March 2nd marked RB’s second annual Internet safety class. Required by the Illinois law, all schools in the state taught a forty five minute lesson on Internet usage and safety. The senior session told a story of a victim of an Internet predator. This is a very good example to all students that protecting both yourself and privacy is important.
The class also gave in depth knowledge of dangers and legal limits of the web. Since most American teens use the Internet, I thought it was very beneficial to remind us that it is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than the real world. Afterwards, a Facebook pamphlet given to students supervised them on how to keep their information private to strangers. The moment pictures or words are posted on the web, it is impossible to retrieve them or even erase.
The lesson also covered legal issues and problems of cyber fraud. Students expressing violent intentions towards anyone online can also receive severe punishments. In addition, examples of past laws regarding Internet regulations were also stated.
Ultimately, Internet safety class was a success because I believe it gave students reminders of what is lurking on the World Wide Web and what limits students should observe when expressing their feelings.
