Cyber Wellness

The Internet has become an integral part of modern life. With the increasing use of the Internet as a source of information for research and project work, it is important for everyone to take note of some of the danger when using the Internet. The only solution to this problem is not to ban us from using the Internet but to know how to protect ourselves and know the proper use of the technology. The term Cyber Wellness refers to the positive well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the Internet community. It is also defined as being responsible, respectful and rational, as well as being alert to scams. It is important for one to know how to protect themselves when using the Internet such as blogging, online surfing and gaming.

According to an article on Asiaone.com, a study have shown that Singaporean teens spend an average of 17.2 hours on the Internet each week, most of them don't know much about cyber-wellness. This is seen as a serious problem and if it's not handled properly, cyber crimes might occur. Illegal downloading of information such as movies and songs are example of cyber crimes, as they are copyrighted. Another commonly seen cyber crime is cyber bullying.

In my opinion, both parents and school are responsible in educating the youths in using the Internet correctly. Schools can use informative pamphlets or handouts to education youths on the legal and illegal activities online. On the other hand, parents can try to communicate with their children about online responsibility and the proper use of the Internet. Another way is to encourage teenagers to manage their Internet usage well and try to spend more time on other leisure activities instead.

Education of our young Internet users is important to promote a culture of safe and responsible use of the Internet. Therefore it's best for them to start as early as possible, in order to be more careful of certain things that are going on in the net.


By: Zhengyi (104611S)