ONLINE SAFETY AND BEATING DIGITAL ADDICTION

When you are online, you have a number of people sharing the same space with you even though you are at separate physically. Just like a large market.  It’s required of you to keep safe online because of the bad people on there.

7 TIPS FOR ONLINE SAFETY

1. Never talk to stranger online and keep away from dangerous sites (Just like the way you only go into buildings you know when you move around physically) and you don’t just move about carelessly.
2. Never share your passwords with strangers, to avoid hackers. It’s your, you wouldn’t give the key that opens your house to a stranger.
3. Do not click on just any pop-ups to avoid being hacked.
4. Do not hide your online identity from your parents.
5. Do not click on any link or download that has sent to you that you are unaware of always look out for description on any link.
6. Protect your digital devices (Laptop, Phone, Tablet, etc) by ensuring you have an up-to-date antivirus installed.
7. Prevent Cyber-bullying, there is nothing cool about bullying of being mean or saying mean things about others or to others even remotely. Report immediately if you are a victim of Cyber-bullying to ensure your emotional wellbeing.

Question & Answers

Q)     What do you do when unknown person gain access to your inbox and you realize later that they are member of your family?

A)     Report immediately to your parents and send a report to Google. If it turns out to be a family member, you get to know later and then you know you are safe. All the dangers online are things that can happen over time.

Q)     What do you mean passwords?

A)     It’s like a key to access a room. A set of symbols, numbers, characters or combination of all which allows you space on same online platforms.

Q)     Does it mean a site is fake when I go on Google to search something and Google says it’s fake?

A)     The site might not be fake but it means it’s not safe and your personal information can be viewed by third parties. Exit immediately Google tells you a site is not safe. Stay away from that site.

Q)     Is it okay to hide your identity online?

A)     If you hide your identity, those that know you will not be able to find you. So there is no reason to hide your identity online. Just keep safe.

Q)    Can you bully with your words and what you type?

A)     Of course you can. As humans, we are social beings, so when someone sees you and says “Oh, I like your dress.” You smile and feel good about yourself. In the same way, if someone sees you and calls you a GOAT, It’s like a form of emotional poison and you feel bad. Just like the horrible stories of rapes and killings going around the world now, those involved look away physically but emotionally sick. There are people who have taken their lives online because they were bullied. Never use negative words online or offline.

DIGITAL ADDICTION

Digital is anything that has to do with technology. Addiction is an uncontrolled behaviour; any behaviour you cannot control or that controls you is an addiction. This behaviour can be good or bad. When behaviour is bad and you get used to it for instance Smoking, is an example of bad behaviour. If someone smokes everyday and cannot control it, that person is said to be addicted to smoking.

You can be addicted o a good thing e.g. when you read storybooks; it helps your vocabulary, widens your horizon, so it’s a good thing but when you read all time and abandon your other responsibilities like washing plates in the kitchen, helping your parents out or when you’re in the restroom and you have to with your storybook, or when you’re supposed to be sleeping but you are reading your storybook. That means you are addicted to your storybook.

Addition is any action that overwhelms you and you can’t return to your normal state or do anything else but most times, it is something bad.

Digital Addiction is someone getting so used to using digital devices that it has become poisonous that the person is unable to other things well again and communication is broken down and affects effectively.

According to W.H.O., wellness is not just about being sick physically but also when you are emotionally balanced. Digital addiction is one of the top 10 problems we have in the world today.

There is a digital addiction assessment will be shared to help you understand that digital addiction is a problem.

BEHAVIOURS THAT INDICATE DIGITAL ADDICTION

1. Felling anxious or uncomfortable anytime you are not with your phone or online.
2. Waking up in the middle of the night or staying up late to use your phone or having to hide to use your phone, and wake up tired in the morning.

WHY SHOULD YOU AVOID OR GET OUT OF DIGITAL ADDICTION.
6 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Digital Addiction (Disadvantages of Digital Addiction).

1. A disease called Nomophobia associated spending too much time on your gadgets. The fear of losing your gadgets or anxiety when the battery is low.
2. Digital Addiction leads to loss of sleep which could cause health problems. Sleep detoxifies your brain; it removes the poisons in the brain that has been accumulated hormonal stress, fear, overworking the brain, negative views, unhealthy foods etc.
3. There is a strong link between digital addiction, depression, anxiety and low self esteem. Dopamine hormone released when we are excited, consistently checking for notification.
4. There is a strong link between Digital Addiction and Social Media which could to low self esteem (when you call yourself a failure, no-good or you don’t feel good about yourself. Caveat; there are a lot of things online that are not true or simply make believe. Don’t allow social media to dictate your standards or to rule your lifestyle.
5. It causes constant feeling of boredom that affects our attention and further affects our academic performance. A decline in academic performance when we get addicted to digital devices and social media.
6. Digital Addiction strains relationships, we don’t remember how to interact with humans anymore e.g. when we are at home and everybody is on their and laptops and not talking to each other, which affects our emotional health.

Questions & Answers.

Q)     Is it bad to use your gadgets 24/7 like the musicians, DJ’s and producers do?

A)      YES, it is very bad. No matter how good something is, you should never spend 24/7 on it. There should time for other things like family, rest, learning or engaging in productive activities.

Q)     Is it bad to feel bored because of non-engagement with your digital tools?

A)      YES it is. You should feel calm and relaxed when are away from digital tools. There are lots of other things to do.

Q)     How do you handle situations where our parents do not give us the opportunity to open up to them about our feelings?

A)      Talk to a trusted adult like your school proprietor, school counsellor and other heads of school.