Cyberbullying is an upcoming and prevailing issue made only possible by technological advancements and the cyberworld. As many of you discussed in your comments, cyberbullying is a serious issue existing among youth where the act of bullying is transferred to the Internet, where bullies can remain anonymous to their victims and hide behind their computer screens. Cyberbullying has been associated with many suicides among youth as through cases such as Amanda Todd and James Hubley, two teens who committed suicide on separate occassions due to bullying through the Internet and cyberworld. The Internet makes it a lot easier for bullies to hide and even say things they might not if they were to actually interact with the victim in real life. The Internet also makes it easier for others to see what kind of bullying issues are occurring where others can join in, making the victim feel even worse. I feel at times, there are youth who use the Internet and the cyberworld and do not realize the harsh consequences that these actions may have since there this interaction occurs electronically.
Other comments regarding my privacy and surveillance blog post surrounded the lack of personal communication between youth and adolescents today since they have the ability to be alone, yet still be together at the same time. It is quite sad to me that some youth feel they cannot have a proper conversation with another human being in person as they cannot change or edit what they say. This is a serious upcoming issue for society, should it prevail, as we will have a generation of people who simply do not know how to properly interact with each other in a real life setting. Tasks will be very difficult to complete and society will have a hard time functioning if people cannot properly interact with one another. Furthermore, the diagnoses of ADHD among youth and adolescents has sky-rocketed over the last few years, which leaves past generations questioning whether there is actually a rise, or if technology is intervening on youth`s ability to focus and concentrate as it serves to be a serious distraction. This issue may also lead to the phenomenon that many youth and adolescents feel awkward and unable to have a full and proper conversation in real life with another human being.
Overall, I believe implementing knowledge and education for adults regarding the technology that youth and adolescents are using could have several benefits to maintaing privacy when interacting in the cyberworld. If adults, parents and other stakeholders understand the consequences the Internet may have for youth when they are interacting, at times anonymously, online. These consequences include the serious issue of cyberbullying as well as the detrimental loss of personal communication shared among many youth in today`s society. Moreover, if such stakeholders can understand the surveillance issues that accommdate the use of the Internt in today`s society, perhaps youth and adolescents can be more strictly monitored to protect their safety since it is possible that they do not understand the serious problems that may arise when privacy is not maintained. Many of today`s youth do not understand that posting a picture on somewhere such as Twitter or Facebook remains there indefinitely, even after it is deleted. These social networking website practically own these photos as soon as you post them as they are stored to their system and organization forever. It is such knowledge that must be passed on to adolecsents, youth, adults, parents and stakeholders in order to promote a full understanding of the detrimental effects that technology and the Internet may have for youth, specifically regarding privacy and surveillance.
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