North Zone schools first to experience interactive cyber wellness programme

North Zone schools first to experience interactive cyber wellness programme

SINGAPORE - Student and teacher representatives from the North Zone got a chance to learn the dos and don'ts of using social media, in a half-day social media cyber wellness workshop at Hougang Secondary School on Tuesday.

The programme, called 'The Top Secret Experience', consists of two components - an interactive exhibit, and an immersive learning experience called 'Vanishing Victoria'.

Privacy concepts covered in the first of its kind interactive exhibit include what makes a strong password, identifying content safe to post, the dangers of turning on location-based services and who users should not befriend on social media. The exhibit also introduces security tips on how to manage cookies and identify common malware.

Inspired by Korean reality game shows and escape room games, 'Vanishing Victoria' is modelled after a fictional crime scene. Students take on the role of police detectives tasked to solve the disappearance of 14-year-old Victoria. Solving the case allows students to find out about Victoria's dangerous social media habits, thus learning to avoid such behaviour.

Separately, this programme was carried out as part of a pilot project across Hougang Secondary School's lower secondary cohort in February.

The programme is part of a wider campaign to educate youths about social media privacy and security. It also includes a free e-guidebook, called 'The TOP SECRET Social Media Survival Guide', downloadable on the campaign website http://www.topsecretsg.com.

This is a final-year project by four students from the Nanyang Technological University, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, in partnership with TOUCH Cyber Wellness, and supported by the Central Singapore Community Development Council.

candicec@sph.com.sg

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