Teens & Privacy: Everything Online or in an App Can Last Forever

Hey teens, I have something to tell you and it may not be something you want to hear. Sorry about that in advance. But actually what I have to say is good for everyone to hear, because I’m sure the misconceptions about online privacy don’t end just with your age group. In talking with many teenagers over the past few years, it’s become clear that some of you don’t understand what privacy is, why you should value it, and why you might want to think twice about it. As the Kyle Kashuv case illustrates, nothing that you think is private today will necessarily stay that way forever. Kyle Kashuv Doesn’t Go to Harvard University Kyle Kashuv, like many teens at 16, engaged in a conversation with his friends in a Google Doc where he typed racist words in order to get a rise out of his friends. This sort of exchange is meant to see who can one-up the next friend by using shock value as the currency, and is probably far more common in teens than most people think. Usually, though, this sort of behavior is done in-person, face-to-face, or through online gaming or texting platforms. (Many people, for instance, wrongly believe that if you say something in an online voice chat while gaming, it will never come back to you personally. They are often surprised to find out how untrue that is.) When you leave an electronic trail of such conversations, it’s bound to come back to haunt you. In this case, after Harvard University became aware of the conversation...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Children and Teens General Mental Health and Wellness Technology Online Privacy sharing Teenagers Source Type: blogs