A speaker visited Columneetza Secondary School on Tuesday to educate parents and teachers about the dangers of social media and other aspects of the Internet (see story, pages A1 and A3).
Many Facebook users have experienced that embarrassing realization that they were tagged in a somewhat embarrassing photo on their friend’s Facebook page. Though their friend may find the photo hilarious, it’s actually no laughing matter. That one picture could have devastating consequences if or when it is viewed by others, such as a potential employer.
But Jesse Miller, the speaker at Tuesday’s forum, raised some even scarier scenarios, especially those that relate to our children. Though many adult social-media users understand some of the dangers of sharing personal information online, many children do not.
It is our responsibility as parents and as teachers to make sure our children know the dangers and potential consequences of sharing absolutely anything and everything online.
Just as we make sure we know where they are going and what they are up to in “the real world,” it is also important we know what our children are doing in the digital world. Even a child posting on his status that he is on a family vacation can literally open the door to his home being broken into. And the dangers don’t just rest with Facebook, but also in other areas of the Internet, and even on cellphones, some of which can actually pinpoint the location of where a photo was taken.
“People haven’t changed that much, but the Internet has amplified human behaviour that we’ve chosen to ignore,” Miller warned.
We feel that it’s an issue that should be ignored no longer.