How Technology Has Changed Us

This article is basically saying that technology nowadays has changed our lives so much. It is second nature to just look something up on the internet if we're not sure about something. Also, for students, they get to use technology in different ways to benefit them. Using technology has also made different tasks a lot easier, and cheaper. The article I found and read will be in the link below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/11256382/How-technology-has-changed-student-life.html

( I got the image above from this webpage http://training.tonyrobbins.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/thenvsnow.jpg )

Digital Citizens

I think it is easier to be mean to someone online that offline. Mostly because the bully may not have the actual guts to say it to their face. Also, there isn't much you can do about it online. Being nice and being careful what we say to people online, is really important. If you wouldn't want someone to be mean to you, then you shouldn't do it to them. And if someone is mean to you online, just tell a trusted adult, or other guardian you may have. Don't respond to the other person as it will only make matters worse, usually. We should always remember to treat people the way we would want to be treated. Most likely, you would not like it very much if someone came up to you (online or offline) and just started making fun of you. So remember that if you ever think about doing that to someone else. You're both humans, you both have the same feelings most likely. If you wouldn't do it offline, don't do it online. If it is offensive to anyone at all, don't do it at all.

(I got the picture above from this link https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4narh2hTNvCSmSs4A4F-b35xhzEWoexAZu58C1VgP0DoxU_WQQm-gpzoEUYBx5qXGhXDkisR7DoWFrpWzGcB1QCiz7nqNJyf8sviBI-XSPM0uoENcFjoK3D9jv8lRfHCO48AFqcpIAY/s1600/digital+citizenship.png )

Ethical Computer Use

There are some people who download music, videos, games, etc. illegally. I was asked if I think these people should be punished or not. I do believe that people who do this, know that what they are doing is illegal. I believe that they know that if they get caught, they could be in serious trouble, and might go to jail. Seeing as it is illegal, I do agree that they should be punished for their crime. Downloading illegal content takes money from the big businesses that provide it. Say for example, you're downloading music and burning it on a blank CD. Yes, it is easier and cheaper for you, but doing that won't give the money to the person who's music you just downloaded illegally. It's basically like stealing a CD from a store. Same goes for movies and video games, etc. That's why at the beginning of every ,movie you will see, it gives you a warning that usually starts off saying "Piracy is Not a Victimless Crime."

(I got the image above from http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/7/21/1311276748279/Downloading-007.jpg )

Once it's on The Internet, it's There Forever!

I'm sure you've heard the quote "Once it's on the internet, it's there forever!" before. Well I hope so, because it's very true. Once you post a picture, or anything else on the internet, it's there forever. Even if you delete it. A good way to protect yourself is to not post anything on the internet that you would regret anyone seeing, or regret later, or just don't post anything at all. I know sometimes posting funny pictures is tempting sometimes. But even that could be bad for you because, if someone doesn't like it, they could easily start commenting bad things on it. Then you might wish you didn't post that picture, or video, etc. Another good way to stay safe, is to think about the many possibilities before you post something. Like, will this upset or anger someone else, will this come back at me and make me regret posting this, will it get me or someone else in trouble? etc. Just be careful before you post something online because it will stay there forever. The internet does not have a delete key. The internet remembers everything you, and everyone else posts. No matter if you can delete it or not, it's still there.

(I got the image above from http://cybersafetyed422.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/5/1/11511702/9516695_orig.jpg )

The Importance of Safe Passwords

You might wonder, "Is my password safe?" Well here are some ways to make sure of that. The simpler your password is, the easier it is for hackers to guess it. It would be a good idea to make your password different for each account that you may have. I know I am a victim of this too. I know it's so hard to remember your passwords when they're different for everything. But, you'll be thankful later that no one hacked you because of it. Also, throwing in some random numbers or uppercase/lowercase letters would be much harder to guess for a hacker. Making your passwords long would also be a big help. Shorter passwords are much easier to guess. Never share your password with anyone either.
Without a safe password, hackers can have full access to your banking information, email, social security information, and much more.

The website that I visited for some of this information is http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/tech-services/explore-tips-and-advice/tech-articles/the-most-unsafe-passwords-of-2012-look-like-the-ones-from-2011.html

The place where I got this image is https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk%2Fp%2Fkeep-calm-and-keep-your-passwords-safe%2F&ei=hOHCVMquPIHUgwTCpYHwCQ&psig=AFQjCNFHZJidL6eUPnpv0k_5lhrJqUTlrQ&ust=1422143892788868

Using Technology To Communicate

I believe that we do rely too much on technology, but technology has many valueble sources that we didn't have before. We use technology all the time, especially for communication. That's because it's a lot easier and faster to call someone, or text someone, than sending them a letter in the mail. You would probably agree with me when I say "Technology is an important part of my life, I use it everyday." Well, a lot of people feel that, by using technology as much as we do, students don't have the writing skills that they would have. I agree with this because we text and call so much, that we don't have all the knowledge it takes for writing a letter. Not saying that we don't know how to write a letter, just saying that if something happened and we weren't able to text or call someone (or use any other source of technology to communicate with them) we would have no choice but to write them a letter. How would teens nowadays know how to write and send letters when they are used to texting or calling?

(I go this image from thelantern.com -Credit: Photo illustration by Kristen Mitchell )

Advice on cyberbullying:

1. If you or someone you know is being cyber-bullied, tell an adult or supervisor.
2. If you are being cyber-bullied, the best thing you can do is not to let it bother you, because what they really want to hear, is that they got to you. Don't let them under your skin.
3. Ignore the bully, because you're awesome and they just want to feel better about themselves.
4. Don't bully them back because not only does it also make you a bully, but you would just give them something to work off of, but it could also hurt their feelings. You don't want to add fuel to the fire, or become a bully yourself. Be careful what you say, though you shouldn't say anything to them at all.
5. If someone you know is being cyber-bullied, just do what you can to make them feel better and not get upset because chances are, they are only bullying because they are jealous of something and don't have anything better to do. But, just don't get upset over it because every 60 seconds you spend upset, is another minutes of happiness you'll never get back.

( I got this image from http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-stop-cyber-bullying-27/ )