The internet is one of the greatest inventions of our time. It’s allowed us to do things that were previously impossible, like learn new information in a matter of seconds or have live-video chats with relatives on the other side of the world. However, with all the benefits that come with the internet, there are some significant dangers. To help protect yourself while you’re on the web, it’s important to know what these dangers are and how you can best guard against them.
Invasion of Privacy
Contents
To start, a big danger of the internet is an invasion of your privacy. These days, we all have a ton of information about ourselves listed online. If you aren’t careful, outsiders could learn more about your life than you wish. For example, they can learn about your family and friends through your social media feeds, your employment through sites like LinkedIn, and possibly even discover your address and phone number. This is why everyone needs to be very careful about the information they share online and who they share it with.
Rush to Judgement
Another common danger on the internet is that people can rush to judgment. You may perform some action online and immediately get judged for it by others, without them knowing all the facts. For example, there’s internet solicitation. According to the Brill Legal Group, an internet sex crime defense lawyer in New York, “By creating a sensationalized vision of online solicitation of minors, the media has sparked an atmosphere of prejudice and intense punishment for those alleged to be involved in such crimes — even when they have not yet had the chance to prove their innocence. This is painting a false portrait that there is a rapid rise in internet offenses among adults involving juveniles across the nation.”
Unfortunately, there isn’t always much you can do to keep people from judging you too quickly. The best thing you can do, if there are legal ramifications involved, is to speak with an attorney right away. For other situations, work to correct the record as quickly as you can.
Ease of Access
Next, the internet makes it easy to access all sorts of information. This is one of the major benefits but it can also be a danger. For example, kids can access websites that are not age appropriate if their parents don’t take safety precautions. Parents need to be very vigilant about what types of websites their children can visit, using parental safety locks to block all malicious or inappropriate sites.
Internet Addiction
Internet addiction is another very serious issue that’s arisen over the past decade or so. We can now do so many things online, that simply using the internet has become something that’s hard to give up. Some people spend all day checking their social media accounts, watching videos, talking with friends, or browsing the web. If you struggle to go without the internet for an extended period of time, you may have an addiction to it. An addiction to the internet can have long-term consequences so it would be best if you worked on limiting your time whenever possible.
Misinformation
The internet is perhaps the best way to learn new information. However, when using the internet to learn new things, you have to make sure you’re learning it from reliable sources. There are many websites that specialize in providing misinformation designed to mislead their audiences. Whenever you’re browsing the web, make sure you’re using credible websites that can back up their claims with reliable sources. This goes for social media accounts as well, as many people will post unverified information online and have it quickly spread to their followers.
Cyberbullying
Another issue that’s particularly dangerous for children is cyberbullying. Many kids face harassment online from other children, who sometimes even do it anonymously. If you learn that your child is facing cyberbullying, it’s important that you speak with their school right away. Dealing with cyberbullying isn’t always easy but you should do your best to learn the source of the problem and address it as quickly as you can. Cyberbullying can easily impact your child’s mental health, making it essential that you address it soon.
Internet Scams
There are countless internet scams taking place all the time. Some try to get you to buy something, others want to steal your private information, while others want you to download vicious malware. However, with some basic knowledge of how internet scams typically operate, you can protect yourself from most of them. Some basic tips are: Don’t click on any links in your email if you don’t know the source, don’t provide any private information online unless it’s a trusted site, and when in doubt, opt for being extra cautious.
Longevity of Posts
Finally, the last danger that you should be aware of is how long information remains on the internet. It’s becoming more and more common for people to face consequences for posts that they made years ago on the internet. Many of us have now been using social media sites since we were children. We don’t always make the best decisions when we’re young but those posts may still be on the internet.
It may be a good idea to go through your own social media history and delete any posts that you no longer want public. It’s particularly important to do this before job interviews, as it’s common for employers to review the social media history of potential applicants. You’ll also want to keep the longevity of posts in mind whenever you’re creating something new. Ask yourself “Is this something I want to be on the internet forever?” If not, you may want to refrain from posting it at all.
Protect Yourself from the Internet
Don’t let the number of dangers above scare you away from using the internet. There are too many benefits to being online to go without it entirely. Instead, you should simply be more aware as you’re conducting yourself online, keeping in mind the potential dangers that are out there. If you can be a little more vigilant and take some basic precautions, you can protect yourself and your family from the worst of the internet and keep it a place that’s full of benefits.