Unethical human activity is primarily responsible for the lack of privacy and safety on the Internet…
… And how I couldn’t agree more!
The discussion regarding how unethical human activity is primarily responsible for the lack of privacy and safety on the internet has become quite the debate. One I am feeling positive for and in favour of having. By partaking in unhealthy “netiquette” habits such as misusing social media, cyberbullying and “buying into” fake news, the consequences on one’s digital footprint can be potentially everlasting and devastating. This blog post will define netiquette and how good practice will help with professional success. The information will also show how good netiquette skills can aid in mediating teens from becoming cyberbullies, victims and cyber bystanders. Cyberbullying and how significant and everlasting the impacts can be, not only for the victims but also for the bullies, will also be examined. Moreover, showing what schools and governments can do to help improve the bullying issues. Lastly, the technology dubbed “deep fake” will be briefly discussed, touching on potential societal outcomes from the expertise.
Image by ibreakstock on iStock
“The word netiquette was created by combining two words, NET (net) and ETIKETA (a set of rules of social behaviour and habits)” (Kozík & Slivová 2014, p. 67). Netiquette encompasses the ethics and values people should exercise online (Park et al., 2016, p. 74). Norman Z. Shapiro and Robert H. Anderson (1985, as cited in Kozík & Slivová, 2014, pp. 67–68) defined the basic rules of Netiquette in their book “Towards an Ethics and Etiquette for Electronic Mail”. Their rules are as follows:
- “Create single subject messages whenever possible.
- Assume that any message you send is permanent.
- Have in mind a model of your intended audience.
- Keep the list of recipients and CCs to a minimum.
- Separate opinion from non-opinion, and clearly label each.
- If you must express emotion in a message, clearly label it.
- Think about the level of formality you put in a message.
- Identify yourself and your affiliations clearly.
- Be selective in your broadcast for information.
- Do not insult or criticise third parties without giving them a chance to respond.” (Shapiro & Anderson, 1985, as cited in Kozík & Slivová, 2014, pp. 67–68)
Shea (1994, as cited in Kozík & Slivová 2014, p. 68) further adds to the mentioned rules:
- “Remember the human.
- Adhere to the consistent standards of behaviour online.
- Know where you are in cyberspace.
- Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.
- Make yourself look good online.
- Share expert knowledge.
- Help keep flame wars under control.
- Respect other people’s privacy.
- Don’t abuse your power.
- Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.” (Shea, 1994, as cited in Kozík & Slivová 2014, p. 68)
Kozík and Slivová (2014) argue netiquette is crucial in communication and essential for future job opportunities. However, further study is required to legitimise its importance. Furthermore, netiquette should be part of education at all levels, not only at the tertiary level (pp. 69–70). Therefore, awareness of such etiquette is achieved at a younger age. Education and awareness may assist in improving individuals’ incorrect use of social media throughout their lives. Following these netiquette rules and having an appropriate digital footprint is part of what makes a great digital citizen and essential to appearing professional online. This behaviour will provide an excellent basis to ensure your privacy and security on the internet. Kumazaki et al. “found that good netiquette—a higher awareness of desirable manners online—has a moderating effect on cyberbullying.” (2011, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 75), bringing to light the next point!
Image by Elf-Moondance from Pixabay
Cyberbullying is an enormous issue we must deal with online. Some statistics compiled through a study done in 2016 by Sora Park, Eun-Yeong Na, and Eun-mee Kim are staggering. “In the US, 20 – 40% of young people say they have experienced cyberbullying at least once in their lives” (Tokunaga, 2010, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 74), and 16% in Australia reported the same (Green et al., 2011, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 74).
Traditional bullying is defined as a deliberate behaviour with intent to harm another with recurrent aggression, usually in a relationship with a power imbalance (Levy et al., 2012; Slonje et al., 2013, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 75). Cyberbullying is when this occurs through electronic means (Park et al., 2016, p. 75). Cyberspace arguably makes bullying easier, much more harmful, and more accessible (Vaillancourt et al., 2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1). However, many academics argue there is a failure to reach a consensus on the definition of cyberbullying (Ansary, 2020, p. 2).
Cyberbullying and traditional bullying share similarities. They both start happening during teenage years; they involve peer group interaction, and both are hostile behaviours targeted at someone seen as weaker (Park et al., 2016, p. 74). Nevertheless, the differences should be addressed to develop efficient preventative strategies (Park et al., 2016, p. 77). More precisely, society must resolve the perceived disembodiment of the online world and the interchangeable nature of cyberbullies, victims, and witnesses. These issues appear to make cyberbullying so pervasive (Park et al., 2016, pp. 77–78).
Anderson and Jiang (2018, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1) show that 95% of teens own or have access to a smartphone, and 45% of teens surveyed report being online on a “near-constant basis”. A considerable amount of time online is becoming an essential part of adolescents’ everyday lives (Park et al., 2016, p. 74). Park et al.’s (2016) research argues that the increasing amount of time teens spend online and using Social Networking Systems is positively associated with the likelihood of them becoming cyberbullies, cyber victims, and cyber bystanders (p. 77). On the contrary, Park et al. (2016, p. 74) argue that “if we limit adolescents’ use of the Internet, then it may reduce the benefits as well as the risks”. Moreover, research shows better netiquette practice results in less experience in all three negative online behaviours (Park et al., 2016, p. 77). Unfortunately, “Twenty-four per cent of youth surveyed by Pew felt that social media had a negative impact on their lives; 27% of these youth believe that social media is the reason for greater bullying and rumour spreading” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1). Instead of trying to stop what young people encounter online, we need a proactive approach that equips teenagers to filter and alleviate the impact of harmful content (Park et al., 2016, p. 74).
Evidence is mounting about the long-term adverse outcomes uniquely associated with cyberbullying (Fahy et al., 2016; Vaillancourt et al., 2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1). One in five adolescents experiences it, making this particularly concerning (Hinduja & Patchin, 2019; Selkie et al., 2016, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1).
“Highlighted over and above traditional bullying, cyberbullying is uniquely associated with: (a) somatic difficulties (e.g., headaches, stomach aches, etc.); (b) depression; (c) suicidal ideation and suicide attempts; (d) symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and (e) academic difficulties, among others.” (Vaillancourt et al., 2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 1)
Research also suggests cyberbullying victims seem very likely to have participated in cyberbullying themselves (Park et al., 2016, p. 77), which is also highly concerning. Perren and Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger (2012, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 75) argue the consequences are recognised as less immediate than those real-life circumstances. Additionally, Wachs “research has demonstrated that those who participated in cyberbullying felt less guilty and had less conscience than those who engaged in traditional bullying” (2012, as cited in Park et al., 2016, p. 75). On the other hand, research suggests more time communicating with the parents in adolescence and having good netiquette negatively correlate with the behaviour (Park et al., 2016, p. 77). The moderating effect of netiquette is confirmed by this (Park et al., 2016, p. 77). In summary, the evidence suggests cyberbullying has an enormously detrimental impact on teens, potentially lasting into adulthood.
Young people will be spending a lot of time on the internet and engaging in many activities in the future. We need to develop more proactive therapies to alleviate the negative aspects of being online (Park et al., 2016, p. 79). It is crucial to enhance adolescents’ netiquette behaviours by reinforcing the knowledge that the behaviour online is just as authentic as offline, and so are the consequences (Park et al., 2016, p. 79). Schools need to ensure a positive atmosphere to help prevent traditional bullying and cyberbullying (Ansary et al., 2015a; Ansary et al., 2015b; Espelage & Hong, 2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 6). Moreover, Espelage and Hong (2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 6) note that schools must also have clear, proactive policies, procedures, and practices about internet use and cyberbullying and actively promote social-emotional skills among faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, nurturing school-family connections, explicitly emphasising bullying in cyberspace, is critical (Espelage & Hong, 2017, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 6). Regardless of the time teens spend online, it is clear support must come from schools directly.
Another area where schools must work towards cyberbullying prevention is to directly take on the issue through the school’s curriculum (Ansary et al., 2015a; Ansary et al., 2015b, as cited in Ansary, 2020, p. 6), which will require government action. They must act by also legislating against cyberbullies to help reduce the number of victims. If future growth in cyberbullying literature reflects the last decade, the field should be well equipped with effective prevention and intervention programming (Ansary, 2020, p. 7). Understanding these issues more deeply can only lead to a better online environment with better privacy and security, for one and all, especially our youth.
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Fake news and the emergence of “deep fakes” are further issues we face, contributing to privacy and safety issues online. Fake news is news-style content manufactured to mislead the public (Aldwairi & Alwahedi, 2018; Jang & Kim, 2018, as cited in Westerlund, 2019, p. 39). Propaganda is a good example of fake news. “Deepfakes are hyper-realistic videos that apply artificial intelligence (AI) to depict someone saying and doing things that never happened” (Westerlund, 2019, p. 39). Combine this with the speed at which information can spread on social media, and this could spell potential disaster for citizens and governments all over the world (Westerlund, 2019, p. 39). On the contrary, movie studios, personalised advertisement companies, and media broadcasters, amongst others, can potentially benefit from deep fake technology (Westerlund, 2019, p. 47). Although it will become more difficult to detect fake news, watching from reputable sources remains essential.
Currently, many people source their news on Facebook, and it is only second to YouTube, where one in five internet users source their news (Anderson, 2018, as cited in Westerlund, 2019, p. 39). However, Westerlund (2019) argues deep fakes can be combatted via legislation and regulation, education and training, amongst other alleviation methods (p. 39). Due to “deepfakes” only surfacing in 2017 (Westerlund, 2019, p. 40), “the scholarly research has only recently begun to address the digital disinformation on social media” (Anderson, 2018, as cited in Westerlund, 2019, p. 40). The future of “deepfakes” will likely show more and more use for “revenge porn, bullying, fake video evidence in courts, political sabotage, terrorist propaganda, blackmail, market manipulation, and fake news” (Maras & Alexandrou, 2019, as cited in Westerlund, 2019, p. 39). While spreading false information is simple, setting the record straight and combating “deepfakes” are much more complex (Dekeersmaecker & Roets, 2017, as cited in Westerlund, 2019, pp. 39–40); this is precisely why education and awareness are essential for our privacy and security online.
In conclusion, maintaining professionalism online and keeping a clean digital footprint are crucial for personal and professional development in the evolving digital world. One must practise good netiquette to avoid undesirable behaviours from a young age. Never partake in cyberbullying; the research shows it can have severe lifelong complications. Lastly, be mindful when viewing news sources to avoid being coerced by fake news, something proving more complex as technology advances. These topics may prove problematic in the future, especially when unethical human activity is primarily responsible for the internet’s lack of privacy and safety. However, with more education and awareness brought to light, the research predicts a positive outlook.
References
Ansary, N. S. (2020). Cyberbullying: Concepts, theories, and correlates informing evidence-based best practices for prevention. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 50(101343). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.101343
Elf-Moondance (2021). Cyberbullying, internet, computer [Photograph]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cyberbullying-internet-computer-6066031/
FLY:D (2021). Handle with care [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/BH0Wwlmv2oA
ibreakstock (2016). Netiquette concept word cloud background [Photograph]. iStock by Getty Images. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/netiquette-word-cloud-gm510861552-86428871?irgwc=1&cid=IS&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=Eezy%2C%20LLC&clickid=SGEzaE0ZexyIUbdxaFRIuXWLUkBTH%3A2YxR8UxA0&utm_term=www.vecteezy.com&utm_campaign=NRP_2_small&utm_content=718498&irpid=38919
Johnson, G. (2017). Corruption, deceit, deception [Photograph]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/vectors/corruption-deceit-deception-2727571/
Kozík, T., Slivová, J. (2014). Netiquette in electronic communication. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 4(3), 67–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v4i3.3570
Park, S., Na, E.-Y., & Kim, E.-M. (2014). The relationship between online activities, netiquette and cyberbullying. Children and Youth Services Review, 42, 74–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.04.002
Westerlund, M. (2019). The emergence of deepfake technology: A review. Technology Innovation Management Review, 9(11), 40-53. http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1282