Reader Response Draft #3

Reader Response Draft #3: 

In the article "The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Network, Emm (2014) states that over-reliance on the internet makes us susceptible to unwarranted threats to personal and organizational security. Many people post online to notify their social circles about their whereabouts, which also increases the accessibility to one's private information. The growing trend poses a risk to not only oneself, but also to their company's image should one divulge his / her organization's information. The author suggests users to enhance their device and internet security and to be wary of what one shares on social media. 

As part of Generation Y, I have views that are parallel to the author's as I personally experience the growing dependency on my phone and the internet to get many daily life tasks done. The brag culture pervades the era we are in now, living with the phenomenon of "pictures or it didn't happen". Golinkoff (2015) mentions that popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have made us obsessed about how we appear to everyone else, busying ourselves by narrating to our online audience instead of living in the moment. Such "normal" and seemingly harmless behavior are, in fact, inviting danger upon ourselves as it results in easy access to our private information and allow others to sneak into our lives. However, Emm's view draws attention to a very narrow aspect of online threats, exaggerating its negative consequences, while invalidating the possible offline dangers.

The author addresses the issue of privacy invasion due to the government's omnipresence online and I agree that this may result in disagreements among a large number citizens. This hot debate and never-ending struggle to find the delicate balance between privacy and personal security will continue to exist as long as there is dependability on the internet. As people exchange emails and surf the internet, they are being tracked of their activities. The term "Big Brother is watching you" has then been formulated, encapsulating the idea of the government snooping behind the screens of the citizens. While such actions are taken to ensure the safety of the people, the issue of individual rights to privacy still persists. 

Even though the government gets a hold of our personal information under surveillance, they are not the most threatening parties online. Schlesinger (2014) affirms that cyber-criminals are the ill-intended users that internet surfers have to be truly wary of. These tech-related criminals are seeking loopholes and vulnerabilities that are shared online by careless and unaware users. They would jump at the opportunity to hack into accounts and gain important information like PIN numbers and other financial data.

However, the threats lurking on the internet are, in fact, a reflection of reality. While many have said that internet is a dangerous platform that allows anyone and everyone to view your profiles, it could happen off the internet too. Crimes such as bank robbery and burglary still happens, out of the cyberspace context. Such dangers are comparable and the threats and risks that are posed by such corruptions - online or offline - are legitimate concerns to everyone. Hence, the article written by Emm accentuates the perils of the internet, while overlooking the crimes that could occur even without the use of the internet. 

To sum up, while Emm gives a very elaborate picture of the negative consequences of the internet, he seems to exaggerate the extent to which dependency on the internet jeopardizes our personal lives, negating other possible crimes that could happen offline too. He also brings up the citizens' uneasiness with the government's prying involvement in our online activities but fails to address the importance of such actions in guarding the security of citizens. 

(614 words)

References:

Emm, D. (2014, August 21). The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks. Retrieved from The Guardian http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html

Golinkoff, R. (2015, February 2). A Conversation About Conversations. Retrieved from The Huffingtonpost http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roberta-michnick-golinkoff/a-conversation-about-conv_b_6590206.html

Schlesinger, J. (2014, June 3). Is Big Brother really watching you?. Retrieved from CNBC http://www.cnbc.com/id/101719082#