Can unethical human activity really be the primary reason for the lack of privacy and safety on the internet? Many believe so. A person’s activity can increasingly affect another person’s experience while on the wide web, resulting in cyberbullying, leak of personal information, identity theft, and even threats to their physical safety. The purpose of this blog post is to argue why unethical human activity is a primary responsibility for the lack of privacy and safety on the internet for its consumers and how it can be avoided.

A major problem within the usage of the internet is the accompanying human interaction that can come with it, sometimes the interactions can be good, and a lot of the times it can be unpleasant. The term cyberbullying has been popular all around the world, from cases such as name calling to even the possibility of suicide, especially to the younger users of the internet. “Youth who experienced traditional bullying or cyberbullying, as either an offender or a victim, had more suicidal thoughts and were more likely to attempt suicide than those who had not experienced such forms of peer aggression” (S. Hinduja, J.W. Patchin 2010). Cyberbullying ties into the unethical area of safety within the internet, and has been defined as harming others repeatedly through the use of electronic devices. It can create an unsettling surrounding for the target and can increase problems outside of the online environment.

The safety the internet can create for a user is limited, and that being the same for privacy of a user. The reason why cyberbullying is such a used term is because it’s a common tragedy that happens to many. The ability to be unethical on the internet is an easy way to bully someone into the outcome the offender wishes, which forces the victim to feel unsafe within the provided environment that some wish to find in the internet. The safety of the user is incredibly important on the internet, but sometimes those barriers can easily be broken by those not morally correct. Which is why the persons privacy is of great significance.

The usage of privacy on the internet is a big factor towards the safety of its users. The ability to access someone else’s information within a few clicks of a mouse, or even a person’s information taken by companies for data purposes, is an incredible ability that is become more widely known in the environment the internet provides. A lot of the online population don’t know that their private information is being collected by multiple companies, and sometimes even outside sources that are looking for a non-moral approach to harassing the user.

“Global consistency on Internet privacy protection is important to boost the growth of electronic commerce. To protect consumers in a globally consistent manner.” (W. Chung, J. Paynter 2002). All over the world, an online user’s privacy can be accessed for malicious intent or even product placements. Anyone who knows their way around computers and even code can gather the private information provided through apps and social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. This is known as doxing, and can happen to anyone, usually produced by people with arguably low moral intentions.

The privacy of users on the internet is progressively getting worse thanks to the unethical intentions of people and companies, using such things as doxing and information collection. It’s reasonable to feel unsafe with people with these intentions on the wide web, and there’s only so much a victim can do in attempt to stop this kind of harassment or leakage of private information.

Within the online community, there are many toxic and unethical people around. So being careful on what you click or who you talk to is a major factor while using the internet. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to being careful and private online without not being yourself, from the users own personal code of conduct, social awareness and using the privacy many programs and companies can provide.

“Perceptions of privacy are socially constructed through communication and transactions with social entities over a networked environment, a process that involves a certain level of technical skill and literacy.” (T. Dinev, P. Hart 2014). As stated, many problems within the online community is that privacy within the internet are socially placed through communication, so being socially aware can be sometimes difficult for a newer user on the wide web. They may not know how to conduct themselves in a proper manner towards other users who have experience online. They could come off as racist from not thinking of what they say, or could offend someone by a few words typed. Many tend to know how to avoid these situations while in a community of like-minded people, from having their own personal code of conduct, keeping their information private and not clicking suspicious links. Going back to the privacy of the user, if the user is not careful, they can have their personal information easily taken and placed online for many to see.

Within this blog, the topics of cyberbullying, user’s privacy and how to potentially avoid being a target was discussed with research to back up the points. Unethical humans are the primary reason for the lack of privacy and safety in an online environment. Online bullying to physical threats, leaks of personal information happening to anyone, and how having a code of conduct for personal online use can really help avoid unethical situations were all a major topic discussed throughout.

Reflection

Sameer, H, & Justin W. P. (2010). Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13811118.2010.494133?casa_token=8huUWf4M6NUAAAAA%3Au1viUsvp-zuInYPEHihhmHN25HpUjaFH9g4Rzv69_xNd3dN4a1hsxwiCCXRWFmFMmb0isIUyCTsdGQ

Chung, & J. Paynter (2002). Privacy issues on the internet. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/994191?casa_token=Mr2XtSzySjEAAAAA:euHSVw_eSqZxDbqosCiRWwhNK7jP2hsJrGwYvam26ASFJLmVszt0N7HwPMMJ6V8WTcSZ4pGyKDfrEQ

Tamara, D, & Paul, H (2014) Internet Privacy Concerns and Social Awareness as Determinants of Intention to Transact. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/JEC1086-4415100201?casa_token=B4iP3UpBOSgAAAAA:jrsa3tsAinBEJNC-t5UjqxJ8lTNITxR33oEfWEwVuYgIy8uhFZEE12NOFLdxRFXiKBMdg6KGPVTOkWd8

In advanced, I would like to say sorry about the image in the video. I was using a trial version of the program.

My thought process when starting this assessment was “oh this should be a good assessment to do” until i spent over 6 hours just editing the video and struggling to find material to fit in with the narrative. I started off with picking a hobby i wanted to talk about, and i narrowed it down to reading, but i decided to go a step further, and thought it would be better to do it on one specific author and series he writes, Rick Riordan.

Using my experience form back in highschool of editing videos and making content for youtube, i was hopeful i would blitz this task, but i was wrong. I struggled with all the noise in my house, blackouts from the weather and even being sick. But I soldiered on, finally finishing the audio recording and video editing. I was happy with how it turned out, until the editing program i thought would work well decided to not want to work
I managed to finish the assessment in the time frame provided. I think it was good talking about somethign that means a lot to me in an assessment, getting to share my opinions and even others thoughts on the certain topic.

Going into this Assessment, I really had to think about what i wanted to talk about. And then it occured to me, why not talk about something within my profession, which also influences and disrupts a hobby of mine, books. Now that I had a topic of choice, rambling on about it was easy. I managed to get to about 650 words on my horribly written script within a 2 hour segment.

I don’t think i came across any problems while working on this task, doing the voice over and editing the clips is something i have experience in. The only thing i didn’t like about this assessment was messing up my speech. Posting it on soundcloud and was as simple as a few clicks.

The whole process of this assessment was probably one the funnest tasks i’ve had so far, and I would be more then happy to do it again

Within the vast creative world of digital literacy, there are many provided environments any person can use to connect with others.

Online Quiz

In order to begin the process of networking with future employers and peers, the first order of business is to find out what you may already know about yourself and your digital identity. We were introduced to a quiz which tested our previous knowledge on networking, social media and marketing yourself. Only receiving bold beginner, meaning I am comprehensible in some online communities, but tend to lurk and not contribute much while just starting to build my online presence.

Before really taking any notice to the digital literacy world, there wasn’t much I would let others on the internet see that had my own name, always using a username seemed the safest way for me to proceed normally. Social networks like Facebook are the only online source that has my full name, which allows me to connect to colleagues and peers, and provide the ability to network with future employers and mentors.

Connecting online with employers and peers is important because it can help improve your social status within the digital communities, letting new employment, school and social opportunities really see who you are and why you’re involved within this specific area of community.

Throughout the course of trying to find myself within the digital literacy environment, there was a lot someone could learn about themselves from how well they are established online. Especially the fact that, relationships are incredibly powerful. The power of relationships can really make or break loyalty, and sets you apart from other competitors. This is the reason why LinkedIn is an important tool, it allows you to specifically interact with employers and peers, helping you improve your digital footprint. LinkedIn allowed me to browse the majority of employment areas I’m interested in and join groups and communities based around them. However, LinkedIn isn’t the only social network which allows a person to connect and interact with people on. Facebook and Twitter, even Discord, are well known apps and networks to get your name out there. Each of these allow for networking and peer interaction.

Within my time of creating my professional online presence through LinkedIn and the other social sites, there wasn’t reallyanything that stepped out to me. Learning the sites were simple, anyone could do it.

When it comes to my future plans within the digital setting, I believe that using these medias for connecting is incredibly important. I intend to use them to my advantage to connect with as many potential employers, peers, and colleagues as I possibly can. Progressing my experience more and more is a big goal for the future ahead and with these social medias, I believe it can really enhance my determination.

In my future, if I find myself in a professional position, the intention for the use of several social medias in my line of work would be highly intended. It could help me connect with new employees and peers. Along with having all this new information, I will now be able help other people who are new to the world of digital literacy make connections, find groups they are interested in, and get their name out there.