It’s is now the end of the semester, and I will be finishing up Info 3.0 through the Journalism school here at the University of Maryland. It’s a very sad thought that this is the “end,” but it’s one that comes with a lot of reflection about where I’ve come since the beginning of the semester.
At the start of the class, we posted an introductory post on a discussion board to our classmates, and something I said was that “I think that technology is definitely something that can help us greatly, however I think it's often abused and is changing our culture to be more fast paced, which can be good, but can also be bad.” I definitely still believe this to be true. I think that more and more people will start to use technology in a more productive manner, but I definitely think that a lot of people will use it in unproductive and possibly destructive ways as well. There are so many possibilities for people to use mobile applications, and various online tools, that I think that with the right motivation and mindset, that people have extreme potentials to do great things with their lives in many different aspects. From organization, to marketing, to planning, to communicating, people have a plethora of options.
However with these options come distractions as well. There are so many fun websites and applications with games and things of that nature that people who are all ready unproductive with their time, have the potential to get even worse. Another thing that I said in my introductory discussion post is that “I think that the amount of technology used in classes is currently very appropriate, as well as the amount of technology I use at my different work places.” Again I still agree. I was able to see a broad difference between amounts of technology included in the classroom and at work, and I definitely think what’s going on right now is working the best for me. To be able to use your laptop when you want it seems to work for me. As we learned in class, you seem to work better when you’re multitasking and you’re focusing on either verbatim topics, or completely unrelated topics, and those are usually the two things I do. So from now on, I’ll be sure to either surf the web for random things, or find identical information to what we’re talking about in class (more likely the second, because the first is pretty unprofessional).
For those that didn’t get to experience this class, I want to emphasize the importance of privacy. There are a lot of people out there, who are more interested in their own lives, but there are others who definitely a lot more interested in committing cyber crimes, and they do so by stealing our information. Sometimes people don’t know better in the area of giving out information online, but that’s something that I think people should learn more about. People need to know that they shouldn’t put their entire lives online. They should definitely figure out a balance between sharing and privacy, because a lot of seemingly meaningless information could put both you and your loved ones in danger.
At the beginning of this post I said that this is the “end,” and yes the quotations are necessary. Though I’m finishing this class now, I would like to continue writing on this blog even after the semester ends. As I’ve learned with this class, technology holds so much potential. And with that spirit, I’d like to show my potential through technology and show to my future employers, or volunteer organizations, or anything else I do in my life, that I’ve had a lot going for me in my field. I’ve thought about it in many different lights, including technology, and that gives me a one up on some of the fellow applicants to a job, or a volunteer position, or wherever else life takes me.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Present and Future of Family and Technology
Technology and family are two realms that are starting to intersect in many different ways. One was talked about in my Audioboo interview with Stephanie Rivero, a first year graduate student in the Couples and Family Therapy program. Rivero talked about how the increase in technology is both positively and negatively affecting communication between parents and children. 
She said that “Whereas before it was more difficult for families to communicate...because there were no cell phones...now they have cell phones and they can contact them, whenever they’re in an emergency and things in that nature.” What Rivero points out is very true. Cell phones are great for those times that you absolutely need to be in touch with someone immediately, but as Rivero goes on to talk about, “A negative is that people, or children, are using technology as opposed to speaking to their parents face to face about topics that can be difficult...because they’re kind of nervous to talk to their parents face to face, whereas sometimes those communications would best be had in person.” Instead of telling parents about things like a car accident, or getting a ticket, or failing a class in person, they just shoot over an informal text, or maybe a post on a Facebook wall.
I’ve talked about mainly families in terms of parents and their children, but something that I also wanted to touch on was actually Rivero’s specialty: couples. A big part of a successful family is having parents that get along. Whether the family is nuclear (“traditional” with a mother, a father, and their children), binuclear (a family in which members live in two different households; ex. divorced or separated parents), or blended (created when two people marry and one or both brings children in from a previous partnershi
p), there is still a major importance revolving around adult role models that get along. In the embedded Audioboo interview, Rivero talks about how a lot of people she’s spoken to in marriages or who have partners “sometimes argue through text messages which is something that is relatively new because text messaging started pretty recently.” This new phenomenon that is extremely convenient is also coming with some positive side affects. Rivero says, “It allows you to...write down what you’re feeling and think about it before you actually hit send whereas...if you’re in an argument face to face, you might actually say things that you don’t mean or things that you’ll regret.” Though it’s nice to be able to filter the things you say through text messaging, there’s also a loss of the nonverbal communication, which is an extremely important component to communication in general, but especially when you’re in a heated discussion. Sometimes through text messaging, you might not realize how harsh something sounds on the other end, especially if you didn’t mean it to be that way.
According to the Marriage and Family Encyclopedia’s article written by Tara M. Emmers-Sommer and Kathleen M. Galvin, “Whereas e-mail has increased communication among some family members, it is used as a substitute for face-to-face conversation among others.” This is a problem because of what I mentioned earlier about the lack of nonverbal communication. The fact that technological communication is often replacing face-to-face communication is a problem, however it’s being addressed. With products like webcams, Skype, and more recently the iPhone’s FaceTime, people are starting to gain the ability to incorporate visuals wit
h their online communication. Instead of sending and receiving virtual messages through a computer screen or faceless cell phone, you can finally start seeing people’s faces. This is great for those families that can’t be together, like long-distance relatives, or partners who are separated because of a work trip. The possibilities are endless. Recently, Apple has added FaceTime to their iPod Touches, which is an outstanding way of incorporating communication into other realms. You could just be listening to your favorite song, and then pause to see your cousin’s new baby, or to quickly give advice LIVE about which prom dress your sister should buy. Like I said, the possibilities are endless, and the future of technology is helping increase the range of things we can do to stay in touch in better ways.
The future of technology could also improve married couples or other partners. Now that more information is available online, there are likely many applications being designed to address social issues like communications between partners. Things like reminders to do something sweet for your partner, or even a reminder of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries will help. The world of technology continues to grow, and could help improve these kinds of issues. However, like it was mentioned in the Audioboo interview, face to face communication is important too. If people become too dependent on technology and communicating in that way, then partners might not maintain the kind of relationship that allows for growth through face-to-face conversations, which is an essential component in a successful relationship.
She said that “Whereas before it was more difficult for families to communicate...because there were no cell phones...now they have cell phones and they can contact them, whenever they’re in an emergency and things in that nature.” What Rivero points out is very true. Cell phones are great for those times that you absolutely need to be in touch with someone immediately, but as Rivero goes on to talk about, “A negative is that people, or children, are using technology as opposed to speaking to their parents face to face about topics that can be difficult...because they’re kind of nervous to talk to their parents face to face, whereas sometimes those communications would best be had in person.” Instead of telling parents about things like a car accident, or getting a ticket, or failing a class in person, they just shoot over an informal text, or maybe a post on a Facebook wall.I’ve talked about mainly families in terms of parents and their children, but something that I also wanted to touch on was actually Rivero’s specialty: couples. A big part of a successful family is having parents that get along. Whether the family is nuclear (“traditional” with a mother, a father, and their children), binuclear (a family in which members live in two different households; ex. divorced or separated parents), or blended (created when two people marry and one or both brings children in from a previous partnershi
p), there is still a major importance revolving around adult role models that get along. In the embedded Audioboo interview, Rivero talks about how a lot of people she’s spoken to in marriages or who have partners “sometimes argue through text messages which is something that is relatively new because text messaging started pretty recently.” This new phenomenon that is extremely convenient is also coming with some positive side affects. Rivero says, “It allows you to...write down what you’re feeling and think about it before you actually hit send whereas...if you’re in an argument face to face, you might actually say things that you don’t mean or things that you’ll regret.” Though it’s nice to be able to filter the things you say through text messaging, there’s also a loss of the nonverbal communication, which is an extremely important component to communication in general, but especially when you’re in a heated discussion. Sometimes through text messaging, you might not realize how harsh something sounds on the other end, especially if you didn’t mean it to be that way. According to the Marriage and Family Encyclopedia’s article written by Tara M. Emmers-Sommer and Kathleen M. Galvin, “Whereas e-mail has increased communication among some family members, it is used as a substitute for face-to-face conversation among others.” This is a problem because of what I mentioned earlier about the lack of nonverbal communication. The fact that technological communication is often replacing face-to-face communication is a problem, however it’s being addressed. With products like webcams, Skype, and more recently the iPhone’s FaceTime, people are starting to gain the ability to incorporate visuals wit
h their online communication. Instead of sending and receiving virtual messages through a computer screen or faceless cell phone, you can finally start seeing people’s faces. This is great for those families that can’t be together, like long-distance relatives, or partners who are separated because of a work trip. The possibilities are endless. Recently, Apple has added FaceTime to their iPod Touches, which is an outstanding way of incorporating communication into other realms. You could just be listening to your favorite song, and then pause to see your cousin’s new baby, or to quickly give advice LIVE about which prom dress your sister should buy. Like I said, the possibilities are endless, and the future of technology is helping increase the range of things we can do to stay in touch in better ways. The future of technology could also improve married couples or other partners. Now that more information is available online, there are likely many applications being designed to address social issues like communications between partners. Things like reminders to do something sweet for your partner, or even a reminder of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries will help. The world of technology continues to grow, and could help improve these kinds of issues. However, like it was mentioned in the Audioboo interview, face to face communication is important too. If people become too dependent on technology and communicating in that way, then partners might not maintain the kind of relationship that allows for growth through face-to-face conversations, which is an essential component in a successful relationship.
I foresee a lot of changes in the culture of families and how they communicate. With more ways to communicate through technology, I think a lot of people will start to contact each other in those ways, however like all new things, I also believe there will be people analyzing the negative side affects, and addressing them. If it were to get to a point in which divorce rates were rising due to incompetent communication, or if parents and children were starting to feel disconnected even with all of their online communicating being done, someone will do something to bring it back to an acceptable level.
**I wasn't able to embed the actual interview, but I WAS able to Tweet it, so please see my Twitter feed on the right to hear the interview itself!
Sources: Emmers-Sommer, Tara M., and Kathleen M. Galvin. "Communication - Couple Relationships, Family Relationships." Marriage and Family Encylopedia. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. http://family.jrank.org/pages/291/Communication.html.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Solving Potential Problems with Mobile Applications
One really great application I found was SitOrSquat which is not only a website (http://www.sitorsquat.com/sitorsquat/), but it also has what the site calls “portable ways to find a potty.” The application can be downloaded easily (and for free) on the iPhone and the iPod touch, and it can also be used with other phones by texting the word “sitorsquat” to DOTCOM (386266) and following the instructions that come via text. This application is really useful for families when they’re traveling, or just going on a day trip. Instead of having to sit through question after question from complaining children who just really need to use the restroom, parents can quickly find all of the nearest locations with a bathroom. I used the application online to see where I could go if I was walking down my street, and it referred me to the local shopping mall, as well as a Starbucks coffee shop down the road. This application is very useful and very easy to use!Anoth
er useful application for families is iTriage. This application is especially great for that mother who always thinks there’s something wrong with her children in terms of sickness like the flu! This application is free and can be downloaded on the iPhone, the iPod Touch, the iPad, and Android phones as well. You can also access all of the resources online at http://www.itriagehealth.com/. The application is meant to be used for the instances when a child suddenly develops a pain or a symptom, and you can pull out your mobile device, and pinpoint the symptoms, and then once you do that, you can find the “best medical facility to provide treatment” (Lane). You can do things like call 911, find medical treatment, find a doctor, look up your symptoms, research those possible illnesses once you've pinpointed your symptoms, learn about medical procedures, and more.One of my favorites of the applications I found related to family life was Postman which is an application that you can purchase from iTunes for $2.99 for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad. This application is really meaningful and something that I would definitely use
when I was away from my family. Postman is an application where you can “create and send virtual postcards using your (or your kids’) photos” (Top Family Mobile Apps). This is really a great opportunity for me, as I’m a 6 hour drive from my family. I only go home 2-3 times a year, so when I do go home, the little ones have grown SO much, and though I do see updates on Facebook, it would be awesome to get a postcard, or even send one to convey the message of thinking of each other. You can edit photos, and add words to add the "postcard" feel to the pictures, as well as posting the photos to social networking sites like Twitte, Facebook, Tumblr, as well as emailing them and more.
One final application I found that will be great for mothers in the DC area is Mom Maps for the typical Apple products. The support for the DC area is doubled, so it’ll work great in this area in particular. This application is for mothers who want to find kid-friendly locations in the area. One great thing about this application is that it’s free! The newest version of the application “implements a cleaner way of adding spots that includes pictures and has added [advertisements]” (Mom Maps). You can look up parks, restaurants, playground, and more! It makes it really easy for parents to find places to take their children when their out and about, or just want to plan a quick day activity or outing.
(All photos from the following websites).
ITriage Symptom Checker Free Medical App for Android, IPhone, BlackBerry, & Palm. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
Lane, Shannon H. "Best Mobile Apps for Family Holiday Travel." Hotels, Travel Deals, Family Vacations, and All Things Travel by Traveling Mamas. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
"Mom Maps." ITunes Preview. Apple Inc. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
"Postman." ITunes Preview. Apple Inc. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/postman/id320009042?mt=8
"SitOrSquat.com: Find a Toilet or Restroom Anywhere in the World." Web. 15 Nov. 2010. http://www.sitorsquat.com/sitorsquat/.
"Top Family Mobile Apps." Travel and Leisure Magazine, Mar. 2010. Web.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Research about Mobile Technology and Family
In October 2010, research from the Harvard Family Research Project was published in the FINE (Family Involvement Network of Educators) newsletter. This research was regarding the idea of engaging families in student success through the means of internet and wireless technologies. The Harvard Family Research identified a few technological innovations which include: “positive parent-child interactions, home-school communication, and parent responsibility for a child’s learning” (Logged In).
They also acknowledged that the presence of the digital divide, which is the idea that there is a gap between people with access to digital technology and those without. Though now the term has shifted to the participation gap, in which it’s more about whether or not you’re pursuing the technology, this research project banked on the fact that “schools and communities that are committed to using technology for family engagement are working to address accessibility and training issues” (Logged In). (Photo on right from: http://jott.com/jotters/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/text-message.jpg)
The first component of this project was about how technology can enhance parenting interventions. A randomized clinical trial was performed to test the effect of cell phone technology and communication on parenting, preventing abuse and neglect, and improving child behavior. They did this by sending text messages to parents of 3-5 year old children twice a day plus at least one phone conversation per day. The texts “contained prompts to help parents manage children’s behavior” (Logged In). The trial showed that the parents receiving the text messages showed bigger improvements in parenting skills (on most observed parenting behaviors) than those without this technological service.
Another part of the project looked at how “technology is being used in innovative ways to boost communication and learning.” A common innovation across many communities is text messaging and online data systems to “enhance direct, home-school communication with busy parents” (Logged In). Before I continued reading the study, I all ready thought about how that would be beneficial. Since so many families these days have both parents at work to make money in the poor economy, having this connection between the school and the parents may be difficult, but adding in technology could definitely help ease the situation.
For example, in my own high school, I remember emails being exchanged between teachers and parents who need to communicate about their children. Though this is part of the high school world and lower, due to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), this cannot legally occur once the student “reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level” (Family).
An example used in the research project was an online data system in Reno, Nevada, where the United Way worked with PIRC (the Parent Information and Research Center) to “train parents on the use of an online monitoring tool tracking school attendance, assignments, and grades” (Logged In). This would be really useful for parents who don’t have much time at home because they could easily go online and monitor their children’s education quickly at work or home, and then have discussions with their child and school staff based on what they see. (Photo on left by: Natalie Gaudette).
Some very good examples of wireless technology were given. Things like parents getting an immediate text to inform them of absences, as well as using iPod Touch devices for educational applications related to math and reading are being used all around the country. The project goes on to explain how “technology-based assessment systems provide timely information that can help parents monitor their child’s school attendance and performance” as well as how “technology provides access to a wide range of learning resources that parents can use with their children at home.” If you’re interested in reading this write up, feel free to go onto the website listed in my sources titled “Logged In: Using Technology to Engage Families in Children’s Education.”
Sources:
"Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)." U.S. Department of Education. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.
"Logged In: Using Technology to Engage Families in Children’s Education / Browse Our Publications / Publications & Resources / HFRP - Harvard Family Research Project." HFRP Home / HFRP - Harvard Family Research Project. Harvard Family Research Project. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/logged-in-using-technology-to-engage-families-in-children-s-education
Sunday, October 31, 2010
GO TERPS! (wait...what are Terps?)
Something that I was thinking about while I was working in the Tyser Tower suites during the Homecoming Football Game this weekend, was how much parents influence their children to like things that they might not even understand. While I don't necessarily think this is always bad, it's just an interesting thought. How much of our interests do we get from the influence our parents and families have on us when we're young children?
There are always those kids who grow up after taking years of piano lessons (starting when they were four...they always somehow start that early during these stories), and LOVE it. However, I wonder if this is going to be the case for the children and families I observed during the game. They might be sporting Terp gear now, and smiling at the environment of the game, but as children under five years old, do they really know what the "Terps" are? Do they really understand the excitement they're feeling, or is it just being fueled by their families?
I will show some examples below through some pictures, stories, and interpretations of the moments I captured.
In this photo, I was watching as a young child, all decked out in Terp paraphenalia, was taking a ride on his father's shoulders. He seemed to be having a fun time, and just behind him was his mother, taking a photo of her adorable son and husband. It strikes me as perfect timing because I was able to capture the mother's excitement, being at the big game with her child and husband. I think this photo in essence shows the happiness and interest parents have in their children when they're sporting (no pun intended) the same ideas and interests as they do.
This photographs is one of my favorites. In the suites, a mother with her baby kangarooed on her stomach was waiting outside the bathroom for her husband and son. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and her baby, who was wearing an adorable Terp cheerleader out
fit, the perfect example of how a child is influenced by her parents to like something even before she has the mental capacity to make a decision about it herself. Instead of being uncomfortable about the idea of a stranger taking a photo of her and her baby, she replied to my inquiry with an excited, "SURE! In fact, my husband and son are here too!" Her husband was just as excited about the picture, and even asked if I could return the favor and take a photograph with their camera for them. I agreed, and of course practiced my photography skills, trying to arrange the light appropriately, and making sure to focus properly, and though I did choose to center the photo, I thought it was appropriate. What I love about this picture however was how the mother and father were looking at their child with large smiles, showing how pleased they are with him and his Terp spirit (instead of "cheese" he said, "Go Terps!").
This photo, like the previous one, features a young girl decked out in a Terp cheerleader costume. She was very difficult to take a picture of with a smile, but her father did everything he could to make her smile. She loved being at the game, but she was a lot more interested in the Halloween spirit rather than the Maryland spirit. The one thing that made her smile, and even laugh hysterically to a point where she almost collapsed to the ground in amusement, was when her father was making jokes about what you say on Halloween. "Trick or eat? Trick or feet? What is it?" he would say to her jokingly. She got more and more elated as he added more wrong phrases, and always responded, "NO! Trick or Treat!" I was intrigued by the whole scenario, especially when thinking about the angle I'm writing about in this blog post.
There are always those kids who grow up after taking years of piano lessons (starting when they were four...they always somehow start that early during these stories), and LOVE it. However, I wonder if this is going to be the case for the children and families I observed during the game. They might be sporting Terp gear now, and smiling at the environment of the game, but as children under five years old, do they really know what the "Terps" are? Do they really understand the excitement they're feeling, or is it just being fueled by their families?
I will show some examples below through some pictures, stories, and interpretations of the moments I captured.
In this photo, I was watching as a young child, all decked out in Terp paraphenalia, was taking a ride on his father's shoulders. He seemed to be having a fun time, and just behind him was his mother, taking a photo of her adorable son and husband. It strikes me as perfect timing because I was able to capture the mother's excitement, being at the big game with her child and husband. I think this photo in essence shows the happiness and interest parents have in their children when they're sporting (no pun intended) the same ideas and interests as they do.
This photographs is one of my favorites. In the suites, a mother with her baby kangarooed on her stomach was waiting outside the bathroom for her husband and son. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and her baby, who was wearing an adorable Terp cheerleader out
fit, the perfect example of how a child is influenced by her parents to like something even before she has the mental capacity to make a decision about it herself. Instead of being uncomfortable about the idea of a stranger taking a photo of her and her baby, she replied to my inquiry with an excited, "SURE! In fact, my husband and son are here too!" Her husband was just as excited about the picture, and even asked if I could return the favor and take a photograph with their camera for them. I agreed, and of course practiced my photography skills, trying to arrange the light appropriately, and making sure to focus properly, and though I did choose to center the photo, I thought it was appropriate. What I love about this picture however was how the mother and father were looking at their child with large smiles, showing how pleased they are with him and his Terp spirit (instead of "cheese" he said, "Go Terps!").
This photo, like the previous one, features a young girl decked out in a Terp cheerleader costume. She was very difficult to take a picture of with a smile, but her father did everything he could to make her smile. She loved being at the game, but she was a lot more interested in the Halloween spirit rather than the Maryland spirit. The one thing that made her smile, and even laugh hysterically to a point where she almost collapsed to the ground in amusement, was when her father was making jokes about what you say on Halloween. "Trick or eat? Trick or feet? What is it?" he would say to her jokingly. She got more and more elated as he added more wrong phrases, and always responded, "NO! Trick or Treat!" I was intrigued by the whole scenario, especially when thinking about the angle I'm writing about in this blog post.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Let's Visualize Family a Bit
Family isn't perfect, and this picture shows that. This photo truly captures the essence of how the arguments between parents can have an adverse affect on their children, especially if the children are present while the argument is occuring. Given what we learned in class, the fact that the child is centered really does show something. It's symbolic of the child being in the middle of an issue, and the fact that he is below the parents could represent the idea that he isn't directly involved, and also that the parents don't care enough about his presence, or him in general since they can't take their argument elsewhere. I think this is very typical of many families, and so while to some it may be pretty generic, it also is very explanatory towards the reality that many children face at home during the course of their lives.
This picture is actually another side of the family that I truly enjoy. This photo shows the generational bond between family members and the happiness they feel can be connected to the time they spend together on any normal day, or even a holiday as this picture depicts. I think this photo is more than just a depiction of lighing a holiday candle, but more of the bond you can have with your mother, and your grandmother (going up in generation from the young girl) or even as the grandmother can have with her daughter and grandchild, seeing the lives she has brought into the world. You can also interpret the feelings of the mother, and how she must feel as well.
Here is a photograph I actually took myself this past summer of my two cousins Austin and Jaelyn. They are two absolutely amazing and goofy children who capture the innocence that children really are. This photo really shows happiness in it's simplicity. I think also in relation to the rules we talked about in class today in regards to photography, it works well because they are a little off centered, and the photo isn't altered at all whatsoever. In addition, the lighing is behind me (the photographer), and though you can't see it really, they are on a stage. I think the wig alone on Austin shows the goofy nature and carefree ideals of these kids, which is something I think really is a part of family. They are brother and sister, and you can tell that they have a great bond even just by looking at the photograph.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Online Privacy and How We Affect Our Families
I'd like to recall a personal story that applies to this topic so much. My email account was hacked, and a link was sent through a message to everyone in my email address book, which included one cousin who accidentally clicked on the link. This was a horrible occurance that could have caused a lot of trouble for her, as well as for me if I had clicked on the link when it had been sent to me.
My email address was on my Facebook account, and not saying that's how the hacker was able to get into my account, but it's just an interesting connection I thought about after completing this project with my partner.
Another realization is the danger we put our friends and family in, but more so for our family members, when we make connections online through various social networking sites. Many criminals (especially stalkers) use our accounts like Facebook to figure out who are important in our lives, so if we identify family members, and significant others and close friends, we potentially put them in harm's way.
This turns a great site for keeping in touch to a stalker's homeland. So much information is accessible if you don't have security settings, but since most stalkers are friends, acquaintences, and current as well as former partners, security settings won't even help for the worst of the worst. This poses an interesting thought: should we limit what we put on our accounts, or even delete them? Or would these criminals find a way to that information in other ways as well? Is this kind of crime inevitable no matter WHAT we have online? That makes me pretty terrified for sure.
If you didn't read my previous blog post, please do, so you can see the statistics and information that lead me to these conclusions and things to ponder about.
My email address was on my Facebook account, and not saying that's how the hacker was able to get into my account, but it's just an interesting connection I thought about after completing this project with my partner.
Another realization is the danger we put our friends and family in, but more so for our family members, when we make connections online through various social networking sites. Many criminals (especially stalkers) use our accounts like Facebook to figure out who are important in our lives, so if we identify family members, and significant others and close friends, we potentially put them in harm's way.
This turns a great site for keeping in touch to a stalker's homeland. So much information is accessible if you don't have security settings, but since most stalkers are friends, acquaintences, and current as well as former partners, security settings won't even help for the worst of the worst. This poses an interesting thought: should we limit what we put on our accounts, or even delete them? Or would these criminals find a way to that information in other ways as well? Is this kind of crime inevitable no matter WHAT we have online? That makes me pretty terrified for sure.
If you didn't read my previous blog post, please do, so you can see the statistics and information that lead me to these conclusions and things to ponder about.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Stalkers: How they Use the Information WE Give Them
Stalkers: How they Use the Information WE Give Them
Natalie Gaudette and Keshauna Lewis
Partner Project Final Report
Are social networks enabling stalkers?
Stalking is all ready a major problem, but has the internet made it easier? For our project, we decided to focus on how social networks and online communities may be bringing the bad guys too close and too able to access information about us.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), 3 in 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know. Going off that statistic, and the fact that we know of the people in our class, we decided to start with the class twitter accounts. With the class twitter accounts alone, more than ¾ of the people we were following had their full name on their account; about half had some sort of location, varying from specifics like the University of Maryland, to a more general Maryland, USA. We also did a search of students affiliated with the “UofMaryland” twitter page. The most information that seemed to be readily available was academic majors, hometowns, and current locations. Very few people had security settings so their tweets were open to the public to see. This information linked with other findings can bring a stalker dangerously close.
We then moved to Facebook, and using the information we got off of the twitter accounts, continued to search for more information about our classmates. The main link to access their pages was our network affiliations with the University of Maryland. If they were not listed in the network and we could not recognize their faces in a picture, chances are we did not find them. Most classmates had some form of security settings, such as only being able to see their personal interests and friends in common as well as photos. Our shared online network with the University of Maryland allowed us to view information such as full name and age including the year they were born, while others listed their education, employment history and current living location.
Oddly enough, there were a few students who had their phone numbers and a home address listed. Obviously, there are sights such as Google maps and other GPS sites that can bring a stalker directly to a person’s home with an address without them having to leave their computer. Not only that, there are upcoming sites such as Nabe Wise which are trying to give users a first look at a prospective neighborhood they would possibly plan on moving to. A classic example of a source a stalker can use to better acquaint him or herself with another person’s environment from information obtained through Facebook. After looking at this data it appears that being part of an online network makes us vulnerable to stalkers. Although it is a good way to get to know your peers and meet new people in your near by communities, it seems that because networks include a vast amount of people, it welcomes those with ill intentions and makes it easy for stalkers to find out where we are.
To take it a step further based on the statistic that most victims know their stalkers, and that about a third are stalked by their current or former stalkers, another angle we took was what information we could find about people by actually being “friends” with them on a social networking site like Facebook.
We chose one person in particular, and looked at every aspect of his account in the ways a stalker would if they were trying to get information about them. To start, Facebook allows users to “subscribe” to friends’ statuses. Meaning, when you “subscribe” to someone’s profile, you get a text with their status, and that text gets sent as soon as it’s posted onto their profile. There’s actually another application that possibly going through that allows you to subscribe to someone’s entire profile, so you’d get a text update about EVERYTHING that person puts on their profiles. From status updates, to posting pictures, to commenting on other people’s profiles, it’s a stalker’s dream come true (especially if the stalker is a current partner that wants to watch and control the victim’s every move).
Some things we were able to find on this particular person’s profile would be of great use to a stalker. These things are very simple, and not things that most people would think could be revealing information, but to a stalker, they can be extremely vital information. As we talked about before, statuses can notify people where you are, and what you’re doing, which can make it easy for a stalker to follow you and show up wherever you are.
Though we surprisingly found someone’s home address on their profile (which wasn’t blocked by any kind of security settings), most people only put their email address, thinking that that won’t really do much for people to do harm against others. However, according to the NCVC, 46% of stalking victims experience at least unwanted contact per week, and combined with the statistic that 1 in 4 report being stalked through the use of some form of technology, it is very obvious where emails come into play.
Another revealing aspect to a Facebook profile is your photos. Your albums can often have pictures of pets, prized items like cars, and pictures of people who are close to you like your family or friends. Because these people are tagged and also have Facebook pages that can be accessed it provides an endless trail of information. In addition, there is a theme of types of pictures that are posted by college students such as high school graduation day, college events, family vacations, and romantic relationships. These types of themes give a stalker a better idea of where to find a person base on their activities and hang out pots such as college sports games and dorm rooms. Stalkers are notorious for damaging their victim’s home, car, property (like pets), as well as family and friends.
Also, many people post their hometowns, their high school, college, and work places, making it easy for stalkers to identify information on other networking sites (including your school’s pages) that can help them to find you in person without you even knowing they’re coming. Comparing this information with the backgrounds illustrated on the photos can allow a stalker to come dangerously close.
All in all, we saw that with our research, there is a lot of information that people willingly put out there on social networking sites like Facebook, as well as many others, that can really help those out there who have malicious tendencies. This really poses the question about what you should really have on your profile. It seems as though everything we put out there could potentially victimize us, even when we do have privacy settings on our profile.
I will post a follow-up blog entry to speak on how this relates to my topic of Family Communication.
Sources:
Katrina Baum et al., (2009). "Stalking Victimization in the United States," (Washington, DC:BJS, 2009).http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_statistics195
O’Dell Jolie, “Facebook testing a ‘stalker button’” (September 2010) http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/09/03/facebook.stalker.button.mashable/index.html
Monday, October 4, 2010
So Much for Privacy and Security...
I’d like to begin with a personal story. My family is pretty tech savvy on my dad’s side. The younger generations, as expected, have Facebooks, email addresses, YouTube accounts, and anything else you might use the internet for. So do the older generations. My relatives, who range from their 20s to their 50s, are all on Facebook, and have the potential to watch my every move.
Anytime I update a Facebook status, I’m letting my family know where I am and what I’m doing, and even what I’m feeling. This is usually fine, and doesn’t cross the line, but sometimes when I’m venting, I have to be careful. Not only could a future employer possibly hack my account and see the results of a bad fight with a relative, but likely, that relative could see a post if I’m not careful about what I say or how I restrict my profile.
I remember one time in particular when I, in a fit of rage, put a not so modest status about how one of my relatives was really irritating me, and I definitely didn’t use the kindest of words. Another relative saw this post, and was pretty offended. This one post alone sparked an hour long conversation through Facebook Inbox messages, and only after that hour were we able to come to the agreement that I had to be more careful about what I say because I can’t possibly know if someone could see it and be offended by it.
This is really related to the idea of privacy and secrecy because a long time ago, before social networking, the only way relatives could find out this same information was if they stumbled upon your diary, or overheard you on the telephone (but I always hid my diary in the best of places).
After that incident with my family, I started using the feature that Commonsensemedia.org recommends. “With Facebook’s privacy settings, you can set your viewable information to Everyone, Friends of Friends, Friends Only, or even a customizable setting that only allows you to see it.” More people need to focus on not only limiting their profile regarding what people can see, but also about what they’re posting.
Facebook isn’t the only realm of technology that can cause tension with family members. Email is yet another thing that you need to be cautious of. As Jenny Preece talks about in her article about online etiquette, one of the problems identified with poor online etiquette is “sending spam and forwarding bogus virus warnings.” As I’ve come to realize, this is a really important issue in terms of privacy. I just recently got a virus, or my account was hacked on my email, and the program of the virus took it upon itself to forward to everyone in my address book.
One of my relatives hadn’t encountered something of that nature before, so she clicked the link, at which point she said that the website tried to steal information about her in order to steal her identity.
In having the email addresses of my relatives saved on my computer, it makes it exponentially easier to distribute bad websites and spam than it would be if the internet didn’t exist. When you get a spam letter in the mail, it’s not because your relative “forwarded” it to you, and it’s easy to throw away, and most importantly, opening a letter can’t put you at risk for identity theft.
The internet can cause all sorts of problems with your family, from stress and tension because of something you say, to crime with unreliable and dangerous websites. It’s definitely something we need to start looking into more often.
SOURCES:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/facebook-parents
Photos:
http://www.infosecwreck.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/facebook-privacy-settings-original.jpg
http://www.webspam.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/spam.jpg
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Now How about those CREDIBLE Sources?
Now that I’ve discussed the idea about bad sources, I’d like to delve right into my topic and show you how to appropriately incorporate sources into your writing (that is, once you weed out the bad ones by using the techniques I discussed in my last blog post).
Is technology causing the downfall of family? According to psychotherapist Melinda Clayton, “Family communication is in crisis. Not only are families faced with historical issues that have always challenged family communication...they’re also faced with an onslaught of technological distractions.” In Clayton’s article in the Relationships and Family: Communication section Helium.com, she notes a lot of common situations that I personally see happen all of the time.
How many times have you been in the middle of a conversation with your parents or siblings when your phone went off in your pocket? That simple event can destroy the conversation. It can not only distract the participants of the dialogue, but if you choose to leave and answer the text or phone call that just came in, you’re showing what you find to be the priority of that moment. Even by deciding to answer, you decide that the conversation between you and your family member isn’t as important as the possibilities of whatever you just received.
Dana Wollman, a writer for Laptop Magazine, wrote an article for the magazine’s website entitled “Is Technology Tearing Apart Family Life?” Wollman covers many factors including text messaging, social networking, and online video. From the beginning to the end of the article, Wollman is strategic about how she intertwines the words of many individuals with degrees in fields relating to her topic. Instead of just writing based on opinion, and quoting just anyone, the people she chose to include had actual backgrounds in the areas of discussio
n.
For example, Gwenn Schurgin O’Keefe, MD is a member of the Council on Communication and Media of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was quoted saying that “We’ve let technology invade places where it never used to have a role. [Parents] think it’s their right, if they own a cell phone, they can surf the Web [anytime].” That testimony is important in the issue of family and technology because it really shows the negative effects technology is having on the family.
Dana Wollman and Melinda Clayton provided me and my blog with credible sources to look at in very different ways. While Wollman included credible people with a background in the topic, Clayton herself had that background.
Is technology causing the downfall of family? According to psychotherapist Melinda Clayton, “Family communication is in crisis. Not only are families faced with historical issues that have always challenged family communication...they’re also faced with an onslaught of technological distractions.” In Clayton’s article in the Relationships and Family: Communication section Helium.com, she notes a lot of common situations that I personally see happen all of the time.
How many times have you been in the middle of a conversation with your parents or siblings when your phone went off in your pocket? That simple event can destroy the conversation. It can not only distract the participants of the dialogue, but if you choose to leave and answer the text or phone call that just came in, you’re showing what you find to be the priority of that moment. Even by deciding to answer, you decide that the conversation between you and your family member isn’t as important as the possibilities of whatever you just received.
Dana Wollman, a writer for Laptop Magazine, wrote an article for the magazine’s website entitled “Is Technology Tearing Apart Family Life?” Wollman covers many factors including text messaging, social networking, and online video. From the beginning to the end of the article, Wollman is strategic about how she intertwines the words of many individuals with degrees in fields relating to her topic. Instead of just writing based on opinion, and quoting just anyone, the people she chose to include had actual backgrounds in the areas of discussio
n.For example, Gwenn Schurgin O’Keefe, MD is a member of the Council on Communication and Media of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was quoted saying that “We’ve let technology invade places where it never used to have a role. [Parents] think it’s their right, if they own a cell phone, they can surf the Web [anytime].” That testimony is important in the issue of family and technology because it really shows the negative effects technology is having on the family.
Dana Wollman and Melinda Clayton provided me and my blog with credible sources to look at in very different ways. While Wollman included credible people with a background in the topic, Clayton herself had that background.
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