MANILA, Philippines—As the Philippines observes National Mental Health Week, Globe is shedding light on the silent battle that Filipino adolescents, who spend more time online, face—mostly by themselves—against cyberbullying.
In a bid to help today’s disadvantaged youth, Globe is putting forth a concerted effort to raise public awareness about the detrimental effects of online dangers on kids’ mental health, educate parents and guardians on how to keep kids safe from these risks, and offer a platform where they can access free professional assistance.
Children, their parents, and guardians who may have been impacted by cyberbullying are eligible for one free consultation with a mental health expert thanks to a collaboration between Globe and KonsultaMD. On the KonsultaMD app, use the code MAKEITSAFEPH to redeem it.
Images courtesy of Globe.
At the same time, Globe provides parents and guardians with the resources they need through its online safety platform, MakeItSafePH, to safeguard their children’s mental health. The website, which includes a dictionary of terms related to cyberbullying, decodes current Internet language for parents and guardians so they can be alert for indicators of cyberbullying and other online risks. Parents might not be aware, for instance, that a combination of the grinning face and nail polish emojis signifies “I’m better than you,” or that the fairy emoji signals the impending utterance of something extremely offensive in an online chat.
Through Globe Bridging Communities, a chatbot version of the website is also accessible. Since its mid-July start, it has received over 30,400 visits. Furthermore, Globe has teamed with well-known Facebook parenting groups Glam-o-Mamas and Usapang Nanay to directly engage parents in vital conversations on children’s internet safety, parental responsibility, and mental health.
“Globe is working to make the digital space safe for Filipinos by espousing Tech4Good. We urge parents and guardians to be better digital protectors of their children by teaching online safety and responsibility,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer.
Many individuals remain unaware of the critical situation in some areas of the Philippines, where, according to a 2015 Stairway Foundation report, 60% to 80% of minors between the ages of 12 and 16 have encountered cyber abuse. A third of these heinous actions entail verbal abuse on the internet or through a mobile device, while the remaining two-thirds involve sexual messages.
Dr. Mec Perez, a psychologist at KonsultaMD, claims that there are multiple sorts of cyberbullying. It includes offensive and abusive memes and comments, hurtful and embarrassing rumors, threats of physical danger and disclosure of sensitive information, and behaviors that encourage suicide.
Globe emphasized that teaching online safety and responsibility must begin at home since such incidents can leave long-lasting emotional and psychological scars, particularly given the popularity of social media in the Philippines, where there are reportedly 92 million users as of January this year. To combat cyberbullying and learn how to respond constructively if it occurs, parents must psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually prepare and fortify their children.
At the recent Globe and KonsultaMD webinar “The Family as the Safety Net,” KonsultaMD Counselor and Psychologist Dr. Francine Bofil stated that cyberbullying can lead to low self-esteem, which can lead to unhappiness and a more withdrawn personality. Victims may also lose motivation and consider self-harm.
“Nakakabahala na as parents, ginagawa natin ang lahat para maprotektahan ang ating mga anak pero hindi natin sila napoprotektahan sa mga online dangers na ito,” broadcast journalist Niña Corpuz lamented during a recent online safety webinar organized by Globe and KonsultaMD with Usapang Nanay.
To this, actor and dad Chuckie Dreyfus noted while traditional parents may view virtual reality as relatively benign, cyberbullying is serious and has an impact on how children mature. “Maraming magulang at caregivers ang hindi aware sa impact ng cyberbullying sa ating kabataan. Madalas binabale-wala pa natin. Patnubay po natin ang kailangan. Tayo po ang susi sa online safety ng kabataan. Listen to what our children are not saying,” he said.
To know more about Globe’s efforts on online safety, visit MakeItSafePH.