Portal:Digital Safety

What is Digital Safety?

The digital world is inherently more vulnerable to malicious intent via badware, viruses, hackers, etc. Some argue that youth are more susceptible to sexual predators and bullies through cyberspace as well; however, often “new” dangers are “real world” threats now encountered through different mediums. There is a history of panic surrounding the introduction of new media forms into society, and a careful, objective strategy is needed to protect our young people without hindering their development.

Problems of Digital Safety Cyber Bullying [from Erin Mishkin's unpublished paper on cyber bullying (2005)] Keeping in mind the prevalence of the Internet and cell phones in teens’ lives and their dependence on digital media to maintain social ties, cyber bullying is a particularly effective means of psychological harassment. An official definition of bullying given by the National Mental Health Information Center states that bullying behavior must have the following three characteristics: 1) it must have a negative intent; 2) it must occur repeatedly over time; and 3) there must exist an imbalance of power, “with a more powerful person or group attacking a less powerful one” (National Mental Health Information Center, 2005). This “imbalance of power” is a key element of bullying, which distinguishes this behavior from other types of aggression. Online Victimization When you think of an Internet connection as a portal into the private domain, it can bring to mind alarming images – that of the classic male predator, situated in a dark room and lit only by his computer screen as he preys upon innocent children. But what we’re learning (especially as a result of the studies conducted by the Center for Crimes Against Children, whose 2006 report (pdf) is the basis for this entry) is that it’s more complicated an issue. Read More... Solutions for Digital Safety Education and Awareness: Making a "Real World" Connection Because being connected is such an integral part of teens’ lives, some youth may hesitate telling their parents about the harassment they encounter for fear that their online privileges will be taken away. The best way to combat cyber bullying or other forms of harassment is not to reign in or limit a teen’s use of technology, but to make sure adults keep the lines of communication open. In addition to keeping the computer in a public space, parents should also become more aware of what their children are doing online. They should consider the Internet as an opportunity to engage in conversation with their children about their interests, talents, and network of friends. Read More...

Narratives Chung-Hee Kim, C-H to his friends, likes to think of himself as a “normal” American teenager. He lives in a modest town in a suburb of a large midwestern city. He’s a freshman at the local high school. His parents are nice, quiet, but a bit square. They don’t “get” him, and they really don’t get the whole online thing, but they’re OK. More important, they don’t get in the way, especially when it comes to using the computer in his bedroom. When he’s not in school or hanging out with his friends, C-H spends most of his free time online. He’s got a MySpace page that he keeps up to date with the latest features: his favorite music plays when a visitor hits the page, they’re met with pictures of his favorite movie actresses, and his friends have posted a long list of comments every time he makes a move. He’s got a Facebook account, but fewer of his friends are on there, so he goes back only once or twice a week to look something up or check out the Wall on his page. He tries out every new service that’s hot before most of his friends do. Mostly, Chung-Hee is into Second Life. He’s got an avatar he calls “VirtualC-H” – a young, dashing, twenty-first-century knight, who zips around in a partial suit of body armor. When he was visiting his cousins in South Korea last summer, he played around on CyWorld, and he’s had an account on There.com. Most of his friends are into World of Warcraft. But Second Life is where it’s at for C-H. Read More... Relevant Research and Articles Internet Safety Technical Task Force Final Report (2009) Internet and the Public at Large (2002), p. 41 et seq. Eurobarometer: Safer Internet (EU)(2006) Livingstone: UK Children Go Online (UK) (2005), p. 22 et seq. Safety Awareness Fact Tools: Public Report (2004) Most teens say they've met strangers online (2006) Children talking to childLine about the internet (2005) The Appropriation of New Media by Youth (2006) [childrens' safety depends largely on their own actions] Read More...