Let’s talk about cyber wellness
As a teen, growing up can be fun yet daunting with all the changes going on in our lives. Through this transitional journey from teenage to adulthood, we’ll begin to learn more about ourselves, discover our passions and find our identity.
At times, we may look to what our friends or favourite personalities share online to take as inspiration, but this very connectedness may also expose us to undesirable content which can be harmful to our well-being.
It’s therefore important that we learn how to better navigate cyberspace and ensure that it is a safe space for everyone.
What is cyber wellness?
Cyber wellness is the well-being of internet users as we navigate cyberspace. It focuses on equipping netizens like us with the knowledge and skills for positive purposes and to maintain a safe and positive presence in cyberspace. It also seeks to shape us as responsible users of the internet.
Why is cyber wellness important?
Cyber wellness is important as it helps us learn about the watch-outs, the risks and how to keep ourselves safe in cyberspace. Click the cards below to find out more.
How long does our digital footprint last?
How does our online behaviour affect our mental well-being?
What are good practices in cyberspace?
Having good netiquette
Netiquette is a set of rules on how we can display courtesy when interacting with others online. These rules are fairly similar to what’s being used offline.
Having netiquette helps us create a positive online environment by allowing us to express what we want to say clearly, making misunderstandings and miscommunication less likely.
The way we express ourselves online often differs from the way we express ourselves in the offline world. The use of abbreviations and emojis to communicate, along with the lack of face-to-face interaction, may result in misinterpretation of what the other party meant.
Here are some tips to practise netiquette:
Be genuine
Be mindful
of how we
express ourselves
Be aware of what
we share
Stay calm
Be respectful
Spread positivity,
not rumours
Responsible handling of online content
Cyberspace allows us to easily access large amounts of information and increase our general knowledge. We are also exposed to content that can be dubious, inappropriate (e.g. breaking the law), or harmful (e.g. hurting ourselves and/or others).
What are examples of dubious, inappropriate, or harmful content?
How would we know if content is inappropriate?
When encountering inappropriate content, here are some things we can do:
Report and block the content
Report any inappropriate content to the various media platform providers. Social media platform providers like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook can immediately remove that piece of content from our feed.
Close our browsing tab
Close the browser or the browsing tab immediately so that we can stop viewing any of the inappropriate content.
Talk to someone about it
Reach out to a close friend or a trusted adult to tell them what we saw and how we feel after viewing it. Describe our emotions using the Emotions Explorer.
Discuss with them about the steps that we can take if we encounter such content again, e.g. enabling safe search functions on our browser.
Be mindful of misinformation
Misinformation can confuse us and make it difficult for us to discern what is factual from what is false. An example was how radiation from 5G reportedly causes COVID-19.
Be sceptical, not cynical
When consuming information online, we should remain sceptical of the claims made, and to only be convinced when they are backed by reliable evidence. However, we should refrain from being too cynical such that we distrust all information, even those with evidence.
The acronym S.U.R.E summarises the 4 steps to help us handle online information better:
Click on the SURE buttons below to learn more.
Check the Source
- Identify the source of the evidence. Knowing where it comes from can help us verify if it is from a reputable source. If the evidence does come from a credible source, it is likely to be reliable.
- Having a piece of evidence is insufficient to fully verify a claim. However, a lack of evidence gives reason to doubt if the claim is trustworthy.
- On social media platforms, check the post’s origin and see if it is an authentic web source. Some fake news originate from dubious web sources that imitate official websites by adding an extension to the web address.
Understand the information we read online
- Personal expressions and opinions on social media can expose us to information and views which may potentially mislead us.
- Understand the difference between facts and opinion.
- Some fake news are vague in their details and lack facts, e.g. no date or time or links to other official sources.
Research the authenticity of an article
- Research using credible sources to confirm the authenticity of an article or message received.
- Dig deeper beyond the initial source.
- Find at least two or more sources to confirm if the information is real.
- Identify who the author is and his/her affiliations, if any. Doing so can help us infer what the author’s intentions are, and if any biases are present.
Evaluate from different angles
- Is the information fair and balanced?
- Before we choose to share or forward information, exercise fair judgement, and consider if the headline or content may be manipulated.
- It is important to evaluate what we see, as they may not reflect the actual situation.
How do we safeguard ourselves
from the dangers of cyberspace?
Moderate the time we spend in cyberspace
Cyberspace is highly engaging but we can find ourselves spending too many hours on it. Taking care of our cyber wellness includes balancing our online activities with other aspects of our daily lives.
One way to know if we are leading balanced lives is by looking at the amount of time we spend online. Additionally, the time spent online should be viewed in context. For example, a computer programming student would likely spend more time online than the average student.
To check if the time spent online is balanced, assess whether it is affecting these four areas of our lives:
Offline commitments
We might miss out on school or work just to spend time online, e.g. on games or social media.
Emotional health
We might become restless, irritable, or anxious when we cannot use our devices.
Physical health
We might be sleeping less because we stay up late to use our devices.
Social behaviour
We might choose to spend less time with friends and family in exchange for spending time online. We may be preoccupied with thoughts and anticipation of being online, e.g. gaming. Or we might even be lying to the people around us about how much time we’ve spent on gaming or surfing the internet.
If we do find ourselves having trouble balancing our commitments, or having repeated yet unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop our gaming or online activities, here are some tips that may help:
Keep track of our screen time
Set a timer or schedule to keep track of the time spent online.
Make time for family and friends
Bring more 'we time' to your online life. We can turn our online activities into a social event, playing online games together instead of alone.
Reach out to someone
Share with a close friend or a trusted adult about our challenges in cutting down on our screen time and discuss practical steps we can take, e.g. a family member may help us monitor our online time, or a buddy could schedule offline activities with us, such as going cycling or playing basketball together.
Disconnect to connect
Turn off our devices to reconnect physically with friends and people we care about. Switching off during mealtimes, and at social and family gatherings, allow us to provide them with our full attention, without being distracted.
Be mindful of interactions with cyber contacts
Who are cyber contacts?
Cyber contacts are the people we interact with online. They include both friends we have made offline, and strangers we meet online. When our cyber contacts are strangers, we may wish to be mindful of how we interact with them.
Bear in mind the possibility that online strangers may not be who they make themselves out to be, as they can mask themselves behind the screen, portraying themselves in untruthful ways, e.g. by displaying pictures that do not belong to them. They could be dangerous and may harbour bad intentions such as extortion, scams or even online grooming.
Typical risks of having an online presence:
Tips when interacting with cyber contacts
Here are some pointers to bear in mind when interacting with cyber contacts:
Stay alert when chatting online and refrain from disclosing personal information or sending personal photos. Ensure that privacy settings allow only those whom we know and trust to access our data.
If the interactions become uncomfortable, cut off contact immediately by blocking the person.
If we know that our close friend or the people we care about are getting too close to a cyber contact that might be untrustworthy, remind them about the dangers of online strangers.
Observe if they are putting themselves at risk. If necessary, seek assistance from others to intervene, e.g. a teacher, school counsellor, parents, other family members, etc.
- Stay Alert
- Cut off contact
- Be mindful of scams
- Look out for others
How to avoid becoming a victim
The influence of peer pressure and social media can be harmful to us. Read on for tips on how to minimise the negative effects of peer pressure and social media influence.
Peer pressure is real and exerts a powerful influence over us, not just offline but online as well. We may feel pressured to dress or behave in a certain way and we may find ourselves giving in because we want to be liked, to fit in, or to be respected by our peers.
While peer pressure can serve us well if we are surrounded by those who inspire us to engage in meaningful or healthy activities, there are also instances that they can have negative influences.
Through social media, we might see our friends or influencers posting online about their risky behaviours, such as drinking, fighting, or smoking. This might make us curious to also experiment on these behaviours.
When we don’t participate, we might fear that we are missing out (FOMO) on something, or feel uncool.
Here are some ways to help us resist peer pressure and social media influence:
Saying “no” and meaning it
Saying ‘no’ helps establish our boundaries. Practise saying “no” if we are asked to do...
Stop ‘following’ them
We are in control of what we see on our social media platforms. If there are things that make...
Remind ourselves of the consequences
Take a moment to imagine what the consequences may be if we get involved in things we…
Delete social media apps from our electronic devices, if necessary
Uninstalling social media apps from our smartphone will remove our urge to constantly check for updates…
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying, or online harassment, can adversely affect our cyber wellness. It occurs when people use technology to intentionally hurt someone in cyberspace.
Common experience
Cyberbullying is a common experience of many people. It can happen to anyone.
Effects of cyberbullying
The effects of cyberbullying can be detrimental. Among adolescents, victims of cyberbullying might find their mental health deteriorate, have more suicidal thoughts, or engage in self-harming behaviours.
Forms of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can come in many forms. Here are some examples:
What to do if we are being cyberbullied
As cyberbullying is common and can easily happen to anyone, it is important to know how to deal with it:
Stop what we are doing online
Do this when we encounter something that makes us feel uncomfortable, fearful, or hurt.
Block the person
Cyberbullies love the attention they get. The more we react, the more likely for them to continue bothering us. It’s best to disregard their hurtful comments and not to engage with them.
If the cyberbully is sending hurtful texts or posting insulting or hateful things online, block all lines of communication with the person. We can also update our privacy settings to restrict certain people from viewing our content.
Save the evidence
Sometimes, blocking the cyberbully might not work as they can continue posting abusive things about us. If things get out of hand and the bully doesn’t go away, keep all offensive and abusive emails, comments, and text messages in a folder — complete with dates and times — so that if their identities are uncovered, these can act as proof of their behaviour.
Report
Report cyberbullies to the appropriate authorities, including parents or teachers. If our personal safety is being threatened or reputation is being damaged, we should also consider reporting it to the police.
If we find ourselves possibly cyberbullying someone,
Try to walk in the shoes of the person who’s being bullied
Sometimes it may be hard to see how our behaviour affects someone else, especially if we cannot physically see the other person. Take a moment to consider how our actions could affect what they are feeling.
Consider if there are better ways to cope with our problems
Could we be using this as a way to cope with issues that are troubling us? Sometimes, we might unknowingly be taking our frustration or anger out on others. We can always choose to reach out for support instead.
Mental health services
For mental health services related to cyber wellness:
Help123 is a cyber wellness and digital parenting platform by TOUCH Community Services, supported by Singtel. It features content developed by experts from TOUCH Cyber Wellness, TOUCH Youth Intervention and TOUCH Parenting which are services under the TOUCH Integrated Family Group.
If you are facing other issues related to assistance in court and police cases in the online
space, there are several organisations you can turn to for help.
Belle, Beyond the Label Helpbot
Belle, Beyond the Label helpbot, is an interactive platform for users to find mental health resources and services in a private and convenient manner. If you or anyone you know is overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, you may find the help you need via Belle.
Get access to Belle
You may also visit here for more mental health resources or download the list of community mental health services including your nearest GP here.
How long does our digital footprint last?
Whatever we share in the online world, or cyberspace, can be accessed by anyone, and may remain online forever. Anything we put online, be it on social media, blogs, or even in a game, can affect us negatively if we are not careful.
For example, casually posting our personal phone number online could result in getting unwanted calls from strangers.
How does our online behaviour affect our mental well-being?
Using our devices excessively may affect our self-esteem, as we may start to compare ourselves with others. For instance we may become envious when we derive our sense of self-worth by comparing ourselves with other people’s curated images posted on social media.
A phenomenon called the fear of missing out (FOMO) may also create a form of social pressure for us to be online all the time so that we don’t miss out on the things happening on social media.
We may feel anxious if we don’t respond immediately to texts and posts. This could potentially cause sleeping problems, anxiety, or may even lead to depression.
Stay calm
It is easy to misinterpret what others are saying online. Refrain from being too quick to jump to conclusions or to take offense with the other party. Instead, we could try to give ourselves the opportunity to clarify with them.
Miscommunications are unavoidable and may happen because our online expressions do not have the same non-verbal cues as they do in the offline world.
Falling prey to the dangers of anonymity
With the prevalence of social media, talking to strangers online has become extremely common. This also means that there’s a greater chance of falling prey to online predators, which could result in us being hurt physically or emotionally.
Traits of online predators
The anonymity of the Internet provides the perfect platform for a seasoned predator to operate from. They can communicate directly with us via direct messaging or social media sites, etc.
These predators may hide information about themselves, such as their real age and intentions and by engaging us through our interests, e.g. popular music artists and using our lingo, they would be able to establish a relationship and gain our trust.
Falling prey to online grooming
When we communicate online with strangers, we put ourselves at risk of falling prey to online grooming. Cases of online grooming show that initial conversations can appear innocent, but they often involve some level of deception as they progress.
Through this anonymity, the predator will be able to continue to entice us to meet their objectives, e.g. to meet-up offline.
Delete social media apps from our electronic devices, if necessary
Uninstalling social media apps from our smartphone will remove our urge to constantly check for updates. Additionally, we can control the time we spend on social media.
We could start with small steps by deleting apps that are unnecessary and only keep those that are needed for daily use. We could also consider a digital detox, such as muting app notifications, turning off some social media apps, or switching off our digital devices, for set periods of time or on certain days of the week.
