As wonderful as the internet is, it can be a dark and dangerous place as well. Everyone knows how the internet is convenient and helpful, but are they aware that the internet can make your life a living hell? So many people these days are members of online communities and by joining an online community, you create an online identity. While some people use their real names to identify themselves, others use pseudonyms that reveal personal information. For example, the numbers on your screen name could be your birth date or something. Like many other college students of my age, I am a member of Facebook and I have an account on AIM. I use both to talk with my friends or to keep in touch with family out of town. Both are accurate representations of my true identity and I hope that they stay that way forever.
When you look at my Facebook, you know exactly who I am. I have a picture of myself, I offer my name and what city I live in and where I go to school. This information I feel comfortable letting my Facebook friends and strangers know about myself. I would never think to put my phone number or address on my page, because of the various risks that are associated with it. Some people don’t know any better and they freely put all of their information on their site, leading to identity theft.
I have to say that I myself have participated in an act of identity theft, but nothing extreme or harmful to anyone, just some innocent fun. A couple friends and I decided to create a MySpace for my one friend’s dad. We thought it’d be funny, because he’s a funny guy and all of our friends would find it hilarious. If you knew him, you’d understand, but the things he does are just too ridiculous to write in my blog. We proceeded to find pictures of him and collect all his information to create the MySpace account. We found a ridiculous picture to make his profile picture and we made a description for him that we thought he would make for himself. He likes to swear a lot and has a dirty mind, so those characteristics played a role in making his profile. We finally finished and completed the account and a few days later his dad was friends on MySpace with half of Kenmore West. Everyone knows who this guy is and everyone got a kick out of his MySpace account. One day in gym class my football coaches were looking at it and were crying because they thought it was so funny. After our coaches saw it, they informed my friends dad and after he saw it, he was pissed. He made us delete it and was worried that people who he wouldn’t want to see it saw it. A couple years later my friend made a Facebook for the grandmother of the same friend and this Facebook is still up and running and nobody has a problem with it.
Even though we were trying to have some innocent fun, we were stealing our friend’s dad’s identity. We were posting information about him that he wouldn’t want people to see and he was embarrassed of the way we portrayed him to everyone that saw his profile. It is important that everyone is careful when using the internet, because this is an example of how people can create false identities and toy with people. This situation wasn’t harmful, but it easily can be and it is hard to tell if someone is who they really say they are on the internet.
No comments:
Post a Comment