Impact of Cyber Media on Society

Impact of Cyber Media on Society

What is cyber media ?

Cyber media or online media or web media are all the same. Nowadays, most communication takes place through the Internet and the World Wide Web through the various websites. This form of communication is referred to as cyber media or online media .Cyber media is the medium of communication through the Internet. Communication in the form of stories, pictures, chats etc occur among web users through the common platform called Internet. 

cyber media is interactive because it enables immediate and constant interaction between the web users. The interaction maybe between the writer and the readers and even among                                                                             readers .

What are characters of cyber media ?

Cyber media is different from all other media, viz. print media and electronic medium. These basic differences characterize cyber media and helps one appreciate the web or cyber world better. Some of the characteristics of cyber media are:

• Hypertext: In the cyber world, any bit of information can have several other bits of information linked to it via hyperlinks. Any information or copy can be substantiated with other relevant material by linking the original web page with other web pages. These linked web pages may be available in that website itself or in any other website on the World Wide Web.
• Interactivity: Cyber media is an interactive media. Any and every website in the World Wide Web has options for readers to interact with the cyber writers. Readers of online content can not only give their views but also receive their replies from the writer in no time.
• Multimedia: Use of multimedia is another important feature of online media. Web content can be supplemented by pictures, graphics, audio streams and video footage.
• No space/time limitations: Web or cyber media is accessible 24 hours a day. A web page on a publicly available web server can be accessed by anyone through the Internet anytime. This means that web works are virtually everywhere at any time, so it’s not time bound. And unlike other media which need to be physically moved from one place to the other, web content flows through web space on the network. 

What Are Its Uses ?

Negative Uses:

1. The chances of being hacked, especially if you disclose important, critical information. . 
2. Increased chances in cyber bullying, which often leads to emotional distress and even suicide. 
3.  Being used as a substitute for visiting news websites; people getting too much information from places that provide no sufficient source. 
4.  A "distraction" for many. People consider Twitter and Facebook, for example, too distracting. 
5.  The general stigma; "all people on  Facebook are dumb teens and everyone on Twitter update us on stuff we don't care about.

Positive Uses:

1. Ability to spread important news.
2. Makes people more widespread about certain issues.
3. Keep in contact with people who are from long distances.
4. Have the opportunity to start groups and activist organisations that can make everyone globally aware (stuff like Occupy Wall Street started on Facebook). 
5.  employers can see how an employee may act outside of work, you can keep in touch with family all over the world, the information is endless, acts as a door way to another country without ever leaving home.

Impact of Cyber Media on society

In today’s fast moving world, everyone tries to be ahead of their competitors, friends and social circle. Considering the fact, there are so many burning issues around us which we need to think upon and act, it’s an alarm for us to be aware about the society and its issues. Current issues like violation of human rights, girl’s education, adverse effects of global warming, wrong deeds of political leaders, crime against women, corruption  etc. need to be discussed openly with the society in an effort to do something about it and bring a revolution. cyber media provide a platform for discussion on such issues as it is this media which majority mass rely on and extend warm support. One such burning issue that has been overlooked .In today’s scenario it is the impact of cyber media in  changing the mind-set of the youth.People are becoming aware of many things that they don't know. Today’s Teenagers use technology more than ever. Most of them have Internet access.but nowadays they are miss using it. They use it for hacking ,visiting social networking sites and etc. The world of education has changed dramatically due to widespread easy access to the Internet .

• 30% of teen girls who used the Internet frequently had been  harassed while they were in a chat room. 

• 37% of teens (male and female) received links to sexually explicit content online.

• 30% of teens have talked about meeting someone they met online. 

Cyber crime

Cyber crime is a fast-growing area of crime. More and more criminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the Internet to commit a diverse range of criminal activities that know no borders, either physical or virtual.cyber crime, also called computer crime,  the use of a computer as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing identities, or violating privacy. Cybercrime, especially through the Internet, has grown in importance as the computer has become central to commerce

These crimes can be divided into three broad areas:

• Attacks against computer hardware and software, for example, bonnets, malware and network intrusion;

• Financial crimes, such as online fraud, penetration of online financial services and phishing;

• Abuse, especially of young people, in the form of grooming or ‘exploitation’.

How to prevent Cyber Crime ?

1. Use Strong Passwords
   Use different user ID / password combinations for different accounts and avoid writing them down. Make the passwords more complicated by combining letters, numbers, special characters (minimum 10 characters in total) and change them on a regular basis.
2. Secure your computer
   
   
   
   • Activate your firewall
     Firewalls are the first line of cyber defense; they block connections to unknown or bogus sites and will keep out some types of viruses and hackers.
   • Use anti-virus/malware software
     Prevent viruses from infecting your computer by installing and regularly updating anti-virus software.
   • Block spyware attacks
     Prevent spyware from infiltrating your computer by installing and updating anti-spyware software.
3. Be Social-Media Savvy
   Make sure your social networking profiles (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MSN, etc.) are set to private. Check your security settings. Be careful what information you post online.  Once it is on the Internet, it is there forever!
4. Secure your Mobile Devices
   Be aware that your mobile device is vulnerable to viruses and hackers.  Download applications from trusted sources.
5. Install the latest operating system updates
   Keep your applications and operating system (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux) current with the latest system updates. Turn on automatic updates to prevent potential attacks on older software.
6. Protect your Data 
   Use encryption for your most sensitive files such as tax returns or financial records, make regular back-ups of all your important data, and store it in another location.
7. Secure your wireless network
   Wi-Fi (wireless) networks at home are vulnerable to intrusion if they are not properly secured. Review and modify default settings. Public Wi-Fi, a.k.a. “Hot Spots”, are also vulnerable. Avoid conducting financial or corporate transactions on these networks.
8. Protect your e-identity
   Be cautious when giving out personal information such as your name, address, phone number or financial information on the Internet. Make sure that websites are secure (e.g. when making online purchases) or that you’ve enabled privacy settings (e.g. when accessing/using social networking sites).
9. Avoid being scammed
10. Always think before you click on a link or file of unknown origin. Don’t feel pressured by any emails. Check the source of the message. When in doubt, verify the source. Never reply to emails that ask you to verify your information or confirm your user ID or password.  Call the right person for help
11. Don’t panic! If you are a victim, if you encounter illegal Internet content (e.g. child exploitation) or if you suspect a computer crime, identity theft or a commercial scam, report this to your local police. If you need help with maintenance or software installation on your computer, consult with your service provider or a certified computer technician.

Impact Of Social Media On Society

what is social media?

Social media is a phrase being tossed around a lot these days, but it can sometimes be difficult to answer the question of what is social media. If MySpace is a social media site, and Facebook is a social media site, and Wikipedia is a social media site, then just what is social media?

Is it social networking?

The best way to define social media is to break it down. Media is an instrument on communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social instrument of communication.

Impact of social media on society .

Negative:

Not everyone in the 21st century thinks about the negative effects of having social networking accounts - but simple things like not setting your privacy settings properly or liking someone's photo can have bad results.

Cyber bullying can be a problem as people can take advantage of the fact that there is no one who can effectively stop the bullying when it happens, due to everything being performed behind a screen. The only way for a bully to be stopped is if they are reported and victims may be too intimidated to do it.

Social networking can also ruin relationships as people may get jealous if they find out their boyfriend or girlfriend is exchanging messages with other people.

It can also be a waste of time as people can visit a site to check on thing and end up spending the whole day 'behind the screen' and as a result, not doing anything useful with their lives.

Positive:Social networking has lots of good points

People find it easier to vent their feelings on sites like Facebook.

In fact, it has become so much a part of people's lives that you can learn someone's life story just by checking their page. Their friends, likes and dislikes, relationship status, phone number, address…everything.

You can share your feelings and your mental stresses - and it is a great way to entertain yourself after a busy daily routine.

It also makes it a lot easier to keep in touch with family and friends, especially if they live far away. But you can also make new friends by connecting with friends of friends that you might not know.