When i used computer for the first time i was six years old and many things were different. At that time people could use computer creating documents, playing or just sending e-mails. In few years web 2.0 and social networks were born and people had known new way of communications that have changed and maybe improved a lot humans’ life.
That’s great and useful, but what is the social “cost”?
Microsoft’s researchers state that 79% of european teenagers has got a personal page on social networks, and 43% consider fully secure post and share personal information (such as home address, school,etc) and media content through the network. That’s why nearly two-thirds of European teenagers (63%) were contacted online by strangers. That’s not all, there are other risks.
First, most part of teenagers don’t care to share personal information. Social media seem to be very little communities in which everyone share content thinking that’s not different from his own real life. But this is not true. When you share something (photos, video, information, …) on the network you lose the control of the content, because data could be used, processed, disseminated even after years. For this reason, even if you delete your copy of the file, it is possible that there are other copies around the world. It’s impossible delete something forever. So, when you are sharing anything, let’s think: “would i do it in a public square?”
Second, sometimes young people use social networks too many hours. That’s could be great but it’s not so when someone confuses his virtual life with his own real life, spending hours and hours in front of their monitor. Infact they need to connect every day, every hours, making virtual friends and leaving gradually their real world.Unfortunately,in recent years, are very numerous cases of this new form of addiction, and treatment for their care are very long, so it shouldn’t be underestimated, given their consequences.
Third, some people use to sign up on social networks with a fake profile, i.e. people who pretend to be others. Why does people do this? Because they want to bother kids, or just to organize “fraud” against users by sending viruses on their computer trying to find out their password or personal details.
Increasingly are cyber bullies who shoot and upload to network embarrassing photographs, or target a user away from discussions with offensive words.
I think that social media are useful resources and powerful, but not without problems.
What do you think about these problems? How can we improve the use of the network?
Claudio
I think that Joyce Ji has a very good solution for this problem, the one she stated in her comment on Jon van der Arvoid: children in primary and secondary school shoold be told about the dangers of social media so they will act more responsibly.