Reflections and Thoughts about the Future of the Internet

Through this module, I have learnt that the internet is a double-edged sword. There are abundant advantages that the internet has brought about. These include greater freedom of speech, the ability to use the internet as a multipurpose tool for learning, conducting business transactions, gaming, and many more.

However I have also learnt that the ubiquitous nature of the internet has inadvertently created more opportunities for crimes to take place online. Due to the openness and accessibility of the internet, cybercrimes such as cyber bullying, phishing and online pornography are able to take place at rapid rates, as cybercrimes can happen anytime and anywhere. Since the internet has made it possible for users to keep their identity anonymous of they choose to, it becomes even more challenging to identify and arrest cyber criminals. To make things worse, as cybercrimes are relatively new in comparison to crimes committed victims of cyber-attacks often do not know that they are being targeted. Furthermore, it is highly likely that victims of cyber-crimes do not know how to deal with the issue due to limited help and expertise available. 

With better improvements in technology, I believe that the future of the internet will continue to shape the way we think and behave in the future. I am certain that the world will continue to converge as the internet will supply us with even more opportunities to interact and connect with people living in remote regions of the world. There would be greater efficiency and learning benefits that the internet will bring about. However, I also believe that the future internet will introduce us to a much more complex virtual ecosystem than the present. Online criminal activities would continue to surge and it remains as a challenge for users to keep their online information private and personal.

As a result, I believe that as media literate students, we ought to have the responsibility and accountability whenever we participate in online activities. We should always check on our privacy settings and ensure that our computer software is constantly up-to-date. This would prevent our computers from being corrupted and prohibit information from being stolen by unauthorized personnel. Ultimately, it is users have to take full responsibility in ensuring that the internet is not taken for granted and put to good use.

Online Gaming

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The internet has spurred new ways of gaming. Nowadays, gaming does not only take place through the use of gaming devices like PlayStation and X-Box. The popularity of online gaming is surging as people are finding it more convenient to play games online.

Gaming used to be perceived as a hobby for hardcore gaming enthusiasts. This was because in the past, gaming equipment are a basic requirement for gamers to indulge in their hobby. Gaming equipment like game consoles and game cartridges are pretty expensive in the past, considering that gaming industry was pretty new in the digital age. As a result, gaming was a luxury which only the rich and middle-classes could afford.

The advent of the internet, however, has perpetuated more accessible and affordable ways of gaming. Online gaming is more accessible, convenient and cheaper than offline gaming. Gamers no longer need to save up for professional gaming equipment to participate in an online game. Majority of online games require the most basic computer equipment. Only gamers who wish to enhance their gaming experience would consider purchasing better equipment for themselves.

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In addition, online gaming has also enabled communication to take place in the virtual world. With the introduction of multiplayer role playing games (RPG), players involved in interactive gaming can interact and play with other players from other parts of the world. This provides them with opportunities to socialize with other players online and develop healthier gaming habits—habits that involved communication and interaction as opposed to an individual playing a game by his/ herself.

Online gaming has also changed world people view gaming. As many networking sites like Facebook introduces new games to the social media community once in a while, light gamers are encouraged to play games at their own leisure. There is no pressure for them to commit into a serious gaming mode, unlike hardcore gamers. Hence, online gaming provides a wider variety of games for all kinds of gamers.

More people are beginning to recognize online gaming as a professional occupation. Dozens of gaming events are organized each month to reward professional gamers with recognition and monetary rewards for their contributions towards the gaming industry. As technology progresses, the gaming industry is becoming more sought after. Gaming companies are expanding and constantly recruiting new game developers to carry the gaming experience into the next level.  

Social Media vs. Face-to-Face Interaction

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It was not until the 21^st century that the internet became the almighty powerful tool. Before the world was introduced to the internet, the only ways that people could communicate with one another over long distances was through mails and telegram messages. Even then, it took a long time for messages to be passed to the recipient and often, these messages were lost along the way.

As we enter into the post industrialized age today, it is evident that communication has improved significantly, mostly due to improvements in technology and new inventions like the internet and smartphones. Social networking sites are sprouting out online, allowing people from various parts of the world to connect with one another.

As a result of the wide-scale usage of social media and social networking sites, there is a growing concern that more people are spending time to communicate online, rather than engaging in meaningful face-to-face interaction. This controversy has sparked arguments about how the social networking sites are replacing real time face-to-face communication among social networking users. Some have argued that mediated technology, including the use of social networking sites are causing users to be more isolated than before. In the light if this debate, I would like to offer my opinions regarding this subject.

To start with, I do not believe that social networking sites cause users to be isolated. There are a couple of reasons why I believe this is so.

image is taken in courtesy of: http://carolynandersonmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/online-communication.jpg

1)  Social networking sites are platforms for users to communicate with their friends and loved ones. It provides an alternative venue for users to foster healthy relationships online which may not be possible through face-to-face interaction due to differences in geological proximity.

2) Besides maintaining relationships, social networking sites are meant to encourage users to socialize online and widen their social network. As a result, users are able to reconnect with their friends whom them have not met in a long time and get introduced to new friends online. The six degrees of separation phenomenon can be used to explain how individuals can end up getting to know a friend of their friends who also happen to be a close friend of another friend of theirs. This contributes to wider and richer social networking ties. 

3) Getting to know more friends online through various social networking websites may lead to better quality conversations in comparison to face-to-face interaction. For some users, especially those who are socially awkward and introverted, conversing online is an outlet for self-disclosure. Some users may feel uncomfortable approaching someone and start a conversation with them. Social networking sites therefore opens up more opportunities for these individuals to discover new friends and communication techniques. Users may feel more encouraged to start offline conversations with others once they feel comfortable talking to them online. From this perspective, networking sites serves to encourage more participation and face-to-face interaction.

4) Social networking sites are not the main cause of isolation. It does not mean that people who participate in activities involving social media engage in less face-to-face interaction. The primary factor here is time management. Individuals who have good time-management skills would not find it challenging to handle both kinds of communication and hence, will not feel isolated. On the contrary, they would feel less isolated because of the high amounts of socializing activities they are involved in.

To conclude, I feel that it is presumptuous to assume that using social networking sites directly causes isolation.  Of course, social networking sites can threat opportunities for individuals to engage in meaningful face-to-face communication; however, I believe that this only happens when a user has poor management skills. 

4 Gentlemen of English Band, LAWSON, Performing Live in Singapore for the First Time

After attending their first showcase in Singapore, I am thrilled to present a short snippet of their live performance for one of my personal favourite songs of their album, Chapman Square. The song that is performed is entitled Learn to Love Again. Enjoy!

(Note: due to errors in uploading, the video can only be uploaded from my personal youtube account)

Augmented Reality

 

images are taken in courtesy of: http://owni.eu/files/2011/05/augmentedreality2.jpg and http://exploreengage.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/6.jpg

Augmented reality, a new form of technology has revolutionized learning, advertising and gaming. By making use of haptics, graphics and sound, augmented reality has changed the way in which users view their world. It causes viewers to be immersed into an entirely different virtual environment that is built from a two-dimensional (2D) image. Viewers who have firsthand experience of augmented reality can benefit from the computer generated graphics that simulate real-life objects that are in front of their eyes.    

Personally, I believe that there are plenty of benefits of augmented reality. Many devices, including computers, video games and mobile phones are now employing the new technology to create a virtual environment for entertainment, learning and commerce. Augmented reality can be used for many purposes, one of them being advertising.  

Augmented Reality and Advertising

For busy, working people who are always on the go, shopping has never been a greater pain for them. Racking through shelves after shelves, carefully reading labels of products in search for the perfect brand of product can cost unnecessary time. With Augmented reality, consumers will have an easier time searching for their products without the need to go through the laborious process of figuring out the contents written on those labels.

Likewise, advertisers who market their products using augmented reality create a niche product that would allow consumers to obtain fast and easy information about their products. Through augmented reality, information about a particular product will be displayed on an interactive screen. Buyers can whip out their mobile devices and other portable electronic devices to get information that is related to the product by simply taking a shot of the product itself. This is not only a convenient way of shopping; but it also ensures that the information given is simple and understandable, something that is often lacking in product labels these days. Sometimes, consumers have difficulty reading labels of product due to its small fonts or lack of interpretation of the original language written on them. Thus, this serves to communicate information to consumers in a clear, concise and entertaining approach.

More importantly, the ability to store and display information through the enhanced visual technology also mean that advertisers can keep consumers updated with the latest information about the product. Companies can benefit from unnecessary cost spent in recalling products due to incorrect information printed on their products.

Finally, with the improvements of technology in this fast-paced society, advertising products through the use of augmented reality would certainly rack up more sales for companies as the graphics featured are attention-grabbing and compelling. There is no doubt that viewers would stop and pay attention to those info graphics popping out of those products!

The Emergence of Citizen Journalism and how the Internet has Shaped it

Internet accessibility has made it easier for citizens to reach out to one another through citizen journalism. Anyone and everyone who has access to the internet can create new forums for discussions and the exchange of new information. Without a doubt, the internet has shaped the future of journalism. It has changed the way in which news and information is being reported to the masses.

With the aid of the internet, anyone can basically report and discuss new issues and news with other internet users. There is no need for professional reporters to constantly feed the masses with information as citizens would be present on the ground to post updates and new information about issues at hand. Citizens who were present at the scene would be able to provide firsthand experiences about the issue, something which professional journalists do not experience at times.

The Shift in Power

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits that citizen journalism provides is the exclusion of the state and media censorship. For many who are unaware what goes on behind the scenes of the journalism industry, the most powerful people working in the industry are the media gatekeepers. They are the ones who decide the type of news that should be reported and how it should be reported.  As result of the mediated gatekeeping, readers do not to get to choose the type of information they want and how they want the information to be presented to them. Applying the AIDA model in this sense, the media captures the public attention by directing its news agenda to the public to make it seem like it is the most important news that the public should be aware of.  

Now, however, with citizen journalism, the tables have turned. The power and control over the media has shifted from media gatekeepers to concerned citizens and aspiring street journalists who decide what is newsworthy and commendable of our attention. Readers have the ability to determine the type of information they want to get, and how they want it to be interpreted.

A Call for Greater Transparency

Citizen journalism also encourages the sharing of multiple views and interpretations of information.  With the aid of citizen journalism, the masses can get more involved with any information they receive from any source. Media literate readers would be able to get alternative sources of information, and analyze and compare them before passing their judgment on the issue. From this perspective, it can be said that citizen journalism provides greater transparency in news delivery. It provides a checklist for citizens to analyze whether the content provided by professional journalists are accurate and unbiased.

It is also important to note that hypercommercialism is less of an issue when it comes to online citizen journalism. With the exception of a few official online citizen journalism websites like STOMP!, one can hardly see extensive advertisement campaigns being featured by citizen journalists. These advertisements are not only distracting to readers, but they also remove the essence of journalism—to report clear and accurate information for the benefit of the citizens. Unlike newspapers and current affairs magazines (which are plastered with countless of advertisements in every page), citizen journalism captures the true intent of journalism by ensuring that the public remains informed and focused about the issues due to the absence of hypercomercialization.

Lastly, the most important thing to take home from this is the need to be intelligent media literate readers. Instead of blindly absorbing information presented by the media, we should always question the intent and information given by the media.

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Exploring the Truths about Cyber Bullying

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Once bitten, twice shy. Victims of petty cybercrimes such as online scams, phishing, spying and information stealing would have probably learnt their lesson to protect their personal information made available online to prevent themselves from being targeted victims of criminalized activities again. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for victims of cyber bullying. Victims of cyber bullying are constantly being taunted online, resulting in long-term emotional and physical impairments. Today, more internet users are victims of cyber bullying in comparison to a decade ago.

Cyber bullying is reportedly on the rise worldwide. In 2011, one million children were harassed, threatened or subjected to other forms of cyber bullying on Facebook. Just two years ago, Singapore reported its first victim of a cyber-bullying attack who committed suicide after being slammed by her ex-boyfriend on Facebook.  In 2008, the Straits Times reported that Singapore has the second highest number of cyber bullying cases after the U.S. Although the number local cases involving death as a result of cyber bullying remains considerably low, these reports should be chilling enough to force us to reconsider the effects of cyber bullying. 

Types of Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying comes in various forms. The first group of cyber bully usually engaging in hate speeches through the internet to illustrate their aversion towards a particular group of people, or an individual who belongs to a particular community. This includes directing extremely offensive language to people of a certain race, gender or class. While this form of cyber bullying is derogatory, it is easier for victims to dissociate themselves from hate groups because signs of the bully’s abhorrence are usually obvious and clear from the beginning.

On the other hand, a second type of cyber bullying is known as flaming or an “electronic road rage”. Flaming occurs when people exchange malicious and hostile comments over the internet. In this case, the victim may unknowingly become a perpetrator of cyber bullying when he/she responds to the hateful comment disparagingly. As a result, cycles of flaming may occur consecutively whenever the involved parties respond to each other in a hurtful and hateful manner. Flaming is critical when the comments are taken too seriously by the victims, resulting in emotional distresses.

How is Cyber Bullying Different from Physical Bullying?

Due to the fact that is greater anonymity online, users are more confident and willing to take bullying onto the internet rather than risk being caught from face-to-face bullying. More than 81 per cent of youth agree that bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.  80 per cent of them also feel that it is easier to hide online bullying from parents than in-person bullying.

Consequences of Cyber Bullying

As mentioned previously, unlike trivial cybercrimes, in which the criminal’s objective is to gather information mainly for monetary gains, cyber bullying has a profound and long-lasting impact that cost more damage to the victim than his/her wallet. Victims of cyber bullying often find themselves being physiologically and emotionally traumatized to a point where they may cause physical harm to themselves. This includes self-mutilation and having suicidal thoughts.

The Flipside about Cyber Bullying

There are many assumptions and myths about cyber bullying. The following points are interesting and less commonly known facts about cyber bullying.

1) Interestingly, cyber bullies do not just target vulnerable, ordinary students and kids. There have been multiple cases in which celebrities have become the targets of cyber bullying. In tech-savvy Seoul especially, an endless list of popular celebrities like Kim Tae Hee and MC Mong are criticized and bullied for groundless reasons. There are even reports of celebrities committing suicide due to the backlash made by cyber bullies.

2) It is also notable that more girls are cyber bullies than boys. Reasons for this could include that girls are less physically able than boys; therefore, cyber bullying would be a more ideal and preferable means of provoking others in comparison to physical bullying.

3) Cyber bullies are more likely to have engaged in sexting—the act of sending nude photos or sexually explicit messages to another person via electronic means. Many infamous cyber bullying cases in the U.S. like those involving Ryan Patrick Halligan and Megan Meier.

References:

http://www.edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/news/608218/Girl_16_falls_to_death_in_cyber_bully_tragedy.html

http://www.touch.org.sg/node/255

http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm

The X-Rated: Online Pornography

image is taken in courtesy of: http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/stats-on-internet-pornography/

The internet has enabled more content to be shared and exchanged effortlessly online. It provides multiple resources for learning, exchanging of information and conducting business transactions. Prior to the invention of the internet, information were passed down through other channels of medium, mainly through newspapers and magazines. However, the introduction of the internet has spurred thousands of dangerous online activities; one of them includes the sharing of pornographic contents online.

Statistics by the Family Safe Media have shown that online pornography acts are becoming more prevalent. Around the world, 3,075.64 dollars are being spent on pornography every second. Each second, 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography, and a new pornographic video is created in the United States for every 39 minutes.

One of the reasons which accounts for the rise of pornographic activities online is due to the openness and accessibility of the web. It is not only easy for users to upload erotic contents online, but it is also difficult to control the activities that take place online. Even though government censorship of a handful of adult websites may help to reduce the pornography, the measure taken still has its limitations.

Due to these factors, online pornography is a disturbingly issue that needs to be addressed. Users and interested parties are not only the ones affected by pornographic videos. Teenagers and young children are also exposed to sexually explicit material without their knowledge. For every website and link that a child clicks, there is high possibility that they are inadvertently exposed to various images and advertisements that hook them up with pornographic material.  The most frightening thing about this is that little can be done to monitor and control the materials that teenagers and young children get exposed through the internet.  

Beyond this lie deeper social issues which bring about negative consequences for teenagers and young children. To begin with, the large presence of online pornography seems to suggest that online pornography is normal and acceptable. Internet users who come across pornographic materials online by accident would subconsciously feel a need to confine to the sexual standards presented by the material. There are already growing concerns that teenage girls feel pressurized to look like porn stars due to online pornography.

In addition, online pornography may deliver untrue information about sex to children and teenagers. As children and teenagers are relatively inexperienced and uneducated about sexual activities, they are highly vulnerable to sexual content displayed online. It therefore goes without saying that there is a high probability that they would trust the information presented to them on the internet, without questioning its validity and accuracy.

An author, better known as Tim Chester pointed out, “15% of boys have seen child pornography online, 32% have seen bestiality, 39% have seen sexual bondage, 83% of have seen group sex and 69% have seen same-sex intercourse and the figures for girls are not far behind.

“This is the sex education our children are receiving.”

Certainly, the online sex industry is thriving and proliferating. Although measures such as school talks and education (informal and formal) have been taking place to warn children about dangerous sexual content published on the internet, the fact that anyone and everyone can access the internet, makes it all the more, an important social issue.    

References:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2294797/Girls-feel-pressure-look-like-porn-stars-Teacher-urges-MPs-tackle-online-filth.html#ixzz2RNf2R7bY

http://timchester.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/porn-statistics-2/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9934792/Pornography-online-is-warping-childrens-minds-teachers-warn.html

http://familysafemedia.com/pornography_statistics.html#time

Cybercrimes: Phishing vs. Spying

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As the internet progresses on from web 1.0 to web 2.0, it has become easier for crimes and frauds to be committed online. Among the commonly known cybercrimes, such as laptop theft, computer system abuse and online information theft, the latter is the most common type of cybercrimes committed globally.  

Before the proliferation of the internet, the only way for criminals to steal a person’s personal information was to intercept their mail or eavesdrop on their conversation. All of these could be easily detected by the victims or passersby who happen to witness the criminals committing the crime.

However, as we are living in a century where globalization and the internet had taken a foothold of society, criminals no longer need to be present at the scene to gather private information of an individual. Without a doubt, the proliferation of the internet has enabled more criminals to commit illegal activities online with little fear of getting arrested.

Phishing

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http://hackingwithahmed.blogspot.sg/2013/01/hack-facebook-using-phishing.html

Phishing is one the most common illegal activities that take place online. In the first half of 2011, PayPal was reported as the most targeted domain for phishing attacks with a recorded 34,209 attacks.  

There are two types of phishing which an attacker uses to target their victims. One type of phishing, known as mass phishing, takes place when a criminal randomly chooses it victims. Phishers place baits on several victims at once, in hopes that one of them may fall prey to its hoax. On the other hand, spear phishing is an attack in which victims with high value assets are specifically targeted. In this case, the phisher may make multiple detailed attempts to steal information from his/her chosen victims. As the victims who are targeted usually posse valuable information or assets, phishers who are targeting this group of victims are expected to be more meticulous and possibly, more experienced phishers. Despite the long wait and small number of targeted victims, phishers who engage in spear phishing tend to receive greater yields than mass phishing. Overall, an attacker can expect a 150,000 dollar profit from a spear phishing attack as opposed to netting 14,000 dollars from a mass phishing campaigns. In certain cases, spear phishers may also target specific organizations with higher rates of returns.

There are a few ways for phishers to obtain personal information illegally online.

Firstly, there are a group of phishers who would create a domain or use an inactive existing domain to trick internet users into falling for their scams. Besides convincing to get users to submit their information through various domains and websites, phishers also make use of spam emails to get users to divulge information about them. Most of the time, these emails would be marked as unsafe, junk mail by the email account system. However, many inexperienced internet users would still fall for these scams, especially when it contains company logos and emails that appear to be genuine and professional.

Online Spying…Shhhs….

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http://antivirusforpc.net/images/pic4.jpg

Another way in which information is stolen online is through the use of spyware. According to several online sources, spyware is a software that helps criminals to obtain personal information from a third party. These include the use of system monitors, tracking cookies, adware and Trojans. By using spyware, criminals can easily obtain information from users without them knowing.

Unlike phishing, experienced internet users can also be victims of online spying as it is difficult to detect spies because of its omnipresence. Spywares are easily found on websites, making it challenging for users to monitor them. Unless computer users install anti-spyware softwares and consistently deletes their tracking cookies, it is almost impossible to protect themselves from being victims of spyware.

In comparison to computer viruses and worms, spyware do not duplicate itself. Hence, it would hardly affect the computer system after it has been removed.

References:

http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/facultyPages/cyberCriminals/operate.html

http://www.allspammedup.com/2012/09/phishing-a-look-inside-the-statistics/

The Golden Era of Politics and the Internet

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These days, the internet is fast becoming the golden era of politics. Many citizens turn to the internet to keep themselves updated with the latest news and information. The internet has also made it possible for citizens to engage in healthy debates and the exchange of political views with other citizens. Viewing this phenomenon from a communication theorist perspective, the internet has indeed allowed multi-directional communication to take place effortlessly. Citizens no longer need to rely on print media—newspapers and magazines—to keep them updated for the latest news. News on the internet is fast, immediate and more engaging in comparison to individual news reading.

Internet, a direct lever for democracy

With globalization, the internet has become the direct lever for democracy.  Many politicians have recognized the importance of the internet as a social lever for encouraging political participation among the masses. It is increasingly evident that more politicians are taking governance and politicking to a new level by using the internet as a medium for advocating political campaigns and new policies.

A common example used by the media is the 2008 USA Presidential Elections. While President Obama’s success in the campaign is largely attributed to his eloquence, persuasiveness and intelligence, there is no denial that his involvement in politics through the use of social media platforms, especially twitter, played a huge role in his victory. Likewise, many leaders today are embracing technology and the internet to convey political sentiments and outreach to the masses.

In local context, more leaders are using social media platforms to connect with their fellow citizens. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and several MPs have set up official Facebook pages for easy dissemination of information. Using social media and the internet does not only make it more accessible for the politicians to broadcast information directly to it citizens. It also makes it easier for citizens to communicate and raise their views to a particular political party.  

Using the internet as a tool for political polarization

While the internet has its advantages of bringing the masses together to participate in sociopolitical activities, it is difficult to assume that there would be greater political stability as a result of politicians’ involvement in the internet and social media activities. Due to its ubiquitous nature, the internet has allowed users to post and view information anonymously. Users can easily make derogatory remarks and give unsupportive feedback which may go against the motives of political leaders. Although media literate individuals believe that such actions promote open-mindedness and diversity in communication, this can also be perceived as a threat to political unity within a country.

The 2011 General Elections has demonstrated that the new media—blogs, social networking sites and micro-blogging sites—have an unintended effects when citizens engage in internet-related activities to provide alternative voices about the social issue plaguing the Island. The result of this proved to be devastating to the dominant political party when as countless of citizens took the opportunity to declare their support for other alternative parties. This example is sufficient to illustrate how the internet can promote political division among dominant parties and advocate polarizing ideologies.