Growing Up Online

Things that did not surprise me:
1- People pretend to be someone else online.
2- There are a lot of dangers in the Internet.
3- Cyber bullying.
4- Abuse of Internet use.
5- Obsession with the Internet.
6- Amount of people online.
7- Teenagers being the most technologically forward.
8- Amount of sites available for entertainment.
9- Several different uses Internet has.
10- Kids hiding things they do on the Internet from parents.
11- Kids finding ways to bypass the security installed in computers by their parents.
12- Parents trying to protect said kids from all the harm that can be found online.
13- People who prey on others online, to make them feel horrible about their lives.
14- Parents blocking certain things and pages from their kid's computer.    
15- How many people try to take action against something like cyber bullying, yet there are those who don't even give the cause a second thought.

Things that did surprise me:
1- The amount of cyber bullying that happens.
2- How many people pretend to be someone else.
3- The cases of suicide due to cyber bullying shown on the video.
4- How people apparently don't think about the consequences of their actions.
5- How some of the people who committed suicide didn't show any warning signs in the actual world.
6- The ways in which kids bypass those security measures installed without a single thought about them.
7- The amount of worry some parents have about Internet usage.
8- The number of people out there that only want to harm others.
9- How some don't care about the dangers of the Internet.
10- How some of the people that have been warned about the dangers of the Internet still choose to use it recklessly.
11- Many people thinking that the Internet is a waste of ones time.
12- How people can become addicted to Internet so easily.
13- How not enough people care about online predators.
14- How some teenagers have no apparent modesty for themselves and just like to show others, who might I add, that they don't even know pictures of themselves in compromising positions.
15- How parents never know what their kids are doing online, know that there is something wrong or suspicious, yet they don't really do anything about it. They never take actions that will fix any problem there might be.

Things that have changed since this video was made:
1- Different websites are now used.
2- People are more aware of the dangers of the Internet.
3- Parents are more technology forward.
4- Internet security is more reliable now a days.
5- Blocks aren't as easy to bypass anymore.
6- Teenagers are more safe with their Internet usage.
7- I believe the amount of cyber bullying has increased since the making of the video.
8- People approach cyber bullying situations more cautiously.
9- There are support groups online and in person to help anyone who has or is being cyber bullied.
10- The Internet still has most of the same uses it did before.
11- Schools are taking the time to warn students about the dangers one can find online.
12- People are more careful while using the Internet.
13- More people join the cause against cyber bullying.
14- New organizations are being created to fight this war against cyber bullying and bullying in general.
15- Celebrities are some of the most prominent members who raise awareness of cyber bullying.

What topic in the video was most UNLIKE your own experiences online and why?

I feel like the stories we saw on online bullying in the video, are the ones that differ the most from my own experiences. I have never been or even felt slightly bullied online. Also, I don't think I would have let things get as far as they did, if I ever was in that kind of situation. If something remotely close to those stories happened to me, I would put a halt on it immediately. I pride myself in being able to intervene for myself when I feel it is necessary, and the fact that I don't take any lies or made up stories from anyone.

What advice do you have for parents about kids and being online (should they worry, what about, should they monitor you, why or why not, what should they do?)?

I have always felt that trust and honesty are the best policies one can have. I would say to them to, not monitor, but to try and get involved in their kids online life. Don't push them, that will only make them hide their lives more from you. Trust them. But, do keep an eye on them. If you feel as if something isn't right, or isn't the way it should be, then ask them about it. If they avoid the question, then I would recommend to take matters into your own hands and try to check up on what they are doing. Not everybody can recognize a cry for help, or ask for help in that matter.

What are the biggest benefits of being online, for you, personally?

I think that the biggest benefits for me, are those related to schoolwork and any assignment i have. Being able to look up anything I need for a school paper online, is far easier than what my mom had to do, and go to the library and look for the information in books. Also, another benefit I find quite important is the easy communication. My sister went to college in Argentina this year, and if it weren't for the Internet, then I would not be able to talk to her everyday, like I do know. There might be people who abuse o the Internet, but I don't think I could ever fit myself i that category. I still can´t wrap my head around the idea of bothering and humiliating someone so much, that it drives them to suicide.