Cyber Safety Award for schools launched

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has launched the Cyber Safety Award, which aims to encourage community and educational institutions in the Kingdom to create awareness in the field of cyber safety. The award is launched in an event held in TRA’s headquarters and is attended by representatives from various schools in Bahrain. During the event, TRA discussed the results of the study it recently conducted under the Safe Surf initiative in co-operation with Dr Nancy Willard,an expert on cyber bullying challenges and threats. It was found that youths using the Internet for more than three hours a day leads to the possible emergence of negative or dangerous behaviours and exposure to cyber bullying, causing them psychological disorder and behavioural changes such as depression and a sense of helplessness as well as absence from school and physical violence in some .

“The Cyber Safety Award is presented by Safe Surfto allow young people and adults in the Kingdom of Bahrain to create innovative awareness content in the field of cybersafety,” said TRA’s Director of Consumer Affairs and Media, Shaikh Abdullah bin Humood Al Khalifa. “We launched this award to enact TRA’s responsibility to spread awareness among the community, shedding light on the varied risks of the Internet such as cyber bullying, fraud and identity theft and many others that impacts the social, psychological and educational aspect of life.”

“TRA has the responsibility to promote awareness among the community and help individuals recognise and avoid the dangers of the Internet, especially those resulting from the use of social media, in addition to giving solutions to overcome and resist them,” Shaikh Abdulla added. The Cyber Safety Award aims to encourage students to achieve a safe cyber culture in order to raise more awareness about its impact on daily life, as well as to open the creative field for the promising talents of the Bahraini young generation and involve them in spreading awareness among the community. TRA invites those interested in participating in the Award to create a short film (no more than 120 seconds) highlighting the impact of excessive use of social media on young people and their social life.