Oliver Rawlings Asks Everyone to Remember to Use Technology Responsibly

I think the vast majority of us, especially the author of the Oliver Rawlings Blog, agree that the internet is a wonderful thing. Before the internet, life was so much more complicated; we had to walk to the post office or bank to pay bills, we had to pick up a phone if we wanted a chat with our best mate, we had to turn to an encyclopaedia if we wanted to check something. Now, with the internet, all of this is at our fingertips. Need to pay a bill? Online banking! Want to catch up with a mate in Australia? Skype them! Want to look up the answer to a question on a game show? Wikipedia it! The internet has changed our lives so much we even look for love there these days, however we tend to forget just how dangerous a place it can be, especially for teenagers who haven’t quite learned how to use it responsibly yet.

So why am I bringing this up? It may seem odd seeing as I haven’t been a teenager for a few years now. I’m a (somewhat) functioning adult who knows how to handle myself online. However Iwas on the BBC News website this morning (Monday 21^st October) and I saw an article that highlighted just how much of a problem this is among a younger demographic. The article presents the argument that children between 9 and 11 are engaging in extremely risky behaviour online. It backed this up with survey figures drawn up by ISC2 IT Security Education group, which suggests that these children are playing online games meant for a much older, often adult audience and that many are sharing personal information online.

Also the survey highlighted that 18% of the 1,162 children surveyed said that they had arranged real world meetings with friends online and also that a staggering 55% of children accept cyber bullying as a part of everyday life. For anyone, these figures are shocking. I’m all for young people using the internet; I certainly did, even if it wasn’t quite as advanced back then. But I never used it like this; I was taught how to use it responsibly. The real danger here is twofold. Firstly, this could lead them into real danger, especially as they are the more vulnerable members of society; they don’t know how to handle this sort of thing responsibly. Secondly, they could develop bad online habits; even when you’re my age, agreeing to share all your details online is a bad idea.

I am, as you all know by now, a huge technology enthusiast. I believe it’s a good thing. However, it needs to be used responsibly. I learned how to use the internet, like many of us did, through my IT lessons at school. I learned to be careful, to use this medium responsibly. It seems that maybe the lesson to take from these stats is to start educating kids younger.