Singapore launches nationwide Cyber Wellness campaign

By eGovInnovation Editors | Feb 21, 2011

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SINGAPORE – The Media Development Authority (MDA) has launched a Cyber Wellness Campaign to raise awareness among parents and school children on the risks and pitfalls of the Internet.

Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA)  was the guest of honor at the launch, which introduced a series of cyber wellness activities supported by the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee (ICSC) and 23 partners from the public, private and people sectors.

“With the Internet fast becoming an inseparable part of our lives, children as young as five years of age are going online to socialize, play games, create avatars and even trade for online game effects. Being young, children tend to be at a greater risk of online predatorial behaviour. As such, through this cyber wellness campaign, they will benefit from knowing how to better protect themselves online while learning how to be more discerning about the activities and things they read and come across on the Internet,” Lui said.

The campaign comprises a Cyber Wellness Roving Bus, Digital Diary Competition, a Cyber Wellness Portal – and workshops which aim to reach an initial 40,000 active participants.

“While MDA encourages the adoption of new media, we share the community’s concerns about the need to foster cyber wellness among the young at the same time. Through the various activities we have lined up in the coming months, there will be something for children, parents as well as educators to learn and benefit from as they develop a healthy approach to safe and responsible online use,” said Cassandra Tay, Director, Communications and Community & International Relations, Media Development Authority.

A key campaign highlight is the mobile cyber wellness bus, which will travel to 54 primary schools, national libraries and other common popular places of interest to educate students on key cyber wellness issues.

The bus, like a mobile classroom, has been fitted with seven interactive kiosks that raise awareness of seven daily issues through various interactive games and quizzes. Daily issues include cyber bullying, protection of privacy, gaming and internet use, copyright, and inappropriate content, among others. 

Primary school students are also encouraged to record their cyber experiences in e-journals, using an online eBook application, and submit them for a Digital Diary Competition. The competition hopes to stimulate peer-group learning through the sharing of real-live stories and adventures encountered by children. 

For busy parents and educators, a Cyber Wellness Portal has been set up to provide practical tips and resources to help them better manage gaming, cyber bullying and other issues faced by children. Parents and educators can also exchange personal experiences, insights and lessons for mutual learning. Taking the engagement process a step further, cyber wellness experts and moderators will also be online during forum discussion to online consumption habits.