The internet is no doubt one of the greatest things that has happened to our society. It brings us news and information fast and is at the tip of our fingers. It also comes along with all of the social media sites that let us connect with people we can't see on a daily basis, and sometimes even meet new people. Using these sites for meeting new people can be intriguing, but you need to be aware of the dangers that come along with putting yourself and your personal information on the Internet for everyone to see. There are many dangers that come along with meeting people online, but I feel that the most dangerous thing that can happen is someone pretending to be someone that they are not.
The Internet is like an open book. Anyone can do and/or be anything/anyone they please. This is a scary concept to me! Unless you actually know the person and can physically see them at your leisure, then you don't know if that person is really who they are portraying themselves to be. The most common term for this nowadays is "cat fishing", and sadly enough, it is actually a very common thing to happen. Even if you aren't in the actual conversation part of the situation, you can still be affected the picture you is used, or any of your personal information is used on someone else's profile.
The question is, how can this be prevented? In my personal opinion is says no way of being prevented. There are some people out there with sick and twisted minds that think this kind of thing is acceptable to do. So no, I don't think it's totally preventable. There are ways, however, to protect yourself from these kinds of situations, and red flag that you should watch out for.
If you feel like this situation is happening to you do some detective work! Google image is your best friend in these kinds of situations. Look them up and see what pops up! You could also look at their Facebook friend count. The lower the number, the fishier the situation. You could also look at the pictures on Facebook. If there are no tags, something is definitely up. Some other red flags could be they make excuses when you want to see them/talk via phone, Skype, FaceTime, etc. these are just a few examples of how to look out for yourself. Always be extra safe and chatting online!
Works cited:
O'Donnell, Andy. "How to Avoid Getting Catfished Online." About.com. 2014. Web. April 2014.
Emily-
ReplyDeleteOverall I agree with your post, I think that more and more people are starting to use this online dating tool that they have but most need to know both sides of it. It seems that more of our older generations are using this tool because it is harder to meet people at an older age. Connecting with people over social media sites like you said can be a little sketchy at times because people can basically do or be anything or anyone they want if its behind a screen. Taking it to the next step and actually meeting in person after discovering each other through a site is one thing but carrying on a relationship over a computer can get a little difficult at times. I also agree with your point about the question of how could you prevent something like this from happening and unfortunately like you said some people out there just don’t get it and believe that what they are doing is okay. No one should have to think they are getting the person they think they know when it really is someone else. Because the Internet is just a vast tool for searching and finding information I totally agree that just doing some easy detective work to find out what’s good is the way to go and could prevent some people from being mis leaded. Very well written post.
-Mike Bushee