The Dangers of Social Media and Cybergaming

Today’s social media is spreading all the negative vibes that we are encouraged not to
participate in. “Fake news’ refer to the kind of online writing that do not meet journalistic standards and
which aim is to spread false information and hate. They are usually addressed to politicians and even
celebrities. While there is a cyber libel law, the “sharing” of such fake news only make people believe
more. You can detect fake news if it doesn’t cite credible sources. Also, when the “news” itself is
unbelievable or malicious, it is more often false than not.

Women nowadays are more prone to harassment through growing numbers of catcalling, which
sexually addresses even the decent-looking girls. Even online, you could see men who would randomly
“compliment” girls in a very uncomfortable way. While women are advised to dress appropriately to
avoid attracting unwanted attention, men are now punished by law when they commit catcalling even
on the streets. It is necessary for women to report any instances of such verbal harassment.

Another issue that affects the online community is the popularity of “games” that challenge kids
to harm themselves to the point of committing suicide, or having content that are intended for mature
people. These games include Momo challenge, Blue Whale and such. It was said that the suicide games
were meant to scare the kids, making them believe they would be killed if the “anonymous caller” found
out they didn’t do the challenge. At least one Filipino kid has fallen victim to this senseless game, which
should be a reminder for us to keep watch of the things kids do online.