Response to class discussion- Frontline's "Growing up Online"

After watching this extremely interesting special in class, I took into consideration a few things about the life I lead online.

Even though internet users view the "virtual world" as being completely different from the real world, I am a firm believer that this is a completely wrong way to view the internet, and can only get internet users into serious trouble. Just because new technologies have allowed us to have full contact virtually, this does not mean that one should change there beliefs and act like a different person online. While in some cases, changing one's persona online could be beneficial to the person (for example Autumn Edows), in most cases it just leads to trouble. As stated in class by a classmate, internet users should apply the same ethics and actions as they do in the real world, and act no differently just because they are sitting behind a computer screen.

In addition, we discussed in class how the internet has lessened the need for physical contact, which while I see is a somewhat valid point, I don't think this is necessarily true. All technology and the internet has done, like I stated before, has made available more options which were not previously available. This does not mean that people should have less physical contact, it just means that if needed, other options are available. The option of physical contact will always be there and it is up to the people involved whether or not physical contact is lessened or not.