How to stay smart in the digital age

All of us take care of our safety and privacy, so why not do it online as well? The internet is a great thing, as with just one click, we get all the information we want. However, we should be aware that sometimes this information may contain unwanted content.

Nowadays, children are completely addicted to electronic gadgets. What if, while web-browsing something related to their studies, they suddenly come across some unwanted content, as mentioned before? No parent would want that to happen.

To prevent this, parents can ask their children to use YouTube Kids, an initiative taken by YouTube to ensure that children don’t come across unwanted content. This app is specially built for kids.

This is just one example; cyber-bullying can happen with adults too. Let’s go through another example:

Suppose you are scrolling and checking your social media account. There is someone who is trying to get friendly with you, and you both start chatting frequently. After some days, they try to ask for your personal information. It may seem very natural to you, just like it would in a face-to-face meeting. However, it’s essential to remember that you are talking to an unknown person whom you haven’t even seen in real life. Therefore, never give your personal information to such people.

Sometimes, similar situations occur in ways we may not immediately realise. People can be manipulative, but we can be smarter. Let’s go through this example:

Now, I’m not saying that every person is going to be a cheater. There are good people too. However, the one who seems overly friendly and nice to us may often be the person trying to deceive us. Therefore, it’s essential to be more alert than we already are.

That person may eventually ask you to meet in person, inquire about where you live, or even ask for your pictures or videos. Although it may seem harmless to you, it can actually be quite harmful.

Certainly, you wouldn’t want your pictures or videos to be used illegally, leading to unwanted trouble with the police. Now that I have shared these points with you, I hope you will think twice before hitting ‘send’ next time!

In a nutshell, it’s important to be careful about what you share online. Don’t reveal sensitive personal information. Understand internet safety rules to secure your digital presence.