By Kasandra Robledo, Staff Writer | 12/13/22
Photo courtesy of Associated Press Images
Everyone can access the internet, but not everyone knows how to be safe. Cyberspace is the
environment in which people contact one another online. Social media and online chatting
websites can be fun to use but dangerous if you do not manage your accounts well. People
pretend to be someone they are not, and others try to chat with children. Catfishing and other dangers are not just things you see on the news, but actual events that can happen to just about anyone.
Teenagers, and now young children, are constantly using social media. Many try to gain
followers by friending new people online, whether or not they know them in person.
81% of students polled at Carson High School report that they have online friends who they have never met in person. It can be fun to say you know many people, but in reality, the followers you have can become a threat to your safety.
One event to note took place recently in the city of Riverside. A family residing in this large city was allegedly catfished and then murdered inside their own home. A 15-year-old girl was
messaging a 28-year-old ex-police officer, believing he was just two years older than she was.
This story reminds families to make sure their children know the dangers of messaging through cyberspace, and the measures they should take to keep themselves safe.
There are other instances where you must protect your personal information online. For example, a majority of people enjoy buying products from online websites. According to Psychology Today, there was an 80% increase in online scammers from 2020 to 2021. Sometimes, these websites may not be safe and can lead to your private information being given to scammers.
To stay safe, people need to watch what information is released on social media, especially
children. As a student attending high school, you must be aware of the reality of any given
situation. Although many people may say they can “handle” whatever they see on social media, 62% of CHS students agree that they have seen footage online that made them feel
uncomfortable.
When messaging anyone through cyberspace, you must know who you are talking to.
Before using an app, check the history to see whether the app could lead you right into the hands of online predators. If it has a suspicious background, you may not want to use it.
Experiencing something unusual online is not something that most people feel comfortable
sharing. When surveyed about whether or not they would share an uncomfortable encounter with someone they trust, only 46% of students responded that they would share. This makes being aware of online dangers even more important.
If you are the person in need of sharing an unusual conversation you’ve had online, it is alright to not want to share. At the same time, sharing can help you relieve the pressure the event may have put on you or get you to help if you need it. If you are someone who has seen someone experience a situation online that has made them uncomfortable, be the person they can trust. It is easy to understand that it is not that simple to simply trust people, but when they are ready to share, being by their side is something anyone can do.
Browsing through your feed and befriending people online may seem harmless, but it can spiral into a much larger problem if you do not know how to stay safe. If you ever feel uncomfortable online, talk to someone you trust and decide which course of action is best. Also, stay open to being the person others can talk to.
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