Digital solutions platform Globe has strengthened its commitment to online safety, calling on academia, mental health professionals, parents and guardians, and other key partners to protect Filipino children from cyberbullying.
Due to the prevalence of bullying on digital platforms, Globe noted that parents and caregivers need to understand their role in keeping children safe online.
“As Globe empowers our 92 million customers to use technology for a variety of needs, we urge everyone to use digital communication channels and teach our young people to do the same,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer : “Our connectedness comes from being a responsible digital citizen, and the communication of respect, intent and impact is taught first and foremost at home. “
The company launched the www.makeitsafe.ph portal to stop cyberbullying by providing an AZ of cyberbullying glossaries. The glossary is buildable, and anyone can add words to inform other parents of terms that need attention. The microsite has garnered 12,000 hits since its launch on July 18 last year.
Parents can get more guidance on helping their children be safe and responsible online through the parent-focused Global Digital Fingerprinting Program (DTP) electronic module on the microsite. DTP promotes digital citizenship and cybersecurity among teens.
“We are using technology to protect young people with the help of key partners. We are helping our clients – parents, carers and guardians – to address the web by helping them understand the rapidly evolving online language children use through digital channels Bullying,” said RG Orense, head of digital and social channel strategy at Globe.
Globe further provides parents with the proper knowledge for problem solving through a partnership with two of the most influential online parenting communities on Facebook – Glam-O-Mommas, which has 44,500 active members and is led by model and TV personality Amanda Griffin-Jacob owns; and Usapang Nanay, a community of 519,000 members run by the husband and wife duo of mum GL and dad Ranilo Guardiano.
It has also started sharing materials for its new #makeITsafePH campaign on cyberbullying with partners in academia, as well as showcasing these materials to teachers and parents during parent workshops. Over the past month and a half, the material has seen 113 million total views on social media, particularly TikTok and Facebook.
This is one of its initiatives to protect minors from online violence, including bullying and Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals on inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities Development Goal 4 for all, and UN Sustainable Development Goal 17, which highlights the value of partnerships in achieving the SDGs.
The initiative is supported by well-known celebrities, film personalities and athletes, including Kim Atienza, Gretchen Fullido, Edu Manzano, Pia Guanio-Mago, Ryan Eigenmann, Arlene Muhlach, Cai Cortez, Kiray Celis, Gillian Vicencio, Sophie Reyes and Alora Sasam, JC Alcantara, Melizza Jimenez, Gian Magdangal, Aby Marano, Junemar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar. Social media influencers Kilimangur, Mela Habijan and Reb Atadero have also joined the fight against cyberbullying.
Globe also understands that violence against children, such as cyberbullying, can have devastating effects on young people’s physical and mental health. That’s why Globe partnered with its telehealth platform KonsultaMD to provide mental health support to parents, guardians and victims of cyberbullying.
Users can redeem a free session 24/7 with a licensed KonsultaMD mental health professional using promo code MAKEITSAFEPH.
The Digital 2022 report by We Are Social and Hootsuite ranks the Philippines as the second most active country on social media. But it is also second only to Thailand in the ranking of countries in the world where children are highly exposed to cyber risks and do not have sufficient skills to deal with them.
A poll conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) a few years ago showed that one-third of online violence suffered by Filipino children was verbal abuse through the Internet or mobile phones, while a quarter was through sexual messages.
Another study conducted by Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley found that parents underestimated how often their children became victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying, exposure to sexual images and online stranger contact.
To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.
