Internet Safety
I was a kid as online forums and chat became popular. As a result we were drilled about Internet Safety at school regularly.
But I realized that slightly older generations didn't have the same Internet Safety lessons drilled into them, and many are unaware of certain aspects. It has really concerned me when I've read certain comments on support groups in the past.
Here are a list of things you should understand about the internet:
But I realized that slightly older generations didn't have the same Internet Safety lessons drilled into them, and many are unaware of certain aspects. It has really concerned me when I've read certain comments on support groups in the past.
Here are a list of things you should understand about the internet:
- ANYONE can create a Facebook, instagram, Google+, etc. account that looks real. Do you know how easy it is to steal pictures from another person's account and impersonate them? Do you know how easy it is from them to claim they are a doctor, nurse, or other professional? Anyone can join a POTS support group and pretend they have POTS (though I'm not sure why anyone would want to, it is possible).
- FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUPS ARE NOT "SAFE"! It scares me how often I've seen people in support groups claim that the group is "safe". I'm not saying they're all full of perverted murderers, but you have absolutely no way of knowing that people are who they say they are. That doesn't mean to avoid them - facebook support groups have made HUGE differences in my life. You just need to be careful how you use them. Some people think that because a group is considered "closed" or "private", that each member is screened for authenticity before they are accepted. While admins do their best to screen everyone, it can beimpossible to tell a fake account from a real one.
- WHATEVER you post online, do not expect it to stay private. If you don't want the whole world knowing something, do not put it on online, no matter how "private" or "safe" the group claims to be. The truth is that ANYONE can copy and paste what you wrote somewhere for the whole world to see. Again, I don't know why anyone would want to do that, but it is possible.
Occasionally on support groups it will be discovered that someone was not who they said they were. When this happens many people freak out and ask if the group is safe, or if they should leave the group. THE GROUP WAS NEVER SAFE TO BEGIN WITH!!! The internet is not safe, but that doesn't mean you should avoid it. The internet is one of the greatest things ever invented. You just need to know how to use it properly and safely.