Staying Safe on the Web

Farmington fifth grader Sidharth Shukla is one of the winners of an annual essay contest sponsored by the Farmington Rotary Club in collaboration with West Woods Upper Elementary School. Read his essay, "Staying Safe on the Web" below. 

By Sidharth Shukla

Imagine the doorbell ringing. You rush to the door. But when you open it, a stranger is standing there and says, “Hello, is this…” You probably call the police quickly, but afterwards you wonder how he knew your name. The answer is this. When you share personal information online, bad people can get a hold of it and find out your name, what school you go to, and even where you live. Companies also know tricks to make you pay more money on the web. But you can stop this. The internet can be a dangerous place, and you have to know how to stay safe when you’re on it.

The Secret of Web Catalogs.  Web catalogs have a secret. When you buy things on the web, the catalog gets to know you. Based on what you bought, the catalog predicts what you might want to buy in the future. It posts ads that are related to things you have already bought. The trick is that you might want what they are posting and will buy it. Therefore, the company will get more money. Mrs. Judy Muirhead, a teacher at West Woods Upper Elementary School, has had this problem before. She says, ”After I go on the web to buy hockey gear for my kids, ads start showing up about hockey pucks, sticks, and skates. It’s really creepy.” So if this happens to you, think smart and ignore the ads.

Cyber Criminals.  Okay, so back to the guy who knew your name. No, he isn’t a magician who guesses your name for cash.  He’s a cyber criminal.  A cyber criminal is a criminal in the cyber world… the internet. Cyber criminals are masters of information stealing. There are many different things cyber criminals do. Fourteen year old Jason encountered one of these. Jason loved to chat online. One day, he went to a website called Ecstacy. He made a friend named Bud. Soon, Bud asked if the two wanted to meet in person and Jason said yes. The next day, the two cyber friends met in person. Jason figured out Bud was actually a cyber bully who was sexually harassing kids online. Cyber criminals can also be cyber bullies, and they are very dangerous. So the next time a stranger gives you a “friend” request, think about who is really sitting behind that computer. 

Staying Safe.  With cyber criminals and eerie catalogs prowling the web, going on the internet seems as dangerous as a night in downtown London. But if you know how to get around safely and with the right tips, it will seem as safe as a stroll in the park.

·       Tip No. 1: Beware the Registration Forms! When kids want to sign up for an online game like Club Penguin or Wizard 101, they usually ask you to fill out a registration form.  But why would they ask you for your name, date of birth, and your home town and address? Well, some companies sell the information to other companies. They do this because the other company might have goods to sell you and the information helps them know how to contact you. You can stop this by putting fake information on the forms, or you can just ignore sites that present the forms.

·       Tip No. 2: Stay Away from Cyber Strangers. When you are playing an online game and someone wants to be your friend, deny the request unless you are absolutely sure you know who that person is.  It may not be who you think it is.

·       Tip No. 3: Ignore the Ads. Websites have tricks up their digital sleeve that will make you pay more money.   Those ads know what you like, and they will tempt you but you should ignore them.

So, the web can be your enemy. And it can be your friend, if you know how to stay cyber safe.

Think of the internet as a city, a very big city that is filled with different websites on each street and users in the crowded stores. Now think of the back alleys filled with cyber criminals, pickpocketing users and plaguing the digital world. But with the right knowledge, you can avoid the creepy web catalogs and cyber criminals and stay safe on the web. The web can be a dangerous place unless you know how to get around safely.