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Inside My Head - Teens on display a growing concern in the digital world

Back in October, I attended a digital citizenship seminar at the YRHS. While it may sound boring, the topic is highly relevant in our society today.
Inside My Head

Back in October, I attended a digital citizenship seminar at the YRHS. While it may sound boring, the topic is highly relevant in our society today. From the digital working market to recreational applications, proper conduct and mindful behaviour are just as important online as offline.

I’m going to start off by defining the topic at hand. Digital citizenship is often referred to as the appropriate and responsible behaviour conducted in a digital community. A better definition would be the self-monitored habits that sustain and improve the digital communities one enjoys or depends upon.  

Think of the internet as a city. Let’s become familiar with certain parts.

Not all highways to this city are created equal. Some have direct access with no interruptions; others have to take multiple turnoffs that slow their arrival. Some have to take old roads; others have no road at all. This is known as digital access. Users need to understand that not everyone has the same opportunities when dealing with technology. Providing equal opportunity can help expand productivity online.

The shopping district. A huge share of the market is being carried out electronically. Most transactions are handled legally, but there are some markets on the web illegally selling goods (music, gambling, and pornography). In addition, there are false markets which seem to offer legal products, but scam your money instead. Consumers need to be wary and analytical in this district.

The school district. Schools teach proper communication, etiquette and literacy. Just as in real life, users online need to address others with respect and appropriate language. With social media this tends to go right out the window, but since you need a place in real life to relax, social media is the online equivalent.

Finally, we arrive at city hall. This is where you will find digital law, security, rights and responsibilities. Just as law exists in our cities, so too does it need to exist in our online city. Online laws regulate ethical practices in all districts. Similarly, rights and responsibilities work the same way. Even though we have laws, we will have lawbreakers. Apply this thinking to computers. When we access the internet, the internet accesses us. This is why we purchase anti-virus software, external hard-drives for backup, etc.

What about the kids? They tend to get into mischief normally. Is a digital world any different?

Simply put, no. Social media is the easiest way to share information, connect with friends and have fun with technology. If it’s easy to access, it’s easily accessing you. Facebook for example, likely has the most information on you, and all publicly available to boot: Your birthday, your face, your relationship status, your likes, etc. The info can be sold to third party advertisers wanting to target their audience online. This can be beneficial to you, but only if you’re not over-sharing. Most teens share their experiences over social media; therefore their life is broadcasted for the world. In this way, social media makes you the product. You leave a large digital footprint for strangers to track you and get to know you. Since most parents aren’t on the same sites as their kids, they aren’t aware. Kids aren’t aware either most times; they’re just using the site for fun. Educating both generations on how these sites operate is half of the battle. The other half is getting them to actually listen.

Snapchat is another great example. Snapchat is a free app that lets you communicate with your friends through the use of photos. Take a selfie, send it to a friend. Your friend can only see the photo for a few seconds, and it’s gone. Most photos are goofy faces and nice spaces, but because photos “disappear”, some people, including teens, send risqué photos to one another.

Do these photos really disappear? Read the agreement! Any photo you take is saved to their server, and all rights are reserved for them. That nice scenic photo you took? It belongs to Snapchat, not you. That nude selfie you thought would go away forever? Snapchat has the right to that too.

Problems have already risen from teens and this risky business. Photos can be shared instantly and secretively. This is a new form of cyber-bullying that ostracizes the teen in question. In extreme cases, they have taken their own lives. It’s easy to blame these kids for their stupid actions, but were you not a kid once? I know my parents did some silly things, but the internet was never around to haunt them later.

Be aware. Be smart. Be safe. Educate yourself, educate your kids. It’s really as simple as that.