Problem Solution Essay Draft 3

Charmaine Pang

Social media has become a widely used platform for communication among youths. The proliferation of social media sites makes it more convenient for youths to share personal information and communicate with their peers. The availability of social media sites has resulted in an increase in cyber bullying cases among primary and secondary school students in Singapore. As such, educators, parents and non-profit organisations should step up to help alleviate the situation by educating youths on the appropriate behavior on social media.

The ease of access to technology may be a reason for the prevalence of cyber bullying among teens, because the almost immediate access to social media through their smartphones and computers makes cyber bullying more attractive to them. Despite being a small country, Singapore has the second-highest rate of cyber bullying among children and youth between the age of 8 and 17 in Asia. (Family and Life, 2014) ‘Based on a survey of 3,000 secondary school students and 1,900 primary school students, one in five primary school children and one in three secondary school children reportedly said that that they have been victims of cyber bullying, and one in four secondary school students admitted to cyber bullying their peers.’ (Tai, 2014)

Cyber bullying is also made more prevalent because cyber bullies feel bolder and more powerful with the cloak of anonymity that the Internet provides. (Baig, 2014) Due to the anonymity and accessibility of technology, cyber bullying can be more persistent and relentless, even in the safety of one's home. (Yang, 2014) In Gwee’s (2008) article, she cites the example of a primary 3 girl who was repeatedly called ‘ugly’ and ‘irritating’ by her peers, as these comments made their way onto online blogs, the girl endured this and wished she could die. Therefore, this example highlights that, with social networking sites, taunting can go viral, and the humiliation of victims can be immediate. This is a cause for concern because there is a wider potential audience and the consequences on the victim can be more intense than face-to-face bullying. (Tai, 2014)

The first solution to alleviate the rise of cyber bullying cases comes from the Ministry of Education (MOE). MOE has been encouraging schools to incorporate cyber wellness lessons into the curriculum. (Yang, 2014) In 2014, MOE set aside curriculum time for topics such as Internet etiquette. The cyber wellness module comes under the Citizenship and Character Education framework, where students are taught ways to protect themselves and to be responsible for their cyber well-being in cyberspace. (MOE, 2014) This is a step in the right direction, as students spend a large amount of time in school and it is where they learn most of their moral values. Through education, students are made aware of the consequences of cyber bullying and thus they are more likely to take responsibility for their online behaviour and stand up for the victims to prevent further acts of cyber bullying. The only limitation in this solution is that students may not take such lessons seriously and may feel that they have ample knowledge on cyber safety.

The other solution would be to involve non-profit social organisations. One such organisation would be Touch Cyber Wellness that started the programme, ‘Crush.’  'Crush' cleverly uses social media as a tool to engage students and educate them about Internet safety, through the creation of an application for phones. In this application, students can watch videos on Internet etiquette and safety. In his article, Chow (2012) states through workshops, this initiative teaches parents how to use social media safely and alert them on the dangers of the Internet. This approach is highly successful as it has reached out to almost 300 teenagers since it started. (Chow, 2012)  What makes this a highly successful solution is the inclusion of parents. Educating parents on Internet safety makes them more aware of their teenager's behaviour on the Internet so that they will be able to tell if their child is being bullied online or taking part in cyber bullying behaviour. This innovative way of using social media to educate youths makes their materials more relatable and thus, more well received by youths.

Another avenue that may make this even more successful would be the expansion of 'PlanetCrush' cyber wellness centres from two schools to more. In her article, Tai (2012) reports that the cyber wellness centre not only promotes responsible computer usage through cyber wellness programmes but it also offers advice to parents on their child’s Internet habits. However, according to Chow (2012), in 2012, there are only two of such cyber wellness centres. If the number of cyber wellness centres increases, social organisation can reach out to a larger crowd, and tackle the problem at a faster rate. With schools, parents and social organisations working hand in hand, it would be easier to alleviate the problem of cyber bullying among teens. 

In conclusion, social media have helped to bring the world as people are more connected through social media. However, social media have also resulted in a host of problems because youths today misuse it. Therefore, this problem can only be solved with the help of parents, educators and the relevant organizations to guide youths and make social media platforms free from cyber bullies.  

(875 words)

References

2014 Syllabus Cyber Wellness Secondary. (2014, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/character-citizenship-education/files/2014-cyber-wellness.pdf

Baig, N. (2014, August 15). 1 In 3 Students In Singapore Have Been Victims Of Cyberbullying. Retrieved from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/1-3-students-singapore-victims-070013753.html

Chow, J. (2012, July 30). Parents join kids to learn how to stay safe online. The Straits Times, p. B5.

Gwee, S. (2008, March 11). Caught in web of menace. The Straits Times.

Phneah, J. (2013, November 23). Holistic measures necessary in fight against cyberbullying. Today. Retrieved from http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-newspaper/search?utf8=✓&q=http://www.todayonline.com/voices/holistic-measures-necessary-fight-against-cyberbullying&commit=Search Newspapers 

Singapore is the Second Highest Nation of Cyberbullies. (2014, March 1). Retrieved from http://familyandlife.sg/Nurture/2014/03/Singapore_Second_Highest_Nation_Cyberbullies

Tai, J. (2012, January 21). Cyber wellness centre to open in Hougang sec. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/files/newsarticles/news_articles_tcs_st_2012_1_21.jpg

Tai, J. (2014, July 14). 1 in 4 Singaporean high school students admit to cyber bullying. Retrieved from http://www.asianewsnet.net/1-in-4-Singaporean-high-school-students-admit-to-c-62319.html

TOUCH Cyber Wellness. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/touch_cyber_wellness

Yang, C. (2014, September 20). Students in Singapore alerted to cyber bullying in revised cyber wellness curriculum. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/students-singapore-alerted-cyber-bullying-revised-cyber-wellness-curr

Problem solution essay draft 2

Charmaine Pang

Social media has become a widely used platform for communication among youths. The proliferation of social media sites makes it more convenient for youths to share personal information and communicate with their peers. The exposure to social media sites have resulted in an increase in cyber bullying cases among primary and secondary school students in Singapore. As such, educators, parents and non-profit organisations should step up to help alleviate the situation by educating youths on the appropriate behavior on social media.

The ease of access to technology may be a reason for the prevalence of cyber bullying among teens, the almost immediate access to social media through their smartphones and computers make cyber bullying more attractive to them. Despite being a small country, Singapore has the second-highest rate of cyber bullying among children and youth between the age of 8 and 17 in Asia. (Family and Life, 2014) ‘Based on a survey of 3,000 secondary school students and 1,900 primary school students, one in five primary school children and one in three secondary school children reportedly said that that they have been victims of cyber bullying, and one in four secondary school students admitted to cyber bullying their peers.’ (Tai, 2014)

Cyber bullying is also made more prevalent because cyber bullies feel bolder and more powerful with the cloak of anonymity that the Internet provides. (Baig, 2014) Due to the anonymity and accessibility of technology, cyber bullying can be more persistent and relentless, even in the safety of one's home. (Yang, 2014) In Gwee’s (2008) article, she cites the example of a primary 3 girl who was repeatedly called ‘ugly’ and ‘irritating’ by her peers, these comments made their way onto online blogs. The girl endured this and wished she could die. Therefore, with social networking sites, taunting can go viral, and the humiliation of victims can be immediate. This is a cause for concern because there is a wider potential audience and the consequences on the victim can be more intense than face-to-face bullying. (Tai, 2014) Therefore, in her article, Phneah (2013) advocates that freedom of speech should not come at the expense of harming others and their right to safety and dignity.

The first solution to alleviate the rise of cyber bullying cases comes from the Ministry of Education (MOE). MOE has been encouraging schools to incorporate cyber wellness lessons into the curriculum. (Yang, 2014) In 2014, MOE set aside curriculum time for topics such as Internet etiquette. The cyber wellness module comes under the Citizenship and Character Education framework, where students are taught ways to protect themselves and to be responsible for their cyber well-being in cyberspace. (MOE, 2014) This is a step in the right direction, as students spend a large amount of time in school and it is where they learn most of their moral values. Through education, students are made aware of the consequences of cyber bullying and thus take responsibility for their online behaviour and stand up for the victims to prevent further acts of cyber bullying. The only limitation in this solution is that students may not take such lessons seriously and may feel that they have ample knowledge on cyber safety.

The other solution would be to involve non-profit social organisations. One such organisation would be Touch Cyber wellness that started the programme, ‘Crush.’ (n.d.) 'Crush' cleverly uses social media as a tool to engage students and educate them about Internet safety, through the creation of an application for phones. In this application, students can watch videos on Internet etiquette and safety. In his article, Chow (2012) states that this initiative involves parents through workshops that teach parents how to use social media safely and alert them on the dangers of the Internet. This approach is highly successful, it has reached out to almost 300 teenagers since it started. (Chow, 2012)  What makes this a highly successful solution is the inclusion of parents, by educating parents on Internet safety, this makes them more aware of their teenager's behaviour on the Internet, thus, they are able to tell if their child is being bullied online or taking part in cyber bullying behaviour. Furthermore, the innovative way of using social media to educate youths makes their materials more relatable and thus, more well received by youths.

Another avenue that may make this even more successful would be the expansion of 'PlanetCrush' cyber wellness centres from two schools to more. In her article, Tai (2012) reports that the cyber wellness centre not only promotes responsible computer usage through cyber wellness programmes but it also offers advice to parents on their child’s Internet habits. However, in his article, Chow (2012) states that there are only two of such cyber wellness centres in 2012. If the number of cyber wellness centres increases, social organisation can reach out to a larger crowd, and tackle the problem at a faster rate. With schools, parents and social organisations working hand in hand, it would be easier to alleviate the problem of cyber bullying among teens. 

In conclusion, social media has helped to bring the world together through its inter-connectedness, yet it has resulted in a host of problems because youths today misuse it. Therefore, it can only be solved with the help parents, educators and the relevant organizations to guide youths and make social media platforms free from cyber bullies.  

(872 words)

References

2014 Syllabus Cyber Wellness Secondary. (2014, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/character-citizenship-education/files/2014-cyber-wellness.pdf

Baig, N. (2014, August 15). 1 In 3 Students In Singapore Have Been Victims Of Cyberbullying. Retrieved from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/1-3-students-singapore-victims-070013753.html

Chow, J. (2012, July 30). Parents join kids to learn how to stay safe online. The Straits Times, p. B5.

Gwee, S. (2008, March 11). Caught in web of menace. The Straits Times.

Phneah, J. (2013, November 23). Holistic measures necessary in fight against cyberbullying. Today. Retrieved from http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-newspaper/search?utf8=✓&q=http://www.todayonline.com/voices/holistic-measures-necessary-fight-against-cyberbullying&commit=Search Newspapers 

Singapore is the Second Highest Nation of Cyberbullies. (2014, March 1). Retrieved from http://familyandlife.sg/Nurture/2014/03/Singapore_Second_Highest_Nation_Cyberbullies

Tai, J. (2012, January 21). Cyber wellness centre to open in Hougang sec. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/files/newsarticles/news_articles_tcs_st_2012_1_21.jpg

Tai, J. (2014, July 14). 1 in 4 Singaporean high school students admit to cyber bullying. Retrieved from http://www.asianewsnet.net/1-in-4-Singaporean-high-school-students-admit-to-c-62319.html

TOUCH Cyber Wellness. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.touch.org.sg/touch_cyber_wellness

Yang, C. (2014, September 20). Students in Singapore alerted to cyber bullying in revised cyber wellness curriculum. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/students-singapore-alerted-cyber-bullying-revised-cyber-wellness-curr

problem solution draft 1

Charmaine Pang

Social media has become a widely used platform for communication among teenagers. The proliferation of social media sites makes it more convenient for teenagers to share personal information and communicate with their peers. The exposure to social media sites have resulted in an increase in cyber bullying cases among youths in Singapore. As such, educators and the relevant authorities should help to alleviate the situation by educating youths on the appropriate behavior on social media.

The ease of access to technology may be a reason for the prevalence of cyber bullying among teens, the almost immediate access to social media through their smartphones and computers make cyber bullying more attractive to them. Despite being a small country, Singapore has the second-highest rate of cyber bullying among children and youth between the age of 8 and 17 in Asia. (Family and Life, 2014) Based on a survey of 3,000 secondary school students and 1,900 primary pupils, one in five primary school children and one in three secondary school children reportedly said that that they have been victims of cyber bullying, and one in four secondary school students admitted to cyber bullying their peers. (Tai, 2014) Evidently, cyber bullying is prevalent among the youths in Singapore and ‘this is a cause of concern as victims of cyber bullying may suffer from consequences that may be potentially more serious than face to face bullying as the bullying can be relentless over 24 hours and there is a wider audience to this form of bullying.’ (Tai, 2014) 

Furthermore, the cloak of anonymity that the Internet and social media sites provide may result in an increase in cyber bullies because they feel bolder and more powerful. (Baig, 2014) By leveraging on the anonymity and accessibility of technology, cyber bullying can be more persistent and continues 24/7, even in the safety of one's home. (Yang, 2014) Cyber bullies would typically post hurtful remarks and embarrassing images concerning their victim to torment and intimidate them. (Baig, 2014) Because the potential audience is much wider, the emotional trauma suffered can be more intense than face-to-face bullying. (Tai, 2014) This is seen in the case of a primary 3 girl who was repeatedly called ‘ugly’ and ‘irritating’ by her peers and these comments eventually made their way onto online blogs. She endured this for more than six months while wishing she could die. (Gwee, 2008) Therefore, with social networking sites, taunting can go viral, and the humiliation of victims can be immediate. While freedom of speech is important, it should not harm others or infringe on their rights to safety and dignity. (Phneah, 2013)

With the rise of cyber bullying cases, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has been increasing its efforts since 2007, to encourage schools to teach cyber wellness and incorporate such lessons into the curriculum. (Yang, 2014) In 2014, MOE has set aside curriculum time for topics such as Internet etiquette. The cyber wellness module comes under the Citizenship and Character Education framework and is incorporated into the curriculum for subjects such as civics and moral education, English and mother tongue languages. (Yang, 2014) Through the cyber wellness module, students are taught ways to protect themselves and empower them to take responsibility for their cyber well-being in cyberspace. (MOE, 2014) It is a step in the right direction, as students spend a large amount of time in school and it is where they learn most of their moral values. Through education, students are made aware of the consequences of cyber bullying and thus take responsibility for their online behaviour and stand up for the victims to prevent further acts of cyber bullying. 

Another effort that has been put in place would be the efforts of non-profit social organizations. These organizations can create talks and exhibitions to educate the youths. One such project that is already is in place is ' Crush' by Touch Cyber wellness. (n.d.) 'Crush' cleverly uses social media as a tool to engage students and educate them about Internet safety, through the creation of an application for phones. In this application, students can watch videos on Internet etiquette and safety. This initiative also engages parents through workshops that educate parents on the dangers of the Internet and how to use social media sites safely. (Chow, 2012) The two-pronged approach is highly successful as it has reached out to almost 300 teenagers since it started. What makes this a highly successful solution is the inclusion of parents, by educating parents on Internet safety, this makes them more aware of their teenager's behaviour on the Internet, thus, they are able to tell if their child is being bullied online or taking part in cyber bullying behaviour. Another avenue that could make this even more successful would be the expansion of 'PlanetCrush' cyber wellness centres from two schools to more. As of 2012, there are only two cyber wellness centres. (Chow, 2012) By increasing the number of cyber wellness centres, social organisation can reach out to a larger crowd, and tackle the problem at a faster rate. With schools, parents and social organisations working hand in hand, it would be easier to alleviate the problem of cyber bullying among teens. 

In conclusion, social media has helped to bring the world together through its inter-connectedness, yet it has resulted in a host of problems because youths today misuse it. Therefore, it can only be solved with the help parents, educators and the relevant organizations to guide youths and make social media platforms free from cyber bullies.  

(886 words)

Reference

2014 Syllabus Cyber Wellness Secondary. (2014, January 1). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/character-citizenship-education/files/2014-cyber-wellness.pdf

Baig, N. (2014, August 15). 1 In 3 Students In Singapore Have Been Victims Of Cyberbullying. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from https://sg.news.yahoo.com/1-3-students-singapore-victims-070013753.html

Chow, J. (2012, July 30). Parents join kids to learn how to stay safe online. The Straits Times, p. B5.

Gwee, S. (2008, March 11). Caught in web of menace. The Straits Times.

PHNEAH, J. (2013, November 23). Holistic measures necessary in fight against cyberbullying. Today. Retrieved February 28, 2014, from http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-newspaper/search?utf8=✓&q=http://www.todayonline.com/voices/holistic-measures-necessary-fight-against-cyberbullying&commit=Search Newspapers 

Singapore is the Second Highest Nation of Cyberbullies. (2014, March 1). Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://familyandlife.sg/Nurture/2014/03/Singapore_Second_Highest_Nation_Cyberbullies

Tai, J. (2014, July 14). 1 in 4 Singaporean high school students admit to cyber bullying. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.asianewsnet.net/1-in-4-Singaporean-high-school-students-admit-to-c-62319.html

TOUCH Cyber Wellness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.touch.org.sg/touch_cyber_wellness

Yang, C. (2014, September 20). Students in Singapore alerted to cyber bullying in revised cyber wellness curriculum. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/students-singapore-alerted-cyber-bullying-revised-cyber-wellness-curr

An influential event

The most influential event in my life would be my time in House Committees in junior college. Before that, I was shy and introverted, I never dared to try new things because I was afraid of failure and I felt that people would judge me. But running for House Committees meant that I had to put myself out there, and not be afraid of the judgement that people may have, to gain votes. I remembered shamelessly asking strangers to cast their votes for, it was something I would never have done previously. It was during my time in House Committees where I realized, I should not be afraid of failure and I would never know what I can if I do not try. Hence, my two years in House Committees gave me my closest group of friends who helped me grow as a person, and also cured me of my fear of failure and made me a more outgoing person. 

Problem solution outline

Main Problem: Cyber bullying among primary and secondary school children in Singapore

Affected target group/stakeholders: primary and secondary school students in Singapore

Agents of change/stakeholders: Educators, Teachers, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social and Family development

Solution 1: MOE increasing efforts to encourage schools to teacher cyber wellness. Include cyber wellness lessons into the school curriculum.

Evaluation 1: This would be an effective as incorporating cyber wellness into the curriculum ensures that all students are taught how to use the internet wisely. Furthermore, students often respect what teachers have to say, and they are in an environment that makes learning conducive. 

Solution 2: For social service sectors to reach out to youths 

Implication/Conclusion: Non-profit organisations such as Touch community has services such as 'Crush' a cyber wellness programme, this would go hand in hand with the curriculum that MOE has planned for the schools. Such organisations can use fun ways to engage students and teach them about cyber wellness and MOE should tie up with such organisation to enhance and reinforce the importance of cyber wellness. 

Thesis: The ease of access to social media sites have resulted in an increase in cyber bullying cases among youths in Singapore. As such, educators should help to alleviate the situation by educating youths on the appropriate behavior on social media.