Safety on the Internet

Mentally

One must be careful online to protect his/her mental health. Becoming a victim of cyberbullying can cause serious effects on a person's mental health. From feeling isolated to dissatisfied and vulnerable, victims of cyberbullying can experience significant psychological distress (Gordon & Forman, n.d.).

How to protect yourself: Establish and engage in healthy friendships on and off-line. Do not respond to or engage anyone trying to bully you. Talk to a trusted adult if the cyberbully continues to engage you. Be confident in who you are and surround yourself with trusted friends and family members.

Individuals, boys especially, must protect themselves from becoming addicted to gaming. Through the Internet, readily available computers, and mobile devices, one has the ability to access games at anytime. Before the internet, electronic games were limited to arcade halls. One would travel to the arcade location during the hours of operation. Now, games can be easily accessed 24/7 from virtually any device. Through their increasing realism, elaborate plots, and captivating challenges, video games have become increasingly addictive, testing the self-discipline of young adults. American Addiction Centers states that "compulsive video gaming can have negative effects on a developing mind or body" and lists the following as key concerns for young players (Video Game Addiction Symptoms and Treatment, n.d.):

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lack of social engagement
• Problems with concentration and attention
• Avoidance of developmental tasks
• Increased aggression or violence
• Seizures and repetitive stress injuries

How to protect yourself: Limit the time spent gaming. Make sure an equal or greater amount of time is spent interacting with friends or family members offline. Perform "real" tasks such as playing outside, sport activities, arts activities, or even household chores. Participate in "reality" as much as possible.

Emotionally

Internet resources, especially social media sites, can have positive or negative impacts on one's self-esteem and emotional health. According to an article by CBHS Health Fund, social media is a key function of one's social life and can effect one's emotional health, good or bad (The impact of social media on emotional health, n.d.). The article cites several studies of social media's impact on happiness, self-esteem, companionship, and empathy. The consensus of the different studies is that higher (longer period of time) social media use leads to more issues with perceived loneliness in younger users, lower satisfaction with life, and lowers the self-esteem of individuals with already low self-esteem. Individuals who already have high self-esteem or who use social media to arrange real life encounters have a more positive experience with social media.

How to protect yourself: Limit your social media use, especially with younger users. Cultivate healthy relationships with friends and family, interacting with them off-line.

Cyberbullying can greatly impact the emotional health of the victims. The cyberbullies "hide" behind their keyboards, emotionally disconnected from the victims, purposefully humiliating, isolating, and/or lying about their victims. Victims can become depressed, physically ill, or even become suicidal (Gordon & Forman, n.d.).

How to protect yourself: Establish and engage in healthy friendships on and off-line. Do not respond to or engage anyone trying to bully you. Talk to a trusted adult or school counselor if a cyberbully continues to engage you.

Financially

Identity theft and internet scams have become a major issue across the world. From unknowing individuals to large corporations, cyber criminals are constantly searching for vulnerable targets. As websites and companies collect data on its users, the user becomes more and more vulnerable to the actions of cybercriminals. Criminals attack target groups with low technology knowledge, such as the elderly, young teens or children, by conducting elaborate scams. The unsuspecting victim may provide confidential information or even provide payments to the scammers. Cybercriminals have also targeted reputable companies with weak network security. The victims did not provide the information to the criminals directly in this case, the information was stolen from a trusted company or website. However they gain the information, cybercriminals can use the data to create new identities, steal money, borrow money on credit, maliciously destroy one's credit score, and much more. It can cost the victims a substantial amount of time, money, and resources to recover from identity theft.

How to protect yourself: Practice good self-discipline when online to stay on task. Do not click on every ad or promotion that appears on the screen. Do not give out any personal information unless it is a trusted site. If a deal or promotion seems "too good to be true," it probably is and you should avoid giving out your information. Practice good password management by making random or lengthy passwords. Avoid using your name, the word "password", or a common series of numbers (i.e. password1234). It is also wise to have multiple passwords. In the event one is compromised, cybercriminals will not have your password to all of your accounts.

According to the New York Public Library, children and teens can follow the steps below to protect themselves online (Internet Safety Tips for Children and Teens, n.d.):

• Do not give our personal information
• Do not create a screen name that includes personal information, such as your name or date of birth
• Do not share your password with anyone except your parents
• Do not post pictures online without your parents' permission
• Do not agree meet in person someone you met online without your parents' permission
• Do not purchase anything online without permission, be carful of online ads asking for personal information
• Do not open an email attachment from a stranger
• Be kind online, let your parents know if someone is bullying you online
• Follow age requirements established by social media sites
• Learn how to conduct research online, talk with your parents and local librarian

For more information on Internet Safety, please watch the video or view resources listed below:

Web MD Teen Internet Safety Tips (https://teens.webmd.com/features/teen-internet-safety-tips#1)

Connect Safely Online Safety Tips (http://www.connectsafely.org/safetytips/)

Safekids.com Kids' Riles for Online Safety (http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/)