‘Hindi lahat ng trends kailangang sakyan’: Students warned against viral trends that may compromise privacy

MANILA — While online challenges and AI trends can be fun, students of San Beda College Alabang in Muntinlupa City were urged to think twice before joining the bandwagon, as participating in these activities could compromise their privacy.

This was among the topics discussed during the ABS-CBN News Campus Patrol on October 15, 2026.

ABS-CBN News Social Media Editor Erik Tenedero said online users should be wary not only of misinformation and disinformation, but also of games and trends that may seem harmless at first.

“Yung mga trends kasi ngayon, ang itsura niya laging fun, laging mukha siyang harmless, laging mukhang safe. Pero actually hindi naman talaga totally safe,” said Tenedero.

“Kapag meron ka nang binibigay na private information, dapat magtataka ka na, dapat magtatanong ka na agad, saan pa kaya nila gagamitin ito? Hindi ka dapat ma-FOMO (fear of missing out) kasi seguridad mo yung nakasalalay dito,” he added.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN News resident meteorologist Ariel Rojas stressed the importance of getting information from credible sources and verifying claims before sharing them online, particularly when it comes to weather phenomena such as the super El Niño.

“Nasa social media ang PAGASA at ibang legit organizations na nagbibigay ng information about super El Niño, so they should be able to validate sana at iwasan din yung pag-engage sa fake news. Huwag nang mag-comment, huwag nang mag-angry emoji, huwag nang mag-share na ‘fake news ito’ because it adds to the virality,” said Rojas.

For his part, ABS-CBN News anchor and reporter Adrian Ayalin shared writing tips for aspiring journalists, highlighting the need to provide context and explain complex issues in a way that audiences can easily understand.

“Halimbawa, sa justice beat, ine-emphasize natin sa reporting natin na nangyayari yung mga ganitong human rights violations, ano yung mga dapat na aksyon ng ating pamahalaan para alam nila ano yung balita, para ma-form nila yung kanilang opinyon,” he said.

Students of San Beda College Alabang also got hands-on experience behind-the-scenes, taking on roles such as program directors, scriptwriters, and camera operators, while others tried their hand at live reporting through the Reporter’s Challenge booth.