TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Students from various secondary schools participated in the lecture on “Dark Side of the Internet” initiated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Kalinga Provincial Office today at the M Hotel.
This lecture was given as part of the Safer Internet Day for Children celebration, which takes place every second Tuesday in February.
DICT’s Mona Lisa Viscarra spoke on cyberbullying, which she defined as a behavior in which people or groups use the internet to mock, harass, and hurt others using email, SMS, social media, and instant messaging. She also addressed cybersex and digital addiction, which are two more prominent issues on social media and other platforms.
In her lecture, she stated that cyberbullying is worse, more persistent, permanent, and difficult to detect than physical bullying since it occurs around the clock, has no boundaries, and may go as far as desired, and most individuals are unable to identify the bully.
Viscarra identified several reasons why bullying occurs on the internet, including social pressure, revenge, anonymity, a lack of empathy, a desire for power, boredom, and the belief that the victim deserves it.
She also cited data issued by the Philippine National Police-Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), which showed a spike in cyberbullying cases from nine in 2017-2018 to 13 in 2018-19.
Although online bullying is common these days, it may be avoided by being a decent and responsible digital citizen. This includes not reacting to inappropriate posts, blocking the bully, protecting the social media account, and refraining from uploading images and comments that denigrate the person.
In a statement to students, CSWD Officer Eusebia Edduba encourages them to be responsible when using the internet fand to utilize the same for academic purposes such as research.
As children spend more time on the internet, they come across sites that are less beneficial to them, and it is their obligation to avoid utilizing these sites, she explained.
Oliver Mendoza, representing City Mayor Darwin Estrañero, emphasized that the event will provide children with valuable knowledge and information. He urged the participants not to waste time reading biased articles and exchanging information, as well as uploading images and remarks intended to harm the individual.
City Information Officer Aurora Amilig explained the essential features of the city government’s Smart City Program, which encourages creativity, technology, and digitization.
According to her, the program promotes children’s safety when using the internet and other media platforms. In a nutshell, she stated that the Smart City Program encourages digital innovation and internet connectivity, among other things, allowing for better access to a wide range of services.
Students from Tabuk Institute, Kalinga State University, Saint Theresita’s School, and Bado Dangwa National High School attended the lecture. By Darwin Serion
