“Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself”

Perhaps you have once heard parts of these lyrics made popular in the 90’s by Ice Cube, “You better check yo self before you wreck yo self. Cos I’m bad for your health, I come real stealth.” What does this mean in laymen terms?  Examine your actions because they may potentially place you in danger without you even realizing until it is too late.

What are my personal feelings about online privacy?  You should have a choice what you wish to share with the world – sometimes too much freedom can lead to bondage which is what today’s youth may discover after the fact.  Husna Najand could not have put it better when he stated, “Privacy no longer means having control over who has access to pictures and information.  While it may not seem like a big deal now, as college students entering a tight job market, we should be cognizant of the potential drawbacks that lack of control over pictures, whether posed or candid, could present.  If you are not one of those people who read the fine print when agreeing to terms of service contracts, you should be aware that what you post publically could come back in the future to haunt you privately and professionally.”  Although there are measures in place such as COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) to help protect children today, there still needs to be another measure in place (active parenting) to help protect children and their future.  There are too many pitfalls awaiting children for adults that care for their well-being not to be protective.

I once heard a quote that is befitting when discussing teaching students about on-line privacy, “Experience may be a good teacher but the tuition is too high.”  Why not use examples of young people who have made missteps when it comes to on-line privacy to drive the lesson home?  Students today may be more willing to listen to a digital native who has experienced the pitfalls of exposing too much, as opposed to a digital immigrant who may still have reservations as to what is shared with the world.  As educators continue to teach the 21^st century learner and the technique of critical thinking so learners develop a deeper understanding through investigation and analysis, it is important that this technique be applied to what one decides to share on-line.