Living In A Networked World: The Ugly - Online Predators

 The internet allows for people to stay connected through social media sites and online chat rooms. This can be a good thing but like all things, people do find ways to abuse this and turn it into a bad thing. Online predators have been a growing problem over the past decade. They try to contact underage minors and get them to participate in inappropriate sexual acts. On an NBC television show called "To Catch A Predator", they set up online traps to try to catch these predators and after 12 investigations in the United States, it showed that there are so many online predators out there, people definitely need to be more aware. Some parents have even attempted NBC's tactics and tried to catch them on their own in order to protect their children.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/04/05/how-to-run-your-own-to-catch-a-predator-sting-in-five-easy-steps/

Living In A Networked World: The Bad - Farmville Addiction

 While the internet can be used for many good things, it does have some drawbacks. For example, Facebook has many games that you can play online, one of the most popular is a game called Farmville. In this game, you own a farm and it's your job to maintain the land, grow and harvest crops, take care of the animals, and much more. This game can be okay if you don't play often but for most people, this isn't the case. They become addicted to it and they can't stop playing. This affects their jobs, their families, and everyone else around them. The following quotes are actually taken from a Facebook Discussion Group, they show how people are being affected by this addiction.

"My mom's addicted. It's not fun. She's always playing and gets slightly rude about it. She seriously needs help. Farm Ville is ruining my mom and while she spends her time on FARM VILLE she COULD have been helping me write, but she apparently thinks that taking care of a farm on the internet is more important than helping her daughter do the dishes, or help her with homework. There should be a real Farm Ville addict group. I think my mom seriously needs help..."

"When you go to sleep you dream about your farm or lay there half the night thinking how to rearrange your farm for more space and getting up three hours before work just to farm."


http://newsblaze.com/story/20100320082059tm75.nb/topstory.html

Living In A Networked World: The Good - Photobucket

The internet allows for people to easily upload and share photos and videos. Photobucket is one of the many websites out there that allow people to stay connected through the sharing of their own photo and video collections. Without the internet, this easy way of connecting would not exist and staying connected with friends and family would be much more difficult. Businesses can also use this file sharing tool to promote and advertise their businesses in a way that costs far less than other forms of advertisement.

http://photobucket.com/

Cell Phones and Privacy

Pre-paid cells phones are a good way to protect a person's privacy. They're affordable phones that don't require a contract with a phone company which allows more people to be able to have one. I don't think that the should be banned or otherwise controlled by the government, but I do agree with the idea of the users registering their phones. It just adds a little more security, and hopefully prevents terrorists or other dangerous people from finding a way to go untraced.

Location Tracking

I think that implanting ID chips in children can be a good idea if done right. Children can run off and get lost so having a way to find them can be beneficial. But one of the drawbacks is that if implanting the chip allows you to find them, it is possible for other people to find them as well which is a huge privacy issue. I think the benefits do outweigh the risks in this case. Parents should be able to decide if they want to implant a chip in their children up to a certain age. If Congress passed a bill that required children up to the age of 5 to be chipped, I wouldn't support it. It should be a choice of the parents, not the government. I don't think that teenagers should be tracked, at that point it is less of a safety precaution and more of a way to keep track of them. I think the GPS shoes or a chip in clothing for someone with Alzheimer's would be a good idea, that way there is a way to find them. But that should not be a requirement, that should be a choice of the family or the person's caretaker.

Fact

The world is connected by technology.