Cyber Wellness Tips

What is Cyber-Wellness?

Cyber Wellness (CW) refers to the positive well-being of Internet users. It involves an understanding of online behaviour and awareness of how to protect oneself in cyberspace. The focus of CW is about helping students to become responsible digital learners. When navigating cyberspace, students should demonstrate respect for self and others and practise safe and responsible use. Students should also be a positive peer influence by harnessing technology for collaboration, learning and productivity, as well as advocating positive use of technology for the good of the community.

Cyber Wellness in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) focuses on the well-being of our students as they navigate cyberspace. Our curriculum aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of ICT for positive purposes, maintain a positive presence in cyberspace and be safe and responsible users of ICT.

MOE Cyber-Wellness Framework

MOE uses the CW framework to develop the child’s instinct to protect and empower him to take responsibility for his own well-being in cyberspace. The three principles, ‘Respect for Self and Others’, ‘Safe and Responsible Use’ and ‘Positive Peer Influence’ when adhered to will anchor a child’s well-being in cyberspace as he will then be able to make careful and well-considered decisions.

Principles

(1) Respect for Self and Others
Students need to:

uphold their own dignity when online (e.g. share appropriate content and participate in only legal online activities)
respect other people online (e.g. put themselves in others’ shoes, accept diverse views and opinions, give credit when using other people’s work and seek permission where necessary, avoid sharing hurtful materials).

(2) Safe and Responsible Use
Students need to:

have an understanding of the risks of harmful and illegal online behaviour, and take steps to protect themselves (e.g. keep their personal information private, verify the reliability of information using various sources, take steps to avoid dangers they may encounter online).
make wise and healthy choices (e.g. maintain a healthy balance of their online and offline activities).

(3) Positive Peer Influence
Students need to:

be a positive role model online (e.g. share healthy and positive content, harness the affordances of technology to do good for society).
advocate positive online behaviour (e.g. stand up for their peers online, report cases of cyber bullying to a trusted adult/authority, post encouraging remarks on social media).

The 3 Cyber Wellness Key Messages

Embrace the affordances of technology while maintaining a balanced lifestyle between offline and online activities.
Be a safe and responsible user of technology and maintain a positive online presence.
Be responsible for personal well-being in the cyberspace.

MOE’S Cyber-Wellness Education
Cyber-wellness Education comprises

a) the CW lessons in the formal curriculum and
b) the school-wide programmes (e.g. CW assembly talks, CW activities) to reinforce the importance of CW and its messages.

Schools are guided by the CW framework to plan and implement CW education which are customised to the student profile and school environment.

The following time is dedicated to CW education:

Secondary 1 and 2: CW topics and lessons are delivered as part of the CCE curriculum.
Secondary 3 and 4: 8 x 1-hour lessons as part of the Guidance Area modules in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).
Secondary 5: 2 x 1-hour lessons as part of the Guidance Area modules in CCE.

Cyber-Wellness Curriculum

Topics	What your child will learn about
Cyber use	Maintaining a healthy balance of online and offline activities
Cyber identity	Developing a healthy online identity Appropriate online expression
Cyber relationships	Netiquette Cyber bullying Developing safe, respectful and meaningful online relationships
Cyber Citizenship	Understanding the cyber world Handling online content and behaviour Having a positive presence in the cyber community
Cyber Ethics	Creating and sharing of online content in a responsible manner Respecting copyright

Support at home

Organise more outdoor activities together.
Activate parental controls on your home devices.
Model good digital habits for your child.
Set ground rules for internet use.
Navigate the internet together to understand their usage.

Useful Resources

Cyber Wellness Mobile App for Parents - 'notAnoobie' (2014): Accessed at https://www.singtel.com/personal/i/apps-tv/apps/notanoobie

The notAnoobie mobile app, developed by Singtel and TOUCH Cyber Wellness, aims to help parents understand and follow cyber-related developments and issues such as gaming, mobile technology and device addiction, social media dos and don’ts, as well as identifying and stopping cyber bullying, inappropriate content online and protecting personal privacy online. The app content includes articles, reviews, success stories, quizzes and daily tips.

With this app, parents can now be armed with the knowledge on-the-go and help educate their children to be responsible digital citizens and look out for possible online dangers. This app will allow parents to harness the potential of the cyber world and better connect with their children and help families grow closer with mutual understanding and respect.
The app can be downloaded free from App Store and Google play stores by mobile users in Singapore on any network.

From MOE:

From External Agencies:

Other Useful Cyber-Wellness References (Please click on links to download.)