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Technology is what we have; civilization is what we do with it.
The purpose of this article is to inform you about Internet safety and how to communicate safely.
It is not exhaustive and any additional measures you may deem necessary are encouraged.
Many of the experiences that make the Internet so valuable and enjoyable also require us to share information about ourselves.
The Internet makes it easy to shop, bank and communicate online, but it also puts people at risk of threats from spam, phishing, identity theft and cyber-bullying.
Advice for young people
• Do not post anything that is very private.
If you have something really private to share, it is best to talk to the person face-to-face or on the phone.
Messages can be misled or sent to the wrong person unintentionally and then be used by cyber-bullies to harass you.
If you are not willing for others to see it or read it, then don’t post it.
Courts allow others to read your e-mails under special circumstances and recruiters often Google their applicants to see what kind of a person they may hire.
What goes online usually stays online, so it is best to Google yourself from time to time to see what pops up.
If there is anything that could damage your reputation or lure a cyber-bully, then start taking action to remove it.
• Always check the TO: field. Make sure that you are sending the message you want to send to the right person.
• Do not be gullible. Just because someone posts online that they are 13 years old, it doesn’t mean that they actually are. Or that a girl is really a girl, or a child is really a child.
The problem with the Internet is that anyone can hide behind a computer, so you can never be sure who you are communicating with.
• Do not respond to an angry message with anger.
It is best to step away from the computer and cool down. Think before you send a message.
Spontaneous and emotional messages can turn out to be offensive and hurtful.
More times than not, you will regret an angry message you may have sent. Sending angry messages, which threaten or harass another makes you a cyber-bully.
If you are sent a hateful message from a cyber-bully resist the urge to respond. A reaction is exactly what a cyber-bully is looking for.
He or she relishes in the feeling of power and control through fear and anxiety placed on their victim. You will show more power by ignoring them rather than in reacting.
• Never open messages from strangers. Your mother always told you to not talk to strangers on the street. Well, the same applies to online communication.
If you don’t know who the sender is, delete the message immediately, no matter how curious you are.
Not only can it be hate mail, but usually viruses are sent this way.
Keep your computer safe, and ignore strangers.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your parents or an adult.
• Proofread your messages. As there is no tone of voice in text messages, people may interpret things differently from what you intended.
Read your message again, and if there needs to be some explanation then add an emoticon, or word it differently so that your message comes across as you want it to.
Hurt feelings
Feelings may be hurt and backlashes taken if you are misinterpreted.
If you accidently hurt someone’s feelings, immediately apologize and explain.
It will save someone from turning into a cyber-bully.
In conclusion, whether it is Facebook, MSN Messenger, Skype or any other form of social networking, we know our young people are, and will be, using it.
We need to teach young people the way to use technology appropriately.
Hopefully these techniques will help.
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