Shalysela Ashton, Jamie Walker, and Ella Walker Surfing the internet for memes. Photo by Lillian Wade
A prevalent idea in our day and age is online safety, as our lives tend to revolve around online sources and websites.
As young adults and college students, navigating the internet has become a common occurrence. With this, comes many unknowns including how to stay safe online.
While the internet can be an amazing thing that allows us to connect with people who live far away, the internet is also an intimidating and scary thing to navigate.
Officer Eddy Christensen said, “When you are online, you don’t have any idea who you are talking to or communicating with. If you are meeting people, talking to people online, just be aware, be vigilant, keep your guard up; meaning don’t share all your personal information.”
This means that when interacting with others online, it is important for students and others to be cautious when sharing information. Since there is no real way of telling who is on the other side of the communication, staying cautious with words and actions is quite important.
Christensen also said, “If you choose to meet someone online, make sure that you’ve got some information from them. Make sure that friends or roommates or somebody knows who you are meeting, what you are doing, where you are going. Never do something in secret.”
Whether online dating, or choosing to sell something online, these are some astute rules to follow. These will not only keep Badgers safe, but the experience is likely to be a lot better for all parties. An idea of where to meet someone may be a restaurant in a city or even a store. Public places are some of the best places to meet strangers and it allows people to avoid private and sketchy meetings.
Badgers are encouraged to take precautions when it comes to navigating online. The internet can be a wonderful resource for research or for reaching out to friends, but there are so many unknowns when it comes to those people that are not in your immediate circle. Students should remember that staying safe should be the number one priority.