Internet Safety

Introduction

Unfortunately, our use of the Internet has the potential to turn ugly. As we integrate technology more and more into our lives, we need to be aware of the potential for cyber-harassment, stalking, and Internet addiction.

In this lesson, we will discuss how to prevent negative communications and how to respond to cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking. In addition, we will explore the aspects of Internet addiction and provide resources for assessment and treatment.

The negative side to communicating online

Social networking can be a great way to communicate on a global level and a fun way to socialize and maintain relationships. However, this form of communication can have its negatives. The anonymous nature and open access of the Internet allows for the potential to be exposed to offensive, derogatory, and inappropriate communications. Usually, you can ignore this type of content or simply leave a page where you are being exposed to it.

However, there may be times when things suddenly escalate into the following:

• Flame Wars: These are heated arguments online where intentionally insulting statements and personal attacks become the focus of conversation.
• Cyber-Harassment: This is any kind of harassment that happens online, including impersonating the victim on social media sites, spreading rumors about the victim, sharing compromising photos or videos, or pursuing the victim with unwanted emails or instant messages.
• Cyber-Stalking: This is cyber-harassment that is ongoing and/or where the perpetrator credibly threatens the victim with offline physical harm.

Tips to help prevent cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking

Unfortunately, these experiences can create mental and emotional distress and have the potential to become harassment offline or in the real world. While most sites have policies against such negative content, they are often limited in how they can respond and control it. Therefore, it is important to take the following precautions to prevent these circumstances from occurring in the first place.

• Avoid getting involved in flame wars
  It is important to think before you share comments, especially if they are controversial, religious, political, or disagreeing in nature. These types of posts have the potential to provoke a negative response and should be considered carefully.
• Avoid using a revealing screen name
  Choose a screen name that is gender and age neutral and that does not reveal your name or any personal information about you. If you have a racy or attention-grabbing nickname, be aware that this may cause you to be the target of unwanted attention.
• Avoid sharing personal information
  Be extremely cautious about sharing any personal information online. The more someone knows about you, the easier it is to access you online and offline. Review Googling Yourself in Lesson 1 of this tutorial to see if any of your personal information is exposed online and, if so, what you can do about it.
• Avoid sharing revealing photos
  Once you've posted an image online, you lose control of who can view, share, or alter it, and how they do so. A revealing photo is particularly susceptible to being shared in damaging ways. Like a racy screen name, a revealing photo may also make you the target of unwanted attention.

Responding to cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking

If you do find yourself in a cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking situation, here are some specific steps to take:

• Don't respond. Don't ask the harasser to stop or tell them how you feel. Over time, if you give them nothing to respond to, they are much less likely to continue harassing you.
• Block the harasser. Research your privacy options, and, if possible, block the harasser from contacting you or seeing your personal information. If the website does not offer the option of blocking, consider creating a new screen name or online identity and closing the one the offender knows.
  
• Keep records. Save all correspondence from the harasser on your computer, without altering it in any way. You may need it in the future to prove your case and get the help you need. If you have reported the case to law enforcement or to the website, save correspondence from them, too.
• Report the incident to the website. If you are not sure who to contact, look around the website's Contact or About pages, and find the right person to email or form to fill out. Once you report an incident, the website may be able to monitor the offender or even terminate their account for violating the site's terms of use. 
  

When to contact law enforcement

If you suspect a harasser could find out your location, and you think, feel, or know that the harasser is a threat to you or your family's safety, contact the police immediately. In other cases, use your best judgement; isolated incidents may not need to be reported to the police.

If you do report an incident, you can also refer the police to WiredSafety.org, an organization that helps law enforcement with online crimes.

Internet addiction

Internet addiction is becoming a growing concern as more and more people are spending larger quantities of time online. Internet addiction is generally defined as a compulsive use of the Internet and may include the unhealthy use of the following:

• Online gambling
• Online shopping, including auction sites like eBay
• Online dating, including online affairs
• Cyberporn and cybersex sites
• Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter
• Online gaming
• Compulsive surfing of the Web for entertainment and information

For some of us, spending a lot of time on the Internet may seem like a necessity as we integrate technology with our daily work tasks, home life tasks, and communications. But how can you tell when your Internet use has shifted from normal to unhealthy?

If your use of the Internet starts interfering with your life offline, there may be a problem. Signs include neglecting your work, relationships, and daily responsibilities in order to spend time on the Internet. In addition, if you have an extreme emotional response to the Internet, like feeling anxious when you are offline and euphoric when you get back online, you may need to seek help.

Resources for Internet addiction

The following websites provide you with resources and information for dealing with Internet addiction, including self-assessments you can take to determine if you have a problem:

• NetAddiction.com
• Internet Addiction Test from NetAddiction.com
• Other Self Tests for Internet-Related Addictions from NetAddiction.com
• Internet Addiction - Signs, Symptoms, Treatment and Self-Help from HelpGuide.org