Cyberspace has become the new danger zone that can negatively affect cybercrime victims and their families, leading to far-reaching psychological and even physical implications.
Threats such as morphing, stalking and grooming of vulnerable children are persistent issues that need to be grappled with.
Here is where the Responsible Netism 7th National Cyber Psychology Conference 2023 comes in with its theme of “Cyber Wellness: Ensuring Mental Well-being in Cyberspace”. Participation is open only to certified mental health professionals and registration is compulsory.
The conference, which will take place on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 10 am – 5.30 pm, will be a hybrid one, being available online (pan India) and offline (only for Goa).
It will take place at the Upper Room (Hall), 8th Floor, Silvio Heights, St Inez, Panaji in Goa.
Responsible Netism is a project by the Ahaan Foundation that is principally focused on child online protection, and it is functional in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Madhya Pradesh.
The social movement advocates cyber wellness as a holistic solution to the perils of cyberspace.
Cyber wellness is about preventing situations of abuse through the internet by educating netizens and giving them the knowledge and skills to use the internet safely.
Thus, individuals can avoid falling into traps set up by unscrupulous individuals and also have recourse to online support if they are victimised, building cyber resilience.
Responsible Netism in particular is motivated to promote the cyber-wellness of children and has educated over 1.3 million children and over 0.7 million adults successfully since it began its work.
The 7th National Conference on Cyber Psychology aims at developing the capabilities of mental health professionals to understand various approaches and strategies to help victims cope with mental distress and problems that are connected to it.
The other objective is to create a reliable support system of cyber caregivers to reduce incidences that open up children and people to cyberattacks and establish India as a cyber-safe country.
There will be panel discussions on cyber violence and its reporting; the psychological impacts of online distress; internet addiction; adapting to a tech-enabled future; and building support systems on cyber wellness.
The conference will be graced by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, along with experts in mental health, law enforcement, academia, intermediaries, media houses and the IT sector.
This day-long, hybrid conference is free of cost. For more details, call the CYBER WELLNESS HELPLINE on +91 7353107353.
