Internet safety
internet; safety; chat; online; on-line; computers; shopping; banking; identity; harassment; stalking; bullying; cyber-bullying; passwords; fraud; grooming; paedophile; paedophilia; pedophile; pedophilia; blogs; ISP; security; newsgroups;
Contents
The internet has become a vast global network connecting millions of people. Via the internet, you can find information about almost anything, and do things like shopping, banking, playing games, sharing photos, watching movies, and listening to music.
The net can be a lot a lot of fun, and it's no surprise that young people are attracted to it as a way of keeping in touch. But the internet is also attractive to unsavoury people, as it allows them to easily publish offensive or extreme material, or to link up with unsuspecting people that they can prey upon or rip off.
All young people using the internet need to be aware of the dangers, scams and rip-offs that are out there, and how to avoid them.
Communicating online
The internet is all about communication. People can communicate or get information via the net in many ways.
- Web sites – Web sites take many forms, and can include pages with graphics, sound, video clips, Flash animations, etc.
- Social networking web sites, such as Myspace - Sites where you build a user profile and then connect with other users. (Have a look at the topic 'Social networking online'.
- Blogs (or weblogs) – These are web sites that function as online diaries.
- Email – Messages can be sent with pictures or just about any other type of attachment.
- Bulletin boards – These are sometimes called forums, and are sites where people can log in and post messages at any time on particular topics for others to read and respond to. They are like discussions which gradually expand, but they are usually 'moderated' by someone to keep them on track.
- Newsgroups – Newsgroups are discussion groups which have been around since the early days of the internet - there are thousands of newsgroups out there. You use special newsreader software to read and submit messages to newsgroups – or you can search for information in newsgroups using 'Google Groups'.
- Chat rooms – In chat rooms, people communicate in 'real time' using text. More than two people can chat at once, although this can get very confusing if people don't behave in them and follow some basic etiquette. They are usually set for a particular time, and have a moderator.
- Chat rooms are sometimes used for 'cyber sex', as a paid-for service.
- Instant messaging – This is a form of person-to-person online communication, using text messaging software (eg. Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, ICQ).
- Peer-to-peer (file-sharing) networks – A more recent trend on the net is for people to share information across the net via programs such as Napster, Kazaa or Limewire. People share music, video and all sorts of other files. These have become controversial because many people illegally share music files, and some software makers have had to change the way they work to help prevent illegal sharing.
- RSS feeds – Another recent development is the use of RSS feeds. "RSS" stands for "Really Simple Syndication", and is just a way for people to be notified of news, updates, links and other little items of information from across the web. Many web browsers now have RSS capabilities, or there are dedicated RSS reader software programs.
- Mobile internet-enable devices – This refers to things like mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and even 'walkmans' which can connect wirelessly to the internet, for things like accessing emails or sending photos.
Online dangers
With all this access to information and new ways of communicating, there are some risks.
Stealing and fraud
Some people use the internet to steal from vulnerable people. This includes stealing personal information in order to use someone's identity to commit other online crimes.
- This can occur through bogus emails or web sites where people are encouraged to give personal information, including credit card details.
- Online advertising is rampant, and sometimes it's hard to tell the legitimate ads from the scams.
Harassment
Harassment is when a person is bothered by or receives unwanted attention from another person. Being harassed at any time is a very stressful and scary experience – and this includes harassment via the internet (often called 'cyber-stalking', 'cyber-bullying' or 'digital harassment').
It can take the form of abusive or offensive messages sent via email or SMS, or on a phone answering machine. Or it can occur as spreading rumours about a person via email or on a web site. All of these forms of harassment represent unwanted contact for the person being harassed.
Have a look at the topic 'Cyber bullying'.
Grooming
'Grooming' is when someone undertakes online contact with a young person in order to take advantage of them for sexual purposes – either for 'cyber-sex' or physical sex.
Inappropriate content
With all the different ways of connecting to the internet, and the difficulty of controlling what is accessed, there is a risk that young people will come across material that is offensive or pornographic in nature.
Security threats
The internet is rife with security risks – viruses, spyware, Trojans, and all sorts of others. These can cause major headaches if they infiltrate your computer. See our topic Computer security to learn more about these risks and how you can protect your computer from them.
Keeping safe
Here are some tips for keeping safe online:
- Don't give your personal information unless you are absolutely sure that it is safe.
- This means where possible, not giving out your full name, your address, your phone number, your credit card number, your tax file number, or information on your family and friends.
- If you have to give a name to register or login to a forum or for some other online purpose, use a nickname or alias where possible.
- Sometimes you'll want to give personal details, including your credit card number, for shopping on the net.
- This is OK, as long as the online seller is reputable and has secure shopping facilities.
- Secure shopping means that they use secure servers which receive and store your personal information in encrypted form, so that if anyone intercepts your transaction, they won't be able to decode the data and get your details.
- Secure site pages will have addresses starting with 'https' rather than 'http' (eg. you might browse around their site on unsecured pages, and then when you are ready to make a purchase, you'll be switched to secured pages).
- Be careful using the internet for private communication (including shopping) on computers that are in public locations or used by other people.
- On a public computer, other people might be able to view what you've been browsing or even retrieve your personal details after you have finished.
- People you don't know could simply be watching over your shoulder (very dangerous if you are shopping online).
- The computer could have a keystroke logger, which is a program that records what you type.
- When you need to use login names and passwords to access sites or open programs:
- don't use anything obvious like your name or the names of your family members
- don't write the login details down - try to remember them
- use a combination of words, letters and symbols in your passwords - try to use at least 16 characters in a 'pass phrase', i.e. a sentence rather than a word, to make it hard for someone to 'crack' your password with the help of a computer program. Come up with a password and then test it on Microsoft's password checker:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/...
- Chat sites or forums are OK if they are about sharing information about an everyday hobby or interest, eg. sailboarding, techno music…
- It's best to avoid chats or forums which deal with people's personal issues or problems.
- Always remember that you do not know most of the people, and they may not be quite as they seem.
- Never get into 'flaming' someone else on an online forum (ie. insulting them or getting into heated arguments) – you might find that it escalates into more serious harassment.
- Be very careful if you want to meet someone you have met online. The person might not be who they say they are. Don't give your full name or address - and meet in a public place such as a cafe.
Safe information
Not everything you read on the internet is good information. You might get a bad grade on an assignment if you get the wrong information online, but when it comes to health information it can be dangerous if you get advice from dodgy sites.
- The media is a tricky source of information. Newspaper, TV, websites and other media all compete to get your attention. This often means the stories that make it are the exciting ones or the 'sensational' ones. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes the stories are not the most reliable.
- If a study comes out that makes a claim that is new and exciting, it may get lots of attention even if it goes against all the other research in that area. So the first site, or even the first whole page of sites, that comes up in a search might not be the best source.
- Scientific reports are often hard to understand and can be very long. Reporters often have to change the language and make it shorter. This makes it easier to read, but important parts of the original report might be missing. Scientific studies vary in their quality, usually due to the type of study. Media reports don't often give the details of the study – you have to find it yourself, and this can be difficult. Get some help from a teacher or lecturer to find the original source and understand what it all means.
- Some commercial websites might get money from advertisers. These advertisers might also be the people that benefit from positive reports about products. So the site might make money by showing certain reports. It's not always the case, but you should keep it in mind.
Tips for working it all out
- If you are writing a report, make sure you get help from your teacher or librarian to get information from reliable sources.
- Government websites or well known medical sites are a good place to start.
- Learn about different ways to search for information, this might mean doing some study about research, ask your librarian.
- Don't try to diagnose your own health problems. If you are worried about something, visit your doctor.
- Check out topics on this site. Simply use the search function and see if you can find what you are looking for.
Getting help
If you are experiencing any sort of online harassment, it's a good idea to talk it out with someone, like a friend or family member. A counsellor can also support you to talk about how you are feeling.
You could notify your ISP (internet service provider) to see if they can help.
You can call the NetAlert Helpline in Australia, on 1800 880 176.
If things are really getting you worried, then you should contact the police. For example, if physical contact occurs or is attempted, call the police.
For future prevention, you could also try the following:
- Change your email address, and be careful who you give the new address to.
- Only send email, SMS or instant messages to trusted friends.
- Don't use chat rooms or forums.
Resources
References
Izenburg N. 'Safe surfing tips for teens'. Kidshealth.org – TeensHealth. http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html
McFarlan L. and Bocij P. 'An Exploration of Predatory Behaviour in Cyberspace: Towards a Typology of Cyberstalkers'. First Monday, Vol. 8 No. 9, Sept. 2003:
http://firstmonday.org/
Mitchell K, Finkelhor D and Wolak J. 'Risk factors for and impact of online sexual solicitation of youth'. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, Jun 2001; 285(23).
Ybarra, L. et al. Internet Prevention Messages: Targeting the Right Online Behaviors. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 2007; 161: 138-145.
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/2/138
Boyd, D. Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace. American Association for the Advancement of Science, St. Louis, MO. February 19 2006.
http://www.danah.org/papers/AAAS2006.html
Lenhart, A., Madden, M. Social Networking Websites and Teens: An Overview. PEW Internet and American Life Project, 2007.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_SNS_Data_Memo_Jan_2007.pdf
Ybarra, M. and Mitchell, K. How Risky Are Social Networking Sites? A Comparison of Places Online Where Youth Sexual Solicitation and Harassment Occurs. Pediatrics, 2008; 121: 350-357.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/2/e350 (2nd February 2008).
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).