A Closer Look

           There are a plethora of problems surrounding the issue of e-sponsibility, online privacy and cyber safety.  Some of these problems are situational and there’s no way to prepare for them other than common sense and preemptive prevention.  Because the Internet is constantly changing and evolving, there are no set rules on how to avoid running into these problems.  New innovations arise daily, leading to new issues surrounding privacy and cyber safety.  Even so, individuals can follow certain guidelines and ideas to avoid certain issues.  Three problems associated with e-sponsibility are exposure, exploitation, and permanence.  As aspiring teachers, we may experience different levels of scrutiny.  However, education and awareness of these issues may help in evading these problems.  

Bubble Map by Brianna Claggett at bubbl.us

According to Nancy Solomon, “The new and ever-changing world of social networking has blurred the lines between private and personal, friend and stranger.”  Just a simple Google search on teachers and social media yields a number of various cases stipulating a teacher being fired based on a social media posting.  Because teachers are looked upon as role models of society, their actions are under further scrutiny than say, an engineer for a large firm.  Especially working with children from a variety of backgrounds and families, teachers need to monitor their online presence and image so as not to offend any of the families of students.  In her article, “Friendly Advice for Teachers: Beware of Facebook,” Solomon details a scandal in which Union, N.J. teacher Viki Knox posted anti-gay comments on her Facebook wall.  As a result of her actions, she faced investigation by the school district.  Although they were posted on her private wall, protestors argued, “She has the right to post as a private citizen, but not as a teacher.”  This exemplifies the fine line between what is personal versus private online.

However, teachers are not the only individuals who face problems involving social media usage.  Anyone who utilizes these websites faces possible exploitation. Websites such as Facebook ask for personal information: phone numbers, birthday, and location.  While providing this information may seem harmless, individuals need to realize that they run the risk of publicly displaying these personal details.  Even though social media websites often offer privacy settings, there may be loopholes and glitches in the security.  Another problem concerning social media and privacy is who is posting what about you.  Although you may not be posting inappropriate pictures, individuals need to monitor what is being uploaded about them.  Inappropriate content will most often have a negative effect on you, not the individual who posted it.  Social media is useful for sharing ideas and keeping in contact with friends and family.  However, it’s important to regulate and think before posting or sharing anything online.  This can help individuals avoid problems of exploitation.

Many sites that seem safe may often inadvertently pose problems.  In “Defining Internet Safety Issues,” INOBTR states, “According to the U.S. Department of Education, 23% of nursery school children in the United States use the Internet, 32% of kindergartners go online, and by high school 80% of children use the Internet.”  While this may not seem like a problem, young children run the risk of indecent exposure on sites such as Google Search Engine.  For example, a class of kindergartners may be asked to research “legos” for a school project.  However, they accidently misspell “legs” and are suddenly exposed to explicit images.  Therefore, a seemingly innocent project suddenly poses a plethora of problems.  Parents are upset and complain and as a result, the teacher is called in by the school district.  Although this situation was totally accidental, you are being penalized for a problem derived from misunderstanding.

File-sharing and peer-to-peer sites also present a number of problems.  According to INOBTR, “these programs make your computer files available for download by anyone else using similar software and vice-versa.”  Many individuals use these sites to share music, movies and programs.  While they both save money and are easy to use, they also allow the risk of exploitation or exposure.  Because you are opening up your personal computer to strangers, you may be exposed to spyware or viruses.  In addition, you may accidently access sexually explicit content or personal information.  Copyright infringement is another issue relating to sharing files.  It is important to only use legitimate, safe, and legal websites.  As a precaution, you should always be educated on who and what can access any personal information.

Everybody essentially has an online roadmap of their life called their digital dossier.  This is a collection of all the information that has been compiled online since birth.  Although an individual may have deleted their Myspace in 2008, it’s actually still in cyberspace, and a part of their online identity.  This permanence presents more issues.  The actions an individual made at a young age can potentially affect them nine years later.  Because of this concept, it’s important that people learn the importance of cyber safety and online privacy at a young age.  It’s important to practice smart decisions and choices because as soon as it’s posted online, it’s permanent.  Although the Internet has become a basic part of life for many members of society, we must constantly reflect on how actions will effect us both in the present as well as the future.

“Defining Internet Safety Issues”  << http://www.inobtr.org/parents/defining-internet-safety-issues/>> INOBTR. Digital Leftovers, LLC,  2013. 20 March 2013.

Solomon, Nancy. “Friendly Advice For Teachers: Beware of Facebook” <http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143264921/friendly-advice-for-teachers-beware-of-facebook> NPR. 7 December 2011.  20 March 2013.

Home  |  Overview  |  A Closer Look  |  Moving Forward  |  Conclusion/Suggestions for Change