Whenever we discuss and praise the advantages and benefits of an innovative idea or invention, invariably there will be a rider to warn about the ill effects of the same. The internet is no exception to the rule. The all pervasive internet has made valuable contribution to the overall development of the humanity with technological innovations including broadband services, 3G mobile technology and more. But certain safety precautions are essential to make the facility effective and foolproof.
Computer and internet are no more a privileged possession of the adults in the family. Children use the facility as an educational tool and for that reason they are provided with computers for exclusive use. It is now widely used by the kids independently as a part of their curriculum. Apart from the educational purpose, the computer is utilized for gaming also, as a natural impulse of the growing years. There are possibilities of youngsters being strayed into hazardous territories of the internet. Sexual predators will be on their games to allure the innocent minds to their domain.
While discussing about the internet safety, the first and foremost problem to be addressed is its impacts on the children. It is the responsibility of the parents to protect and safeguard them from the potential hazards of the internet. There is no substitute for parental care. Children must be cautioned about the dangers hidden behind the innocuous desktop. Equally important is to have supervision on the kids using internet.
Pornographic materials are fed into many websites by unscrupulous stalkers to woo gullible men and women as well as children. Innumerable cases of people being duped and cheated are revealed everyday. Among many potential threats faced by the internet users are cyber stalking, identity thefts, theft of personal information like credit card and bank account numbers, hackers and viruses.
There are instances where gullible persons are wooed with attractive offers of financial gains. In the process the victims will be robbed of hundreds or thousands of pounds. Victims very often do not reveal their experiences or make complaints about such cases of deprivation, giving rooms for similar offences being committed on many others.
Genuine and reputed internet service providers are making efforts to provide content filters. Cyber laws are being enacted by governments. But still there are many loopholes for the predators to strike. Exercising care and caution is the best option for the internet users. Consumer organizations should make efforts to spread awareness among cyber users through media advertisements.
Apart from advising children, the adults also should take precautions. They should never open messages received from unknown and unidentified sources. One should not respond to the invitations from strangers to chat or send messages. Care should be taken not to reveal personal information like password, credit card number or bank account details to strangers. Use always a web based e mail. Never reply unsolicited mails, especially when they contain attractive offers. Collect details like address, phone number etc before dealing with a person. With internet gambling, always deal with only secure sites.
The internet users should always be vigilant against the potential hazards mentioned above. Even though internet is a user friendly utility, the risks involved in the system are many. Care and caution should be exercised to avoid such hazards. |