Cyberspace Can Be A Dangerous Place!

The writer believes that a beautiful camaraderie
 makes life a wonderful journey.

         I read the letter “Stranger danger” in the New Sunday Times recently with interest, and agree that parents must pay extra attention to their children, especially with the advent of the Internet and mobile apps.

In the previous century, computer-literate children made their families and friends proud and some even called them geniuses. However, feelings may not be the same when it comes to millennials who are young Internet experts. Parents may be worried that their children could be misusing the Internet and putting themselves at risk of becoming crime victims or suffering other undesired consequences.

            Many teenagers make friends with strangers online because they think having positive thoughts about others makes them optimists, while having suspicions makes them pessimists. That may sound fine, but they forget to think before they leap. These naïve youngsters have yet to realise that trust is not something they can build in the twinkling of an eye. 

             Trapped in a fantasy world, they find themselves falling in love at the first sight of a stranger’s profile picture while imagining a happily-ever-after ending and ignoring the possibility that their feelings might get them into trouble. Young girls, especially those who are experiencing romance for the first time, are often unaware that they could become the victims of sexual predators. They could be sexually assaulted or harassed, or worse, murdered.

There have been cases where people were conned by manipulative individuals whose objective is to make easy money. These culprits usually target working men and women who are lonely and desperate for companionship.

As for children, their exposure to issues on the Internet may bring them danger. They are not mature enough to understand and think rationally about what they see online, thus making them jump to conclusions. Some issues require critical thinking and some articles lack validity and reliability. It is feared that children will believe the wrong information, or worse, apply what they read on the Internet in real life. 

This explains why some children spend their free time discussing serious and sensitive issues such as politics, sex, race, religion and extremism. Misunderstandings and misinterpretations of these issues may result in risky actions and unwise decisions, like the 14-year-old teenager who was suspected of trying to join Islamic State last month.

Cyberspace is not a safe playground for our kids. They may go astray and get all of us in trouble, if they explore this borderless world without parental supervision.

Courtesy of New Sunday Times

22 March 2015

NURTURING TALENT (Give Introverted Students a Chance to Shine)

The writer believes that a beautiful camaraderie
makes life a wonderful journey.

          Every year, students are made busy not only with their studies, but also with activities held at school, district, state and national levels. This is the time when teachers select candidates to represent the school in competitions. With co-curricular activities being as important as academic performance, active students may be viewed positively, as it encourages healthy competition and goal setting. But there lies an unhealthy trend beneath this annual phenomenon.

Based on the old criteria - strong academic results, clean disciplinary record and impressive co-curricular achievements - the same group of students are selected to join various competitions, and they are usually the ones who hold leadership positions. The fact that some teachers focus only on extrovert students and leave the introverts behind is disappointing, as the latter misses the chance to develop leadership skills.

          

         Every student should be given an opportunity to shine. Unfortunately, many schools set their goals wrong when they focus on winning, resulting in students with obvious potential being chosen.

      

          This practice may lead to a number of implications.

         When schools fail to identify students’ abilities and talent, it is unfair to both students and parents. Students who are left out will be denied equal opportunities to prove their undiscovered skills and talent, while parents, who believe that the school will help their children become individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced, may question the school’s ability to achieve this goal.

When teachers focus on a limited number of students to participate in all competitions, it may give these students a chance to stand out and make their school proud, but not all students can balance between studies and co-curricular activities. 

             

            It is also feared that when other students are paid less attention, they will start feeling unimportant and useless, with some of them developing an inferiority complex, while others cause disciplinary problems as they begin to understand that to receive attention is to show something others are not capable of doing. 

   

        It is the school’s responsibility to produce good quality students, but this objective will not be fully achieved if only a small percentage is allowed to be involved in activities and competitions.

To ensure that every student receives equal treatment and opportunity, I suggest teachers start recognising new talent who may even shine brighter than the sought-after students.

           

Courtesy of New Straits Times

18 March 2015