Problem Solving Essay Draft 2

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. It is however worrying that this increase in connectivity is not just limited to friends and family members in users’ social circle, but also to strangers as well.  A study has shown that 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. In response, an organisation, Touch has worked with schools to implement cyber wellness programmes to educate the young about the hazards of the Internet.

Young people is 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 result 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 allowed 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 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 had met an online stranger in the ‘real world’ (“Norton Online Family”, 2010). This can lead to negative consequences such as rape or molest, 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, 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 work with schools to widen their outreach to students. Their program addressed issues such as cyber relationship and contact, equipping youths with the skills to make informed decisions when challenging cyber wellness issues are encountered (Touch Cyber Wellness, 2013). Assessment and counselling is also available to help those with online relationship problems and other cyber issues. Touch 2013 report revealed an increase in the number of schools and students their programmes have reached to (Touch Community Services, 2013). The rise in number is also evident in their counselling programs, 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’. However, it is not known if reports of cyber scams happening on young people have gone down after the implementation of cyber education, making it difficult to assess its effectiveness.

To further prevent teens from falling to cyber scams, parents can opt to install software such as the Singtel Family Protect or the Norton Family. These software allowed parents to gain insights on their children’s online activities. The Singtel Family Protection allowed 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 increased parental supervision by recording down conversations on social media. The Norton Family extends these services to mobile phones as well. Despite that these tools can informed 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 more aware 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, cyber-crime 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.

(889 words)

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