Facebook and Media Literacy Council join hands to prevent cyber bullying

By Jalelah Abu Baker, The Straits Times, 9 Feb 2015

Facebook and the Media Literacy Council on Monday launched a site for the prevention of cyber bullying.

The site, called the Bullying Prevention Centre, provides resources for teens, parents, and teachers in Singapore, was launched here after its success in the United States and Britain. Its launch comes in time for the Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, a global initiative that invites everyone - young people, parents, teachers, educators, industry and safety organizations - to come together to focus on what can be done to "create a better Internet together".

Post by Media Literacy Council.

The site gives people being bullied information on what they can do when they experience something upsetting, recommendations to adults who want to help, as well as guidance to the person accused of bullying on why they have upset someone and how they can make it better, said Facebook and the Media Literacy Council.

Specific actions, including links to Facebook's reporting tools, are listed for each audience. Facebook will also direct anyone who reports bullying via Facebook's reporting tools to the Bullying Prevention Centre.

Professor Tan Cheng Han, Chairman of the Media Literacy Council, said: "The Internet is just like the real world but consequences are often magnified in the online world. It is our collective responsibility to make the world, Internet or otherwise, better."

The site is created by Facebook engineers and Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, and it will be promoted to students and teachers through a series of activities run by the Media Literacy Council from Feb 10 to May 2015.

"The new Bullying Prevention Centre is part of our ongoing commitment to provide safeguards to the people who use Facebook, especially young people. We hope that by putting this kind of information at people's fingertips when they need it we will be able to help them resolve these conflicts," said Mia Garlick, head of policy for Facebook Australia and New Zealand.

The site can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/safety/bullying.

Safer Internet Day: Good online behaviour, individuals recognised
Media Literacy Council (MLC) commemorates Safer Internet Day (SID) on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong encouraging Singaporeans to “build a more positive online environment for all”.
Channel NewsAsia, 10 Feb 2015

The Republic's Media Literacy Council (MLC) commemorated Safer Internet Day (SID) on Tuesday (Feb 10), which carries the global theme “Let’s Create a Better Internet Together”.

MLC said in a news release that its campaign this year focused on “recognising good”. The campaign features 50 Singaporeans who exhibited the values of “respect, responsibility, empathy and integrity” in their interactions on social media. It also looked for “ordinary folks” who used the internet positively and responsibly, said MLC.

It also gave examples of good initiatives such as starting a social cause on Facebook and making encouraging videos.

SINGAPOREANS CAN HELP BUILD MORE POSITIVE ONLINE SPACE

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong added in a Facebook post on Tuesday that Singaporeans should “work together to build a more positive online environment for all”.

“Have you ever hesitated to comment online because you worried about being flamed? Or wished that people could use the internet more responsibly? You can help make the online space better by showing the way,” he wrote.

Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

MLC said it hopes to inspire and bring across the message that everyone can help to create a better internet.

“The internet is all about sharing and empowerment. And for everyone to benefit from the internet, it needs to be a safe and enriching space where constructive dialogue can take place,” Chairman of the MLC, Professor Tan Cheng Han said.

Stories of 24 individuals can be found at www.betterinternet.sg and the rest of the 50 will be updated over the next few weeks.