
What does Google and popular band Ben&Ben have in common? They both want Filipinos to be more careful and cautious when spending their time on the internet.
To make sure that message is spread, the tech giant and the folk pop band came together to create “Mag-ingat,” a song espousing internet safety and responsibility. The accompanying music video, which was launched yesterday on the band's YouTube channel, has now amassed thousands of views.
The song, which talks about real incidents that have happened to people online, starts off with a verse about a scam job offer and then moves into verses about catfishing and fake news. The band then ends the song by saying that internet users should be careful online and look out for other users as well.
During the press conference for the music video's launch yesterday, Ben&Ben's Miguel Benjamin said internet safety is a “timely and important” issue everyone should be responsible for.
“Filipinos are highly social people and most of us interact with one another digitally. In such a world, it's no wonder that while the internet brings so many advantages, it also opens us up to many dangers if we are not careful enough,” he said. “With 'Mag-ingat,' we wanted to use our music to spread awareness on such a timely and important issue - because all of us are responsible for making sure that the internet is a safe and positive space for everyone.”
In fact, for Ben&Ben band member Jam Villanueva, internet safety was something that her family personally had to learn about. According to Jam, her little brother was using an online platform for social interaction and the family discovered that the person he was talking to was an adult pretending to be a child.
“Sobrang sketchy. We kept my brother from using the platform for a while and us as a family, being the older people surrounding him, learned how to prevent these types of catfishing and really, really scary stuff. We really just educated ourselves,” she shared.
Aside from partnering with Ben&Ben, Google has also undertaken other initiatives to encourage Filipinos to be safer online. These include the “Be Internet Awesome” initiative done in partnership with the Department of Education. The initiative directs users to a webpage that outlines ways to keep yourself safe on the internet, and also provides a curriculum that can be taught in schools.
As with anything, the internet has both a good and a bad side. While scammers and fake news abound online, the internet can also be a place where one can build the foundations for an entertainment career. Check out the gallery below for a list of internet sensations who ended up entering showbiz.