As the Philippines marks National Mental Health Week, parents, as well as guardians, were urged to pay attention to the silent battle that the Filipino youth face as they spend more time online.
Recognizing that many Filipino children experience cyberbullying, which they face mostly by themselves, Globe partnered with KonsultaMD to offer one free session with a mental health professional for children, their parents, and guardians who may have been affected by cyberbullying.
“We urge parents and guardians to be better digital protectors of their children by teaching online safety and responsibility,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto, noting that the company has been working to make the digital space safe for Filipinos by espousing Tech4Good.
Based on a study conducted by Stairway Foundation in 2015, many are unaware of the worsening situation in select parts of the Philippines where about 60 to 80 percent of children aged 12 to 16 have experienced cyber violence.
A third of these deplorable acts, the study noted, are in the form of verbal abuse over the internet or on mobile while the rest involves sexual messages.
KonsultaMD psychologist Dr. Mec Perez also explained that cyberbullying occurs in various forms.
“It includes rude and hateful memes and comments, rumors that cause pain and embarrassment, threats of physical harm and exposure of private content and information, and acts that push people to commit suicide,” Perez noted.
Since such incidents can create lasting emotional and psychological scars, Globe stressed that teaching online safety and responsibility must start at home, especially with the popularity of social media in the Philippines, where there are an estimated 92 million users as of January this year.
Parents were also urged to prepare their children and strengthen them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to avoid cyberbullying and learn to react positively if it happens.
The partnership is part of Globe’s effort to spread awareness of the negative effects of online threats on children’s mental health, equipping parents and guardians on how to protect children against these risks, and providing a platform where they may get expert help for free.
Likewise, Globe also equips parents and guardians with the tools to protect the mental health of their children through its online safety platform https://www.makeitsafe.ph/.
The site, which features the A to Zs of cyberbullying glossary, decodes for parents and guardians current Internet emoji slang as a way of equipping them to be vigilant against signs of cyberbullying and other online threats.
For instance, parents may not be aware that a combination of the smirking face and nail polish emojis means “I’m better than you.” A fairy emoji, meanwhile, means something nasty is about to be said in an online chat.
The site is also available in chatbot form through Globe Bridging Communities. It has been visited over 30,400 times since it launched in mid-July.
Globe has also partnered with popular Facebook parenting communities Glam-o-Mamas and Usapang Nanay to bring important discussions on child online safety and responsibility, digital wellness, and mental health straight to parents.