-come out with programs that educate youth about cyber wellness, implements these programs in schools

Evaluation: In its 2013 report, Touch cyber wellness programs, Project CRuSH was able to reach more students by working with more schools. Positive reviews: Lower and upper secondary school students also gave positive feedback with 99% and 98% rating the quality of the programme as “good” or “excellent” respectively.”
The increase in calls to Touchline and the number of youth undergoing cyber wellness counselling shown that the issue has been make more aware and individuals affected are seeking help.

Suggested solution: Parents to install parental monitoring software on computer. Maintain an open 

communication with children when they spot unusual behaviours.

Implication & Conclusion: increase in awareness, parent's monitoring still vital as cyber crime perpetrator might come up with new methods to carry out cyber scams

Thesis: More than 50% of Singaporeans have befriended strangers on social and this has especially impacted the young people who are more vulnerable to cyber-scams. An organisation, Touch has been coming up with programs relating to cyber wellness to educate the young and promote parent-child bonding through the internet.