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The Commission embarked on an online safety champions programme to help community members, parents, advocates and university students learn more about how they could be safe online during this lockdown period.

We can all feel how quickly we had to adapt to our “new normal” after the April wave of this pandemic. Many of us find ourselves working from home, helping our children with their online learning, and even picking up some new dance moves through these Tik Tok videos.

And it’s all fun and exciting but there are some things that seem to make us wonder about how safe we really are on these digital platforms. That is what this seven week programme was all about. Introducing participants to various topics such as image based abuse, gaming online, abhorrent content, keeping our children safe online and much more.

Throughout the programme, participants had the opportunity to engage with the Commission more effectively, meeting virtually once a week to learn or explore various topics, discuss their experiences, share information on the OSC Facebook page, and learn how to report to the OSC.

Sign up today to join the Online Safety Community and find our how you too can be an online safety champion!

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The one day seminar was officially opened by Fiji Police Force Director SSP Serupepeli Neiko and helped participants understand the safety tools available for agencies to better cater for their respective citizens.

Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform and Fijians are no stranger to using the application daily. The platform helps us connect with family and friends around the world, communicate with loved ones about our daily activities and even share our thoughts on hot topics such as politics, education and more. The recent pandemic highlighted how technology, especially social media apps have become an integral part of our everyday lives.

It is important to be aware of simple security checks and privacy check up that you as a social media user can use to make sure that you are safe online. Although there is no 100% safeguard to the ills of being online, setting up important safety checks can help.

Some routine tips to keep in mind include:

• Changing your passwords to your accounts and not sharing them with anyone;
• Log off your social media account when you finish using is; and
• Being cautious of adding friends or following people you may not know offline.

Photo Credit: Fiji Police Force

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• only 38% of children admit to their parents/guardians that they have been bullied online;
• 33% of teens say they have sent explicit photos to someone else;
• more than 60% of children that have been harassed online have mental health issues; and
• more than 60% of female victims feel powerless because of online bullying

On a global level we see how such online abuse effects children of all ages. Across the central division in Fiji many students have also indicate experiencing online bullying at least once this year.

Children may not want to tell you if they are being bullied but here are some signs to look out for:

• Rapid increase or decrease in weight;
• Severe mood swings;
• Losing interesting in being around family and friends;
• Not wanting to go online anymore;

These changes are often subtle but vigilance is key. And having open dialogue about online safety and responsibility with your child is important.

What can I do to help?

Remember to remain calm and have an open conversation with your child. Let them know that they are not alone. Set up screen time and allow them to only use the devices in a common area such as the living room.

Fijians value community and we can express this same value in our online communities. Social media apps like Facebook give us an opportunity to build virtually any community we like. And this starts at home, stop the spread of online bullying by talking to your children today.

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Now more than ever, most of us are staying connected online as a result of physical distancing from family, friends, colleagues and networks.

While the internet is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, work from home, explore new online hobbies, or be entertained; it also has some risks.

Here are some tips for being safe online during covid-19:

1. Be aware of who you are interacting with online;
2. Maintain strong passwords and consider changing your password if you haven’t done so in the past three months;
3. Stay alert for scams that may arise;
4. Monitor your screen time so that you can also share quality time with those in your home; and
5. Remember to verify any news about the virus, curfew hours or allowed activities during the lock down period with other notable sources such as WHO and the Ministry of Health.

In the meantime, remember to wash your hands thoroughly, stay at home and stay physically distanced.

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October 10th is not just any regular day for Fiji and this year we celebrate our 49th year of independence.

We also take a moment to commemorate the importance of mental health. You can use the hashtag #LetsTalk to be a part of a global dialogue today. The theme of the day is “suicide prevention”. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that every 40 seconds, someone completes suicide. The organisation also said “…many children and young people engage in this kind of behavior as a result of violence, sexual abuse, bullying and cyberbullying.”

Last year a new study in the United Kingdom found that online bullying makes young people more than twice as likely to self harm or attempt suicide. According to Lifeline Fiji it is estimated that every 36 hours a Fijian attempts suicide.

These are stark realities show that online abuse has a far reach into our own personal worlds. Let us stand together this Fiji Day for the wellbeing of our mental health. One of the easiest ways to do that is to be safe and responsible when using online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Simple acts like limiting your social media time or eating well can all help to improve your mental health. During this Fiji Day celebration, join the conversation with your family and friends and #LetsTalk.

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The Commission visited FNU campuses in the central, western and eastern divisions. During the visitation students had the opportunity to discuss their concerns regarding online safety, learn more about the Commission and develop ideas around maintaining safe online behaviors among their peers.

The space provided students, staff and the OSC a change to engage in dialogue on different online trends they noticed on their campus. This included what some considered a rise in online bullying, the need for greater awareness on how to be safe online, developing context definitions of online abuse, positive use of online platforms.

The awareness program brought clarity to the role of the Commission and developed insight into how students from one of Fiji’s leading universities relate to online safety.

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