Reader Response Draft 4

In the article “The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks”, Emm (2014) claims that the increasing dependency on the internet “exposes the minutiae of our daily lives” to individuals who can collect this information. While the internet can make users’ lives more convenient, security can be easily compromised. Sharing too much information online can also threaten the safety of individuals and their organizations. Although the threat of cyber crimes on mobile devices has yet to be evident, Emm (2014) urges readers not to be complacent about security by recommending measures such as using different passwords for different accounts and updating them regularly.  

Being part of the Generation Y, I can relate to this article since the internet has become a necessity in my life. In fact, most users have become so reliant on their mobile devices that they probably will be uncomfortable without it even for a few hours. Emm (2014) mentions that users depend so much on applications in their daily tasks that “our personal communications, our buying preferences, even our very whereabouts” are known to those who have access to this information. However, I feel that dependence on mobile devices does not always result in the details of users’ daily lives being exposed and there are several factors that the article has failed to consider. The first factor being that not all applications will contain or reveal personal details of the user. For instance, applications used to track expenses, watch videos, and check arrival timings of buses are unlikely to contain personal information that jeopardize users’ safety.  

For applications that contain private details of the user, security settings are put in place to prevent others from accessing this information. For example, users using internet banking applications have to go through a two-factor authentication system. They will have to key in a code from their security token and a pin number send to their registered phones before they can carry out a transaction. In addition, applications used for communication purposes have come out with various features to protect users’ conversations (Dredge, 2014). Telegram allows users to have secret chat group that contains the feature of self-destructing messages (Albright, 2014) while TextSecure on the other hand, allows users to encrypt their messages and can only be accessed using a passphrase (Demi, 2014). As users rely more on the internet, developers of these applications are also strengthening their security features to better protect users’ information.

Lastly, dependency on the internet alone does not leads to users’ lives being overexposed and their safety being compromised. The content that users choose to share on the internet and the people that they share with are vital as well. Although, it may not be necessary for users to share their location or to make their social media accounts public, I have observed that some users did not privatize their accounts, granting strangers access to their profiles and Foursquare, an application that enables users to share their location is still widely used. This is worrying as sharing personal information on social media can leads to dire consequences. For instance, Helen Flanagan, a public figure got robbed after a tweet revealing that her boyfriend was away (Bull & Cooper, 2013). As the example shows, it is important that users do not overshare information online so as to protect their own safety.

In conclusion, reliance on the internet is not the only factor that leads to the overexposure of users’ lives. As developers improve the security features of applications to better protect the privacy of users, users have to play their part by not divulging personal information to strangers. To further protect their privacy, users can take in tips provided by Emm to strengthen the security of their online accounts.

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References:

Albright, D. (2014, November 17). Telegram provides a secure & fast-growing alternative to WhatsApp. Retrieved from http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/telegram-provides-secure-fast-growing-alternative-whatsapp/

Bull, S., & Cooper, R. (2013, June 19). Terror of Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan as three armed raiders break into her house and steal jewellery and mobile phone after she tweeted she was home alone. Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2343839/Helen-Flanagan-left-shaken-armed-raiders-break-house-steal-jewellery-mobile-phone.html

Demi, J. (2014, May 13). TextSecure feature overview. Retrieved from http://www.johannesdeml.com/blog/textsecure-feature-overview/

Dredge, S. (2014, December 11). Worried about leaky chats? Messaging apps are responding with security features. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/11/messenger-private-chats

Emm, D. (2014, March 21). The perils of over-sharing in social networks. Huffpost Tech. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html