Singapore students launch Harley Davidson-backed campaign against cyber hate
A group of students from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has launched a campaign against vitriolic behaviour on the internet.
The “Not A Keyboard Warrior” campaign, which is sponsored by motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson, is driven by a roadshow that invites young Singaporeans to take a pledge against cyber hate.
The roadshow will take place from 22 to 23 February, from 11am – 7pm at Scape, 2 Orchard Link.
Youngsters will be encouraged to hold placards reading “Not A Keyboard Warrior” and pose with Harley Davidson bikes.
One of the campaigners, Chow Aiyan, said:“Behaving aggressively online can not only hurt the self-esteem of your victim but could also have disastrous effect on your career prospects. In this digital age, employers often search your name on Google and visit your social media profiles to assess you as a candidate. If they witness instances of you flaming others or engaging in cyber-lynching, you could come across as anti-social, aggressive and difficult to work with.”
In a recent survey from 2012 by Microsoft, Singapore ranked second (behind China and ahead of India) as the world’s biggest problem country for cyber bullying.
Did the students take any trouble to research the Harley Davidson brand? Did they attempt to understand this motorcycling icon’s tone of voice or persona?
While a laudable initiative to work for, the ideas themselves fall short. The tone of voice, layout and typography do not match a brand with a heritage as rich as HD’s.
Anyway, that’s just my opinion.
ReplyI disagree with CJ Joseph. I believe that the students did great work in engaging Harley Davidson to campaign against cyberbullying and online aggression.
HD exudes an image of strength and independence, one that keyboard warriors are likely to aspire to be in their online trolls. In engaging them, they are intending to convey the message that “you don’t have to put others down in order to stand out” or something along these lines.
It is not easy for a wholly student-led project to garner such good response.
Instead of jeering, we should at least encourage these youths.
ReplyHave your say