On Friday I was lucky enough to attend a fantastic professional development seminar by Robyn Treyvaud(founder of cybersafekids.com.au) on how young people use digital technologies. As we know, technology is a wonderful business and learning resource to us all and it often becomes part of our social and cultural currency. However, the convenience, impulsivity and anonymity of many digital mediums does make the use of them potentially harmful to both ourselves and to others.
If you are a Year 12 student reading this post please carefully consider your digital identity. Information about you, either written or visual can appear on the internet and you have very little control over its content, validity, or its movement. Impulsive actions by you can leave a lasting effect on your identity across these digital mediums which could cause you embarrassment or even restrict your opportunities for future employment/careers. If you are concerned about your digital identity you could consider www.reputationdefender.com. This site is aimed at ensuring that potential unwanted or harmful content about you is not left in cyberspace. It is not an automatic saviour however, as it can only access public sites, and so social networking sites like facebook cannot be reviewed. It also is not intended to give you anonymity for any poor/inappropriate choices you make when using digital media. Nevertheless, it is a useful site for your digital peace of mind allowing you to enjoy adolescence without the potential stigma of your own personal experiences becoming public, and remaining digitally accessible for years to come.
If you are a parent reading this post there are a number of great sites that can help you consider the best way to support your family using digital technologies responsibly and safely. Try:
www.cybersmart.gov.au
https://onlinefamily.norton.com/
www.cybersafekids.com.au
Also consider this article: www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html
