The internet scandal of Wiki Leaks brought to light the gray areas of cyber access, in privacy issues and cyber bullying. Is there a rule of control? Who gains, who cedes? Has the digital age gone out of control for good or evil? Our young children and the youths are the most vulnerable. A recent survey in social networking done in Singapore found that youths spend 2 to 5 hours (or even more) on such popular internet sites as Facebook, MSN Messenger & Youtube every day. What is true to other parts of the world is true even in the Philippines.

Our youths are not even concerned about their online privacy compromising and revealing genuine information about themselves. About 95% reveal their gender and name; of course 98.3% reveal the contents of their sites to friends while 74.3% show photos even albums of themselves. Youths are more open to their friends than to their parents. About 68.4% experienced cyber bullying, and disturbing to note 43.9% of it is even indifferent to it, and believe their online well-being is in their own hands. Only 18.1% believe that parents should take responsibility.

Cyber bullying can be a form of receiving excessive unwanted e-mails or messages or having videos or photos posted without consent. And our youths do not even have a clear definition of cyber bullying. This is a growing concern for most parents in that the common instrument of harassment used is the cell phone. Cyber bullying victim may suffer immense damage from depression and anxiety to academic performance and even worse. Safe Communications Inc. produces products and tools that can help tame the spheres our young children live and keep them safe.

Can parents really have control on the consequences of inappropriate use of cell phones and the internet to the youths in this digital age where the internet is everywhere? What about the addicting cyber games and corrupt images? Parenting has just gotten harder these days and necessarily so to keep up the standard we want for our young kids and youths, the standard they should deserve to remain safe, secure and healthy. We all need to be morally strong, from parents to children, to be able to survive physically and spiritually in this information age.

***

Tidbits:

 G.R. No. 160338, October 06, 2008  VENTIS MARITIME CORPORATION AND BELSALLY SHIPPING, S.A. VS. COURT OF APPEALS, NLRC AND AGAPITO C. AGONCILLO, JR.  (Courtesy of Atty. Fidel Borja)

 In this case, respondent was not ordered to disembark.  He was not repatriated. When MV Orchid Bridge docked in Manila, respondent asked for a leave of absence to attend to his wife who was then in the hospital.  His disembarkation was out of the contract but it was guaranteed by Capt. Virgilio R. Aris and eventually allowed by the vessel's Master on the condition that he would return to the vessel on 2 July 1998. However, two days before his supposed return to the vessel, respondent informed Ventis that he could not rejoin the vessel because his wife was still in the hospital. In short, it was respondent who failed to return to his work.  He was not terminated from his employment.

                                                                                      ***

“You cannot be what you are not, but you can become what you are not.”