“Phishing is a ruse designed to gain sensitive information from an intended victim by way of e-mail and Web pages or letters that appear to be from genuine businesses, that command the potential victim to supply information to prevent an account from being closed, or as part of a promotion or give-away called a gimmie.” (Workman 2008)
As Workman states above, phishing is a ruse to obtain information or money from unsuspecting people. We have all seen this type of scam in the junk folder of our email. These kinds of emails are the ones asking for money to be sent to Nigeria or an from your bank asking you to confirm some piece of information. The term has been around for several years but it is growing in popularity and in everyday language. It has also grown in its sophistication; it is a science that can be quite fruitful if you are good. It is always a good idea to be vigilant and skeptical of anyone asking for any piece of information.
It can be easy to fall prey to some of these as they are getting more and more convincing every day. When in doubt, doubt even more. It is recommended that you do not click on the links provided in emails but instead enter them in manually to avoid spoofing a link. As we learned in the 6.2 assignment we can add any name to the link we create. We can create the link name as www.mosttrustedsiteever.com but set the link (a href=) to www.givemeyourcreditcard.com.
References
Workman, M. (2008). Wisecrackers: a theory-grounded investigation of phishing and pretext social engineering threats to information security. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, 59(4), 662-674. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Chris V.
Lack of Privacy
Lack of Privacy
“This erosion of anonymity is a product of pervasive social media services, cheap cell phone cameras, free photo and video Web hosts, and perhaps most importantly of all a change in people’s views about what ought to be public and what ought to be private” (Olson 2011).
The privacy that we once had, and what we should still have today doesn’t really exist. Once something is posted online, it is there forever. “The Internet has a permanent memory. Once something is tweeted, posted or photographed and placed online, you can remove yourself and your company from every social media site on the Web — but others will still have the goods and can repost them at any time” (Olson 2011).
Information that we do place online can be misinterpreted and can hurt your personal reputation or the reputation of the company you work for. So it is important to place the exact same story or information on all social media sites so you don’t give room for misinterpretation. Also, some people don’t care about keeping things private, so if you say something or do something, you never know, it might end up online one day.
If something is private, you should make sure that it remains private. It is important to realize that not everything needs to be posted online, because if you think someone won’t see it or find out, you are wrong.
Olson, Curtiss. (2011, August 4). Communication has changed - are you ready?. http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/9329/1034/Bonus_online_articl _Communication_has_changed_Are
Alyssa S.
“This erosion of anonymity is a product of pervasive social media services, cheap cell phone cameras, free photo and video Web hosts, and perhaps most importantly of all a change in people’s views about what ought to be public and what ought to be private” (Olson 2011).
The privacy that we once had, and what we should still have today doesn’t really exist. Once something is posted online, it is there forever. “The Internet has a permanent memory. Once something is tweeted, posted or photographed and placed online, you can remove yourself and your company from every social media site on the Web — but others will still have the goods and can repost them at any time” (Olson 2011).
Information that we do place online can be misinterpreted and can hurt your personal reputation or the reputation of the company you work for. So it is important to place the exact same story or information on all social media sites so you don’t give room for misinterpretation. Also, some people don’t care about keeping things private, so if you say something or do something, you never know, it might end up online one day.
If something is private, you should make sure that it remains private. It is important to realize that not everything needs to be posted online, because if you think someone won’t see it or find out, you are wrong.
Olson, Curtiss. (2011, August 4). Communication has changed - are you ready?. http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/9329/1034/Bonus_online_articl _Communication_has_changed_Are
Alyssa S.
The Digital Dilemma
“It seems that as soon as equipment for and books on cyberspace, digital culture, and technology are published, they are outdated.” (Heather L. Hundley, 2005)
How true this statement is; how many times have we seen this with new technology. Technology moves at such a fierce pace that publishers can’t keep up with the escalated change. Look at the facts about digital communication culture: Facebook comes 2004 followed by Twitter in 2006-7 and now Google+. Now let us move at a quicker pace if the earlier was not fast enough. I will look at computer culture with Intel Co. as an example. Intel releases there i3, i5, i7 chips for faster computer processing in 2009 and just a year later manufactures their second generation chips. I cannot see how educators can keep up with the ever changing speed at which today’s technology changes. I believe that is why books for technology classes can change so quickly from semester to semester.
I believe that technology has moved to a pace that cannot be captured in stander book form for publishers to produce. We need to find new ways capture new information and deliver it for consumption and education; maybe a new digital way to quickly gather information will be more productive. The new direction in cloud services could be the new way to access and teach students.
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media; Mar2005, Vol. 49 Issue 1, p147-152, 6p
http://web.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f732a1b7-7ba9-49c2-8660-0a495db87ada%40sessionmgr14&vid=9&hid=25
Jerry B
How true this statement is; how many times have we seen this with new technology. Technology moves at such a fierce pace that publishers can’t keep up with the escalated change. Look at the facts about digital communication culture: Facebook comes 2004 followed by Twitter in 2006-7 and now Google+. Now let us move at a quicker pace if the earlier was not fast enough. I will look at computer culture with Intel Co. as an example. Intel releases there i3, i5, i7 chips for faster computer processing in 2009 and just a year later manufactures their second generation chips. I cannot see how educators can keep up with the ever changing speed at which today’s technology changes. I believe that is why books for technology classes can change so quickly from semester to semester.
I believe that technology has moved to a pace that cannot be captured in stander book form for publishers to produce. We need to find new ways capture new information and deliver it for consumption and education; maybe a new digital way to quickly gather information will be more productive. The new direction in cloud services could be the new way to access and teach students.
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media; Mar2005, Vol. 49 Issue 1, p147-152, 6p
http://web.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f732a1b7-7ba9-49c2-8660-0a495db87ada%40sessionmgr14&vid=9&hid=25
Jerry B
Do Not Track
In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Sen. John Kerry told the Senate Commerce Committee,” Modern technology allows private entities to observe the activity of Americans on a scale that is unimaginable, and there is no general law governing the collection and use of that data”. (Privacy Measure Draws Support, Jennifer Valentino-Devries 2011). Anyone logging online and surfing the net should be aware of the data mining and tracking practices of businesses and corporations in cyberspace. In a bipartisan effort Senators McCain and Kerry are working on a privacy bill of rights, the bill labeled the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011, would impose new rules on companies that gather personal data. The US has laws to protect only certain types of data such as health care and personal finances unlike the European Union Directive on Data Protection which states that personal information cannot be collected without a consumer’s permission, and they have the right to review the data and correct inaccuracies. Drawing from the ideas in the European Union Directive Washington should compile legislation that will insure the same protection without overstepping the bounds of government intrusion as well as allowing free enterprise to work.
Every American should have the right to browse the internet without fear of having their every click being tracked, saved and sold to the highest bidder. This is why I would support The Do-Not- Track-Online Act of 2011 which could be an amendment to the Kerry –McCain bill consequently forcing companies to respect a consumer’s decision to opt out of data collection. With the Federal Trade Commission creating and implementing a Do Not Track mechanism, it will be similar to the Do Not Call list that prevents telemarketers from contacting consumers that have opted out of data collection with one request. Even though many popular web browser companies have now included Do Not Track features on their browsers these privacy laws are necessary to insure that companies online abide by a consumers request to not be tracked. I support any legislation that protects the privacy of consumers in cyberspace from the abuses of companies that collect and sell personal information for profit even though the advertising industry claims that this could cause major damage to their industry. A balanced approach with a law similar to the European Privacy Directive without impeding business would be the best policy for the protection of all American consumers.
References
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703899704576204932250006752.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/160035-rockefeller-unveils-do-not-track-bill
Matt B.
Every American should have the right to browse the internet without fear of having their every click being tracked, saved and sold to the highest bidder. This is why I would support The Do-Not- Track-Online Act of 2011 which could be an amendment to the Kerry –McCain bill consequently forcing companies to respect a consumer’s decision to opt out of data collection. With the Federal Trade Commission creating and implementing a Do Not Track mechanism, it will be similar to the Do Not Call list that prevents telemarketers from contacting consumers that have opted out of data collection with one request. Even though many popular web browser companies have now included Do Not Track features on their browsers these privacy laws are necessary to insure that companies online abide by a consumers request to not be tracked. I support any legislation that protects the privacy of consumers in cyberspace from the abuses of companies that collect and sell personal information for profit even though the advertising industry claims that this could cause major damage to their industry. A balanced approach with a law similar to the European Privacy Directive without impeding business would be the best policy for the protection of all American consumers.
References
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703899704576204932250006752.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/160035-rockefeller-unveils-do-not-track-bill
Matt B.
Social Media Relationships
“As communication technologies become an integral part of our everyday interper¬sonal communication landscape, the borders between them gradually fade, both with respect to the functions they are supposed to accomplish and to the uses people make of them” (Petrovčič, 2011).
I believe the above quote by Petrovčič explains a lot about what is going on between relationships and technology these days. It has been stated many times that having relationships is a vital part keeping a person healthy and happy. Many times once we leave school, a job or even move to a different area, and it becomes more and more difficult and time consuming to keep up relationships with those in our past. Many people these days have turned to social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, email and other mobile sources of communication to stay in touch with those they love. However, the faster and easier that the communication method is, some people believe the less meaning the message may have to the person that is receiving it. These status updates, posts and emails are ok for updating what is going on in your life, but should not replace one-on-one time that you have with people that you want to continue to have relationships with in your life.
With all the convenient methods we have of communicating these days, people should not forget to replace these conveniences with face to face connections. One way that I have found to keep in touch with loved ones while I am traveling or cannot meet in person is Face Timing or Skype. This form of social media communication still has all the conveniences that are appealing for people on the go, but being able to see someone’s face while communicating gets your personal message across a lot better that a few letter text messages. Being able to see a loved one’s face, even over an iPad or computer does not replace an “in person” conversation, but it does help to improve your mood while having to travel and be away from home for extended periods of time.
As the quote stated, technology is an integral part of our everyday communication, but we shouldn’t lower the value of our relationships because of it. I believe that it is still vital to use “old school” communication like the phone to chat with friends and try to meet with your best friends and family members on a regular basis in person to continue valuable relationships.
By: Samantha Fowler
Reference
Petrovčič, A. (2011). Social uses of interpersonal communication technologies in a
complex media environment. European Journal of Communication, 26(2),
Retrieved from http://ejc.sagepub.com/content/26/2/116
doi: 0.1177/0267323111402654
I believe the above quote by Petrovčič explains a lot about what is going on between relationships and technology these days. It has been stated many times that having relationships is a vital part keeping a person healthy and happy. Many times once we leave school, a job or even move to a different area, and it becomes more and more difficult and time consuming to keep up relationships with those in our past. Many people these days have turned to social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, email and other mobile sources of communication to stay in touch with those they love. However, the faster and easier that the communication method is, some people believe the less meaning the message may have to the person that is receiving it. These status updates, posts and emails are ok for updating what is going on in your life, but should not replace one-on-one time that you have with people that you want to continue to have relationships with in your life.
With all the convenient methods we have of communicating these days, people should not forget to replace these conveniences with face to face connections. One way that I have found to keep in touch with loved ones while I am traveling or cannot meet in person is Face Timing or Skype. This form of social media communication still has all the conveniences that are appealing for people on the go, but being able to see someone’s face while communicating gets your personal message across a lot better that a few letter text messages. Being able to see a loved one’s face, even over an iPad or computer does not replace an “in person” conversation, but it does help to improve your mood while having to travel and be away from home for extended periods of time.
As the quote stated, technology is an integral part of our everyday communication, but we shouldn’t lower the value of our relationships because of it. I believe that it is still vital to use “old school” communication like the phone to chat with friends and try to meet with your best friends and family members on a regular basis in person to continue valuable relationships.
By: Samantha Fowler
Reference
Petrovčič, A. (2011). Social uses of interpersonal communication technologies in a
complex media environment. European Journal of Communication, 26(2),
Retrieved from http://ejc.sagepub.com/content/26/2/116
doi: 0.1177/0267323111402654
Communicating in Cyberspace
Blog Entry
Communicating in Cyberspace
"It is clear that the Internet serves different needs for different people” (Rodgers and Sheldon, 2002, p.91)
Millions of people use the Internet daily and among those users can be categorized into four groups: researching, communicating, surfing and, shopping. These groups show the Internet user intentions and were identified with the testing of a Web motivations inventory. This program was conducted on both students and nonstudents and allows researchers to develop strategies to capture and maintain the user’s attention. Companies can customize their web sites to direct customers to popular products and sites. By creating visual and audio cues with colorful eye catching phrases the user is drawn to these sites. This allows online advertisements to direct the four groups to frequently used sites effectively reaching the target market groups.
As we have seen by current research and technology our interest can be identified through our Internet usage. This can have both positive and negative effects. Having websites tailored to meet the users need is a positive aspect of the research we may not think about. Providing links and prompts to popular sites can minimize our search, creating better utilization of our time. It is nice to easily navigate the Internet when sites have been tailored to meet our needs, but it is a little unsettling to know this type of information can be obtained from just the click of a mouse. This increases my concern for Internet privacy and the safety of information we enter when using the computer such as: ID numbers, passwords, account numbers and logins. Will the advance in technology lead to breach of privacy and personal security?
Campbell, C., Parent, M., Plangger, K., Fulgoni, G. (2011). Instant Innovation: From Zero to
Full Speed in Fifteen Years, Journal of Advertising Research, 8, 79. Retrieved from
URL: http://web.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu
Peggy B.
Communicating in Cyberspace
"It is clear that the Internet serves different needs for different people” (Rodgers and Sheldon, 2002, p.91)
Millions of people use the Internet daily and among those users can be categorized into four groups: researching, communicating, surfing and, shopping. These groups show the Internet user intentions and were identified with the testing of a Web motivations inventory. This program was conducted on both students and nonstudents and allows researchers to develop strategies to capture and maintain the user’s attention. Companies can customize their web sites to direct customers to popular products and sites. By creating visual and audio cues with colorful eye catching phrases the user is drawn to these sites. This allows online advertisements to direct the four groups to frequently used sites effectively reaching the target market groups.
As we have seen by current research and technology our interest can be identified through our Internet usage. This can have both positive and negative effects. Having websites tailored to meet the users need is a positive aspect of the research we may not think about. Providing links and prompts to popular sites can minimize our search, creating better utilization of our time. It is nice to easily navigate the Internet when sites have been tailored to meet our needs, but it is a little unsettling to know this type of information can be obtained from just the click of a mouse. This increases my concern for Internet privacy and the safety of information we enter when using the computer such as: ID numbers, passwords, account numbers and logins. Will the advance in technology lead to breach of privacy and personal security?
Campbell, C., Parent, M., Plangger, K., Fulgoni, G. (2011). Instant Innovation: From Zero to
Full Speed in Fifteen Years, Journal of Advertising Research, 8, 79. Retrieved from
URL: http://web.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu
Peggy B.
Ethics In Cyberspace
Ethics in Cyberspace
In an article by Robert Hauptman and Susan Motin they stated: “Computers have changed the way we create. The internet is changing the way we communicate. We should make certain that these innovations do not change the way we act.”(Hauptman & Motin, 1994)
The dawn of the computer age set in motion a new method of communication. This format requires the user to be responsible for what they post on-line when it comes to ethical behavior. This has led to a crisis of sorts many never envisioned we would face. For many readers if it is posted on the internet then it must be true, however according to the standards we have today nothing could be farther from the truth. Any and everyone one who has access to a computer can pretty much post what they think. This allows people who seek to incite others to their way of thinking to post their beliefs. In computer lingo these people troll for victims even if just one person falls prey to their vile remarks or untruths we are all victims.
In the beginning computers ethics held on to the belief that, as according to Arlene H. Rinaldi “manners, courteous behavior, decorum, common consideration and decency” was what one should expect to receive on-line. (Rinaldi, 1996). This viewpoint has more to do with manners than ethics and while it is a base line for internet behavior it does not offer any moral compass on how we behave on line except to be nice to each other. This leaves the door wide open for contamination of the internet with inadvertent errors and falsifications. This ability to post with a spontaneous reply leaves us little room for editing our posts and errors happen. Areas which seem most likely to be in the line of fire for ethical breeches are: professional conduct, scholarly research, peer review, publication, computer usage and data base searching. (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
The main concerns in seeking a better foundation for ethical behavior on-line are: avoid censorship; the internet with its wide range of diverse users must make a conscious effort to allow the internet to remain free of constraints on content. Even a small attempt to control content could set off a fire storm of debate as in the case that authors are concerning blog postings unless the post is a threat to physically harm someone in any way we must allow for the free speech. As stated by the chairman of the SPJ(Society of Professional Journalists) Ethics Committee and I quote “The biggest ethical challenges facing our profession come from cyberspace” during a BlogWorld and New Media Expo in 2010 out of 140 workshops only one addressed ethics in journalism(Smith, 2010).
Value confidentiality this is the trademark of a true professional we must make every effort to protect each individual from communicating this type of information. The failure to shield a person or company from this release of information could lead to potential liability or even malpractice suits. We need to guard against an attack on a person’s privacy as this could lead to even bigger breeches in ethical behavior. This includes the undertaking of any form of hacking into another person’s computer. We see the harm this does to the daily user in the form of virus or spyware attacks (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
Respect copyright information. We need not offer or accept unauthorized software or printed documents. This includes using someone else’s ideas or taking credit for something not your own (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
We all need to avoid ideology as it is misleading especially in the form of propaganda. We need to understand how this type of information should be viewed in a format other than the internet. We still have access to phone service, books journals and magazines.
We all need to be held accountable for what we post and treat the internet as a privilege that comes with responsibility.
References
Hauptman, R., & Motin, S. (94, March). The internet, cyber ethics, and virtual morality. Online, 18(2), 8-10.
Rinaldi, A. H. (1996, May 1). The net: user guidelines and netiquette. Retrieved from http://courses.cs.vt.edu
Smith, K. Z. (2010). Avoid journalistic pigpens. Quill, 98(6), 36-39.
Cindi
In an article by Robert Hauptman and Susan Motin they stated: “Computers have changed the way we create. The internet is changing the way we communicate. We should make certain that these innovations do not change the way we act.”(Hauptman & Motin, 1994)
The dawn of the computer age set in motion a new method of communication. This format requires the user to be responsible for what they post on-line when it comes to ethical behavior. This has led to a crisis of sorts many never envisioned we would face. For many readers if it is posted on the internet then it must be true, however according to the standards we have today nothing could be farther from the truth. Any and everyone one who has access to a computer can pretty much post what they think. This allows people who seek to incite others to their way of thinking to post their beliefs. In computer lingo these people troll for victims even if just one person falls prey to their vile remarks or untruths we are all victims.
In the beginning computers ethics held on to the belief that, as according to Arlene H. Rinaldi “manners, courteous behavior, decorum, common consideration and decency” was what one should expect to receive on-line. (Rinaldi, 1996). This viewpoint has more to do with manners than ethics and while it is a base line for internet behavior it does not offer any moral compass on how we behave on line except to be nice to each other. This leaves the door wide open for contamination of the internet with inadvertent errors and falsifications. This ability to post with a spontaneous reply leaves us little room for editing our posts and errors happen. Areas which seem most likely to be in the line of fire for ethical breeches are: professional conduct, scholarly research, peer review, publication, computer usage and data base searching. (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
The main concerns in seeking a better foundation for ethical behavior on-line are: avoid censorship; the internet with its wide range of diverse users must make a conscious effort to allow the internet to remain free of constraints on content. Even a small attempt to control content could set off a fire storm of debate as in the case that authors are concerning blog postings unless the post is a threat to physically harm someone in any way we must allow for the free speech. As stated by the chairman of the SPJ(Society of Professional Journalists) Ethics Committee and I quote “The biggest ethical challenges facing our profession come from cyberspace” during a BlogWorld and New Media Expo in 2010 out of 140 workshops only one addressed ethics in journalism(Smith, 2010).
Value confidentiality this is the trademark of a true professional we must make every effort to protect each individual from communicating this type of information. The failure to shield a person or company from this release of information could lead to potential liability or even malpractice suits. We need to guard against an attack on a person’s privacy as this could lead to even bigger breeches in ethical behavior. This includes the undertaking of any form of hacking into another person’s computer. We see the harm this does to the daily user in the form of virus or spyware attacks (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
Respect copyright information. We need not offer or accept unauthorized software or printed documents. This includes using someone else’s ideas or taking credit for something not your own (Hauptman & Motin, 1994).
We all need to avoid ideology as it is misleading especially in the form of propaganda. We need to understand how this type of information should be viewed in a format other than the internet. We still have access to phone service, books journals and magazines.
We all need to be held accountable for what we post and treat the internet as a privilege that comes with responsibility.
References
Hauptman, R., & Motin, S. (94, March). The internet, cyber ethics, and virtual morality. Online, 18(2), 8-10.
Rinaldi, A. H. (1996, May 1). The net: user guidelines and netiquette. Retrieved from http://courses.cs.vt.edu
Smith, K. Z. (2010). Avoid journalistic pigpens. Quill, 98(6), 36-39.
Cindi
Promoting Teenager Online Safety
Today the internet plays a huge role in our teen’s daily lives, providing a platform for knowledge and entertainment. It can also be dangerous and they can encounter safety hazards. Our teen’s today use the internet at school and at home. It is used anywhere from doing homework to socializing with their friends. Frequent Internet use makes teens susceptible to online frauds and covert threats such as phish, spyware, and viruses, threatening the integrity of their computers and personal information and we need to explore ways to keep them safe.
“Teenagers are particularly susceptible due to their regular Internet use (Liau, Khoo, and Hwaang 2005) and their still developing social, interpersonal, and computer skills.” The internet and mobile phones play an important role in the life of our teenagers. These items offer them numerous possibilities for information, entertainment and social contacts with peers. There are, however, also some negative aspects related to ICT. Internet is used for common purposes such as studying, homework, emailing, playing games, chat sites and hobbies. Teens constantly are surfing the internet for school related projects, social and to download games and music. It is important they learn safety with the internet. ” One-fourth of adolescents who participated in Stahl and Fritz’s (2002) Internet safety survey admitted to practicing unsafe behaviors online. Over seventy percent (74%) of these respondents had contact with a stranger via e-mail or chat rooms and 25% had shared identifying information about themselves.” Teen participation in online social networks such as MySpace and Facebook has become increasingly popular. Over half of teens have MySpace profiles and a third of those are unrestricted. Nearly a third post personally identifiable information that makes them vulnerable to identity theft including their last name or email address, and 79% post pictures of themselves. Children and teenagers appear to be an extremely vulnerable group. Studies about cyber bullying are scarce. It is a problem and we need to know the impact on our children with the regard of the profile of the victim and the bully. Cyberbullying is harassment on the internet, online aggression, internet stalking. There is a strong link between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The problem is now that kids cannot get away. Used to you could go home and not be affected but now you are connected by phone and internet. Pupils who send threatening e-mails or text messaging to their class mates, or create websites with denigrating pictures of these persons. In the study of Ybarra & Mitchel (2004) among 1489 9 to 17 year olds, for instance, 19% of the young regular internet users in the sample were involved in online harassment in some capacity within the previous year: 11.7% could be classified as “aggressor-only”, 3.7% as “victim-only”, and 2.9 % as aggressor/victim. We as parents and school officers need to use safety techniques to protect our teens from internet dangers. One way is with technical implications such as updating operating systems and browser patches, updating virus protections, deleting cookies and changing passwords. We need to make sure online agreements and privacy statements are read before downloading software and removing email addresses from list of domains. Parent involvement helps to stop unsafe behavior such as meeting strangers online and accessing unwanted internet content. Parents need to monitor their teen’s online activities, make sure they do not give out their name, or any other personal information on the internet. It is as important not to talk to strangers on the internet as it is in person. Some schools also provide special software to help monitor unauthorized use on their computers. They have certain sites blocked as well.
Cyber communication these days are a very important part of our teen’s lives. It is their social connection with their friends and it is their way to research assignments for school. Today with the amount of time spent on their cell phones and computers we need to be aware of the dangers that are present and find ways to protect our teens.
East Lansing, Michigan USA. Web. 05 Aug. 2011..
Remote Database Access. Web. 05 Aug. 2011..
RACHEL O.
“Teenagers are particularly susceptible due to their regular Internet use (Liau, Khoo, and Hwaang 2005) and their still developing social, interpersonal, and computer skills.” The internet and mobile phones play an important role in the life of our teenagers. These items offer them numerous possibilities for information, entertainment and social contacts with peers. There are, however, also some negative aspects related to ICT. Internet is used for common purposes such as studying, homework, emailing, playing games, chat sites and hobbies. Teens constantly are surfing the internet for school related projects, social and to download games and music. It is important they learn safety with the internet. ” One-fourth of adolescents who participated in Stahl and Fritz’s (2002) Internet safety survey admitted to practicing unsafe behaviors online. Over seventy percent (74%) of these respondents had contact with a stranger via e-mail or chat rooms and 25% had shared identifying information about themselves.” Teen participation in online social networks such as MySpace and Facebook has become increasingly popular. Over half of teens have MySpace profiles and a third of those are unrestricted. Nearly a third post personally identifiable information that makes them vulnerable to identity theft including their last name or email address, and 79% post pictures of themselves. Children and teenagers appear to be an extremely vulnerable group. Studies about cyber bullying are scarce. It is a problem and we need to know the impact on our children with the regard of the profile of the victim and the bully. Cyberbullying is harassment on the internet, online aggression, internet stalking. There is a strong link between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The problem is now that kids cannot get away. Used to you could go home and not be affected but now you are connected by phone and internet. Pupils who send threatening e-mails or text messaging to their class mates, or create websites with denigrating pictures of these persons. In the study of Ybarra & Mitchel (2004) among 1489 9 to 17 year olds, for instance, 19% of the young regular internet users in the sample were involved in online harassment in some capacity within the previous year: 11.7% could be classified as “aggressor-only”, 3.7% as “victim-only”, and 2.9 % as aggressor/victim. We as parents and school officers need to use safety techniques to protect our teens from internet dangers. One way is with technical implications such as updating operating systems and browser patches, updating virus protections, deleting cookies and changing passwords. We need to make sure online agreements and privacy statements are read before downloading software and removing email addresses from list of domains. Parent involvement helps to stop unsafe behavior such as meeting strangers online and accessing unwanted internet content. Parents need to monitor their teen’s online activities, make sure they do not give out their name, or any other personal information on the internet. It is as important not to talk to strangers on the internet as it is in person. Some schools also provide special software to help monitor unauthorized use on their computers. They have certain sites blocked as well.
Cyber communication these days are a very important part of our teen’s lives. It is their social connection with their friends and it is their way to research assignments for school. Today with the amount of time spent on their cell phones and computers we need to be aware of the dangers that are present and find ways to protect our teens.
East Lansing, Michigan USA. Web. 05 Aug. 2011.
Remote Database Access. Web. 05 Aug. 2011.
RACHEL O.
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