Digital Wellbeing approach for teens and adults
Need to empower all with knowledge and tools to be safe in digital space
By Anil Rachamalla
Hyderabad: With the advent of electronic gadgets and social media apps, there is an immediate need to empower all (pre-teens, teens and adults) with the knowledge and tools to be safe and secure in this digital environment, as new cases related to social engineering crimes, cyber stalking, cyberbullying, sextortion, cybersex, dissemination of obscene material and other forms of trespassing privacy are evolving day by day. It is equally important to create a safer ecosystem digitally that will help distinguish credible and questionable information and behaviour on the internet.
(a) Objective
• To spread awareness on risks and strategies to create a better relationship with digital technologies
• Assess relationship with digital technologies and safeguard our wellbeing
• Acquaint with formal knowledge on digital wellbeing
(b) Outcome
• Understanding digital wellbeing will help realise the need of balance with technology that is appropriate for varying requirements
• Maximising technology benefits while mitigating risks and negativity
Four Pillar Approach for Pre-Teens (Schools)
As children between the age of 11 and 13 make the transition to a more independent stage with secondary school, they become more confident internet users with varied habits. Parents are concerned that children will actively engage in risky and dangerous behaviour such as contacting people they do not know. It thus becomes vital to discuss online safety with them.
As a child becomes a teenager, it’s likely that the internet will be a part of daily life. Most teenagers have access to the internet using a smartphone or tablet, and use a wide range of social networking sites as a vital part of their relationships with others. Parents find it harder to control their screen time.
Interaction
Who do you have in common with them and who can vouch for them?
Who would support your interaction with them?
Where the interaction is taking place?
Should you know the person(s) you are interacting with?
What information are they asking of you?
What information are they giving/willing to give you?
What are they getting out of your interaction?
How much of your interaction do you control?
Information
Means of communication
Check the source
Go through the information
Verify the information
Believe the information
Sharing the information
Influence
How do your digital activities make you feel good or bad and what is the final balance?
Instruction
An important lesson to remember at the end of all of this is that you are only as safe as your community. This means even the slightest weak link can compromise everyone’s safety and wellbeing especially in a digital wellbeing. It is for this reason that your awareness and learning on digital wellbeing can never stop and neither can your teaching and propagation of it. This brings us to the two important things about instruction you need to keep in mind (a) Receiving instruction (b) Giving instruction
For Teens (Colleges)
Digital Security
Tools & Techniques: Need for students / teenagers to practise safe strategies to protect themselves and promote positive physical and psychological well-being when using technology, technology systems, digital media and information technology including the internet. (a) Understanding misinformation and disinformation, (b) Choosing between privacy and user convenience, and, (c) Having consent both offline and online.
Digital Safety: Physical & Psychological Wellbeing: Need of employing strategies to protect themselves and promote positive physical and psychological well-being when using technology, technology systems, digital media & information technology including the Internet. i.e., understanding (a) Cyberbullying (b) Doing a digital detox (c) Digital parenting
Digital Spirit: Legal and Ethical Issues: Need to recognise and practise responsible and appropriate use while accessing, using, collaborating, and creating technology, technology systems, digital media and information technology. Understanding of current ethical and legal perspectives, i.e., understanding (a) Cybercrimes (b) Managing social life (c) Impact of digital technologies on human wellness
For Adults (Corporates)
With the move from a physical workspace to remote and hybrid work, it’s time for corporate heads to be not only concerned about mental and physical well-being, but also digital wellbeing especially among employees who spend their extended work days on computers alone. Our proposed digital wellbeing approach for corporates is designed to improve employee engagement, productivity and safety.
Mental Wellbeing
Pre-planned schedules
Mindfulness
Time management
Acupuncture sessions
Physical Wellbeing
Digital detox tours
Regular breaks
Exercises
News letters
Digital Wellbeing
Digital Detox
Information Consumption & Dealing
Consent Management
Managing Social Media
Digital Parenting
Stay Tuned to Cyber Talk to know more about internet ethics and digital wellness brought to you by Anil Rachamalla, End Now Foundation, www.endnowfoundation.org
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