Internet has become part of our society. It is a useful medium, but danger is often lurking. There are also people who abuse the potential of this global computer network.


Chatrooms

The time when the Internet was used only for business and most essential communication is long gone. The Internet is no longer a corporate, informational resource, but a major international playground where young and old together in chat rooms, on forums and websites. Hidden behind their anonymity, some Internet users seem to know no bounds.


A chat room is a virtual space where you can chat with friends or strangers. All you have to do is come up with a name. The room where you then ends up being filled with all kinds of people. You do not give real name so you can remain anonymous. The people in a chat room are often unknown to you. This teaches you new people, so it is good for your social contacts. Also, you discuss with strangers often sensitive issues. Because you do not know who they are and more importantly, they do not know who you are. There are some disadvantages to chat rooms. As a chat room so anonymous, you never know who's on the other side. Someone who presents himself as a 16-year-old boy might as well be an old guy of 50 years. Young girls can be so manipulated by older men often unknown. Chat rooms are therefore a danger to young girls.


Research from the American and British authorities show that about one in five children via the Internet chatters get invitations to sexual acts. In half the cases the sexual advances made by someone who claims to be eighteen years or older. Ten percent of the adults trying to make a date. Not known how many children go into them.


In the Netherlands the dangers of chatting hardly studied. This is remarkable because there are many children using the Internet and various chat rooms. The Children Consumers have also had an interesting research. It was a comprehensive study, which was approximately 1300 children from ten to thirteen years. Between 18 and 44 percent of the children - depending on the chat box - appeared to suffer include sexual innuendo and insults.


The young people mostly at risk from predators are attracted to high-intensity computer users, yet also newcomers. This is because these recruits conduct not know (well). Also very present types are at higher risk, and particularly young people who are actively looking for attention and love, rebellious and curious. That kind of people are now just at the edge of the acceptable. Another group of lonely young people concerned. Such predator can then use that loneliness by someone like enough attention. A lonely teenager is one of the easiest targets for a teenager. This kind of fact to teens crave love and attention. If they did not get home that they go elsewhere.


Even pimps often use the Internet when they want a girl bows. Everyone is well aware of the concept of 'pimp'. A good looking girl for a boy who wants to win her gifts to give. After a while, but he's deeply in debt. The girl wants him to help "repay". Therefore it need only once to go out with a friend. If that ultimately leads to the girl to have sex anymore. But she is already caught in the fall of the loverboy.


Loverboys are increasingly using the Internet medium to girls in the trap. Through profile sites so they can pick an easy prey. There is a lot more from you on a profile site than you think. For a lover boy is enough to know your name, how old you are and where you live. If he knows all that you're an easy target. If then also shows that you're shy and lonely was certainly hit. To these girls often find loverboys active. This is because then the girl with her problems to him can come. She has the feeling that he helps her. If it is the time to "pay back", she will often do, because it seems like he has done a lot to her.


As a parent being so, you should discuss with your child predators, pimps and the dangers of the Internet. Thus the children are aware of and can perhaps the first signs. It is also wise to use an e-mail filter, so the children come into contact with less spam that might be found offensive. It is also wise to not just kids chat rooms to be used. The risk is simply too great, especially for young children. If they are chatting in chat rooms you better be careful what they do and who they talk to. It is also wise to never let go private, but always in the public part of the chatbox to stay. Yet it is not always be prevented. Predators are very cunning. Often they have very experienced and they know exactly where a child may or may not respond.


Addictions

Can not stop. Self neglect. Burning eyes. Just think of the Internet if you're not online ... all characteristics of Internet addiction. When did you slave of the web? How do you get yourself back under control? Environment and what can you do?


What exactly is the Internet so addictive is not yet known. It is clear that an Internet addict who meets the criteria for other addictions are maintained. Some of these symptoms are withdrawal symptoms, mood swings and a growing tolerance (need more). A consequence, school and work performance is under increasing. If you no longer, but not without internet access can we speak of an addiction problem. Although little research has been done it is clear that more people are confronted with an Internet addiction. These people are often on their own any more.


A great danger of Internet addiction is that people come to see the Internet as a refuge. They can no longer distinguish the real world of the virtual world. The reason is that the Internet user often feels that he / she can reach things on the internet not in real life can be achieved. Therefore, someone like the virtual world as the real world. Not really what helps is that you use the internet to meet people again. So do social contacts, even if you are really not all that social. For anyone with an Internet addiction is hard to stop because they want to keep in touch with friends. The result is that your social contacts in real life because you lose more interact with your virtual friends.


If you are not sure whether your web addicted to ask yourself the following questions. Are your eyes from the time lost while you're online? Angry and agitated when you interrupted? Check your email several times a day? Do you lie about the time you're online? Geļrriteerd when you are not allowed? You do not pull on the agreed deadlines? If you prefer online with your friends? If you recognize yourself in these questions, chances are that you are addicted to the Internet. To address changes, you can ask your friends and family to help you. You can also make certain agreements with yourself. For example, if I through it for a week but 2 hours a day behind the computer to go, then I treat myself to those new shoes or I can on weekends at the computer. Failing that, there are certain settings where you get help with your problem.


Late 2008, found that the rate of Internet addiction among young people takes off. More than three percent of young people from the first two classes of put on education is addicted to the Internet. In 2007 this was more than four percent. The total percentage of Internet addicted youth continues to decline.
So it can too!


Privacy

All our actions and movements are electronically recorded. It begins in the morning when you turn on the phone and ending the evening with one surfing on the Web. In the meantime, keep an electronic access badge at what time we on our work will be our business to the company filmed, are curious system with impunity our e-mail, filming CCTV cameras in the mall where we lunchtime errands and with whom we a chat is through the ATM and the bonus card to find out exactly what we buy, and if road pricing is introduced soon know the Ministry of Transport with the detour we drive home.


Privacy in daily life is nothing new. On the Internet, however, privacy is much less obvious. All messages are sent without any protection. And anyone can post online what they want. Yet there are also laws in the Netherlands, each with a particular aspect of privacy rules in the Netherlands. There is the "Protection Act". This law regulates the conditions under which personal data may be processed. For example, do not pad publicly on the internet!


Companies must clearly indicate what it privacy statements of personal data of users and visitors do. Unauthorized use of such data can lead to serious reputational risk for the company, let alone to mention the inconvenience and problems that people can get by unwanted publication of personal information on the Internet.


More and more people realize how vulnerable their privacy on the Internet. They therefore less and less information on the Internet. But that does not at all. Hackers can if they want to so your personal information, such as your email address. This allows them tremendous damage. You do not need someone professional to take away his privacy on the Internet. Hacking anyone can learn, it is even explained on various websites!


But is it possible to protect you against it? Yes it is! First you must ensure that your data such as passwords and banking information for yourself. Make sure it does not end up on the Internet, where everything is public. Never go on scammers who ask for your email address or password, if you do not know the site is usually not reliable! Another thing you should do anyway, is the latest security software download. Even if you ensure that most data is safe.


Your information is never completely safe, there is always someone behind your personal details, but if you makes your computer is secure and you just are careful on the Internet you can avoid the worst danger!


Swindle

The police have in recent months in Amsterdam Southeast thirteen boys arrested for Internet fraud. The boys, aged 14 to 18 years, offered iPhones for sale on a nationwide advertising website. Interested persons who have made money, but had delivered nothing. That police said Tuesday. In total 77 people from around the country this way cheated. The damage to them together about 21,000 euros.


As you can read above news internetoplichterij happening on a large scale. But make no mistake! There are many forms of internetoplichterij which we start treating some here.


Most people are cheated when shopping online. You make the money and then get the product home address or the owner is untraceable. This happens mainly at sites such as "Marketplace" or "E-bay. Often happens with these sites that the product you buy turns out to be broken. It is difficult to discern which ads are trustworthy and which not. Or How can you see? Fraudsters often offer a low price, they can do this as well probably stolen. But buying expensive products is risky, the probability that something wrong with it, is very large. It is also good to do research, know who you act, then the risk is much smaller.


Online gambling is also a scam. To bet you 18 years or older, and that's a good thing, given the dangers that gambling brings. So you can easily get hooked or lifted up. These online companies can easily make sure that you start a nice little amount to win. But they also expect that visitors to their casino to be greedy. So the longer they go on, the more gamblers lose, because it can influence. It is better not to gamble online, but just for a 'real' casino. The chance to be cheated much smaller.


It happens on a smaller scale, but also in internet dating is highlighted. These online dating agencies that you pay for a membership, but later no longer make themselves heard. More often that dating just seems reliable, but a subscription lets you exit. Before you know it you're stuck with a text message, telephone or Internet. SMS dating is too risky, you usually pay for both sent and received messages, and you come from is difficult. It is so difficult to say if you are really cute with that man / woman texting. It might as well be an employee of the dating agency.


Another form of Internet fraud is "phishing." It consists of lifting people by luring them into a false (bank) website, a copy of the original website and they do - unwittingly - to log in with their username and password or credit card number. This allows the fraudster access to this information with all the consequences. Victims are often via e-mail to this fake website lured with a link to the (fake) website asking for so-called "checking the credentials".


These scammers are very inventive. It can be difficult to distinguish a phishing a 'real' mail. How can you recognize a phishing then? Phishing typically contain a very urgent request for personal information to provide. Official sites do not have such a hurry. The impersonal are addressed is also a feature. If it is your personal information to do a site you should personally speak. There is often a sloppy writing or spelling. You can also occur due to use such a spam filter. If you have a secure computer, because you run less risk.


Identity fraud goes a step further than phishing. The phishing data they have obtained such activities they take on the identity of someone else. As an example, on 'Marketplace' regular people found that buy or sell under a different name. Often it even further than that. With identity theft on the Internet often jokes removed. It often starts innocently but going from bad to worse. You can also own a large share to ensure that your identity is not fraud. As a consumer you should not just give your details to anyone, but they just good to yourself.


Cyberbullying

The Internet is a wonderful medium, but there are also some risks involved. One such risk is cyber bullying. That is bullying via the Internet or mobile phone. Bullying via MSN are the most popular. Besides the bullying in the playground, the gym or on the street take this type of bullying pretty far. A number of children and youth together in this way life miserable.


Bullying has always existed. Nowadays, one distinguishes between 'traditional' bullying 'cyber bullying'. Cyberbullying has not always existed, of course: it is the negative effect of modern technology including internet and mobile computers! Cyberbullying includes harassing, threatening and insulting the Internet, mobile phone or computer. This harassment may include: sending sms with threats or insults, send email or MMS messages with plague make it as the most embarrassing movies by mail.


Cyberbullying is often done out of boredom and as an exciting interpretation of free time. It is also often an expression of frustration of the bully, for example, his problems at home, problems in social or something like that, as with other forms of bullying. It is also possible that there is irritation and that the bully another reason to sit straight and tormenting.


Ways to prevent cyberbullying are: to be around when your child enter the Internet, a limit on the time your child can online, and educate your child involved when your child's Internet behavior. What should you do if your child is bullied through the Internet anyway? The bully right block or remove install a good spam filter, make sure your child does not go back bullying and possibly raise an employee at school or in the vicinity of the bully.


For children it is often a joke and they do not realize how badly they are doing. That there are serious risks involved are often proved by news reports. A few examples are:
A 14-year-old boy from Bunn committed suicide by hanging herself. This is due to problems in the well-known MMORPG Runescape.
By a 'joke' the neighbor collapsed on MySpace teen Megan Meier. The emotionally unstable teenager Megan Meier committed suicide eventually.


These data show that cyber bullying is no laughing matter. It usually starts as a joke, but it's not soon enough fun anymore.