Staying Positive Online: Youths Strive to Dispel Myths of Internet Dangers

(3BL Media) Cupertino, CA – May 15, 2011 – Trend Micro Inc. (TYO: 4704;TSE: 4704) today announced the winners of the company’s third annual “What’s Your Story?” international video contest that empowers youth to be leaders in educating others about being safe online.

For the first time ever, the $10,000 grand prize goes to a team of public high school students who, for months, persistently championed their school, South Grand Prairie High, to establish a video club. The result: A thoughtful video, entitled “Choices,” that chronicles the decisions made by one young man while using his cell phone. 

“When we decided to enter this contest, we thought about what it means to be safe and responsible online. We realized it all comes down to the decisions we make. We hope people will think about all the decisions they face when they use a cell phone.  Sometimes a small decision can have a big impact. If you make good choices, you’ll be ok,” said Trung Hyunh, student filmmaker and member of the SGP Video Club, South Grand Prairie High School, Grand Prairie, TX.

The 2012 contest received entries from both individuals and schools across the U.S. and Canada for the new categories of:

• Take action against bullying: How would you help a friend being bullied online?
• Keep a good rep online: What’s the right way to share?
• Be cell smart: How can someone new to cell phones use it wisely?

Sponsored and supported by Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families and a number of participating organizations, “What’s Your Story?” was created to empower kids, parents, teachers and schools around the world to make the Internet a safe and secure place for today’s youth. The contest’s unique quality is that it requires young people to become educated about being safe online, then empowers them as educators to impart advice to their peers through their videos.  

To view all the winners of the 2012 “What’s Your Story?” contest, visit: http://whatsyourstory.trendmicro.com

Runners up: Individuals

• Take Action Against Bullying: “Be The Difference,” by Drew Hollering and;  “Rhymes for These Online Times,” by Therese DeSouza
• Keep a Good Online Rep: “I Love Sharing,” by Khalil Jamal and Silvia Koshkarian.
• Be Cell Smart: “Simple as That,” by Carissa Lee, Carina Lee, and Chris Shen.

Runners up: Schools

• Take Action Against Bullying: “No Name Calling,” by Lauren Rauffer & Tori Remondelli from Point Pleasant Borough High School, Point Pleasant, NJ.
• Keep a Good Online Rep: “You Can’t Rewind What’s Online,” by Samantha Oliveras, Jazmine Santiago, and Natalia Diaz from Herbert H. Lehman High School, Bronx, NY.
• Be Cell Smart: “Cell Scare,” by Harry Kim from Herbert H. Lehman High School, Bronx, NY.

“We saw a lot of engagement from schools and young people again in our third year of this contest, but after speaking to some of the contestants, something had changed in their attitudes toward Internet safety issues,” said Lynette Owens, director and founder of Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families. “I was inspired to hear that many of them were tired of all the fear and negativity surrounding kids on the Internet, from bullying to sexting to making mistakes which kids do. They wanted to create positive stories about what happens when you make good choices.  I think they’re making them all the time. We just need to look.” 

Once again, Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families teamed with some of the world’s leading organizations that either provide access to kids online or advocate for their safety. All share Trend Micro’s vision and commitment toward Internet safety. The judging panel for 2012 included representatives from:

• Common Sense Media
• ConnectSafely
• NEW - Cyberbullying Research Center
• Facebook
• The Identity Theft Resource Center
• NEW - Office of the Privacy Commissioner - Ontario
• NEW - Twitter
• NEW - The Wireless Foundation
• NEW - Yahoo! Safely

Finalists were selected based on a combination of views and ratings. Winners were chosen by the judging panel based on creativity, appropriateness and effectiveness. The grand prize winner receives $10,000 and the runners-up receive $1,000 each.

About Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families:

Founded in 2008, the mission of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids & Families is to enable and empower kids, parents, teachers, and schools around the world to make the Internet a safe and secure place for today’s youth. ISKF does this through a worldwide employee volunteer program, grants and donations to eligible organizations, strategic partnerships with organizations working to protect youth, educational programs, and a robust series of online tips and solutions for parents, educators, and youth. For ISKF’s free Internet safety tips, tools and advice, visit: www.trendmicro.com/internetsafety.

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated (TSE: 4704), a global cloud security leader, creates a world safe for exchanging digital information with its Internet content security and threat management solutions for businesses and consumers.  A pioneer in server security with over 20 years’ experience, we deliver top-ranked client, server and cloud-based security that fits our customers’ and partners’ needs, stops new threats faster, and protects data in physical, virtualized and cloud environments. Powered by the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ cloud security infrastructure, our industry-leading cloud-computing security technology, products and services stop threats where they emerge, on the Internet, and are supported by 1,000+ threat intelligence experts around the globe. 

Additional information about Trend Micro Incorporated and the products and services are available at Trend Micro.com This Trend Micro news release and other announcements are available at http://trendmicro.mediaroom.com/  and as part of an RSS feed at www.trendmicro.com/rss   Or follow our news on Twitter at @TrendMicro.