Schoolyard bullying has been around for as long as anyone can remember. The act of bullying results in psychological and behavioral problems in both the abuser and the victim, which can last well into adulthood. With the Internet making it easy to communicate, bullying itself has become so much easier.
Social media, in particular, is an excellent medium to connect with people, but it also comes with risks for abuse. A lot of children spend hours online, which exposes them to threats, mean messages, nasty rumors, and other forms of cyberbullying.
To foster a safer way to use the Internet, Google partnered with the National Youth Commission to launch Web Rangers, a program designed to engage the help of teenagers, ages 14 to 18, to sustain a safer online environment for their peers.
Teenagers who are interested to make the Web a better place can sign up at the Web Rangers site to be considered to be part of the elite team of anti-cyberbullying “superheroes.” Fifty will be selected to become Web Rangers, the group will take action in the fight against the misuse and abuse of the Internet by creating their own meaningful campaigns to promote responsible Internet use.
Google and the National Youth Commission will hold a Web Rangers workshop in April to train them to make the most out of their creativity and social influence to encourage their peers to have better online behavior and keep each other safe online.
The Web Rangers will be tasked to produce their own campaigns—educational videos, lesson plans, songs and apps are just some examples. But they can choose any medium and platform as long as the message is effectively delivered. The youth with the most creative and impactful campaign will get to visit a Google office in Asia and present their ideas to Google executives. The winners will be announced in May.
“Cyberbullying is a serious issue that we shouldn't gloss over. A lot of teens are affected by it, or know someone who is bullied online. More often than not, they're not sure how to protect themselves,” Google Philippines communications and PR head Gail Tan told this writer. “We're hoping that the Web Rangers will be a way by which we can teach our kids to help themselves and their peers address cyber threats in a positive and inspiring way.”