You have the power to #fixtheinternet!

Over the past 6-weeks we have taken you through issues of cyberbullying, mental health and addictions related to social media, as well as socialization and the Internet. What is the most important thing your learnt? How has this changed you?

Today is the last day of our campaign and we wanted to thank you for following us and helping us to #fixtheinternet! It is our hope that you have learnt of not only how social media can have a negative impact on our lives, but also what you can do to mitigate these risks. We hope that you have learnt as much as we have.

Remember you have the power to #fixtheinternet and to make it a safe space for yourselves and your friends!

Make time for your real friends!

The theme this week has been wrapping up our previous blogs. Socializing is inherent to us as human beings, but how has that been impacted by technology? Friends used to be people that we interacted with on a regular base, whereas now they are viewed more as numbers and points we accumulate on Snapchat, Facebook or Instagram. When was the last time you actually spoke face-to-face with the majority of your friends?

Many of us grew up on social media and it has become part of our culture and who we are. Have you thought about how much time you’ve spent on social media, when it could have been spent on something else? Here’s a quick and interesting link that The Times Magazine put out to help you figure that out: http://time.com/6107/time-wasted-on-facebook/

As mentioned in previous blogs there are many things you can do to ensure actual interaction with people, such as:

• Doing organized outdoor or indoor activities (recreational sports – who cares if you aren’t the most athletically inclined?! It’s fun!)
• Taking up a new hobby (don’t know what kind? Check Pinterest for some inspiring ideas!)
• Have meals with family and friends (be sure to put those phones away and turn off the TV)
• Start reading again (you can use your technology for this) so that you can participate in a book club.
• Make plans to do actual things with all of your Facebook friends

Comment and tell us what you are doing this weekend or tag us in your fun Instagram pictures!

Stay tuned for our finale blog post coming on Monday, March 30^th!

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!

As mentioned in our earlier blog, this week is dedicated to re-capping our previous themes. Today’s blog will be focused on cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying uses any form of online communication such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, text messaging and instant messaging to repeatedly intimidate or harass others. (“Royal Canadian Mounted Police”, 2015). It can involve anything from sending a mean tweet or text to posting pictures with the intent of embarrassing or mocking someone. It can happen to anyone at any time, have a long lasting effect and we want to help ensure that it doesn’t happen anymore!

There are a lot of things you can do if you are being bullied or even if you have just witnessed it. You can:

• Speak up and defend yourself or the person being bullied
• Tell an adult or teacher about what is happening
• Keep track of everything that is said and done (threats and harassment is actually against the law and your local police can help!)
• Call KidsHelpPhone (1-800-668-6868)
• Report the person responsible to the social media site that it is occurring on.

If you are experiencing bullying or have witnessed it occurring but don’t feel comfortable or safe actively doing something about it, you can fill out an anonymous letter through http://www.prevnet.ca/bullying/kids/letter (They’re also a great resource for anything bullying related).

How do you know if you are actually the cyberbully?  Kids Help Phone can help you as well! http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/InfoBooth/Bullying/Cyberbullying/Are-You-Cyberbullying.aspx highlights everything that shows you might be bullying someone and how to help you stop. But reading this blog, discussing it with your friends and family and thinking about the impact what you say and do has, is a great first step!

Comment and share any experiences you have had being part of the solution!

Reference:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2015). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/bull-inti/index-eng.htm

The Story So Far….

We can’t believe its been over 8 weeks since we started this campaign!

This week, we will be summarizing all the information we present to you in our old posts. We also have an exciting semi-finale post on friday!

We’ve talked about the rise of technology; how we spend so much time on the internet that it has become the norm in our generation and society. Social media plays a big role in our lives. In our wired-world, we mentioned how it is odd to hear someone say that they don’t have either Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, twitter, vine or any other social media presence.

We also talked about the effects of technology on physical and mental health:

• how we can develop symptoms in our bodies like hand and wrist pain, eyestrain and Tech-neck,
• how the internet can affect our self-esteem when we see other people showing off their wealth, bodies or fashion, and
• how we can develop addictions to technology and the internet

In our posts on internet/technology addiction, we mentioned that our high-tech devices have become more than just an object, but also a close companion. We also mentioned that users can get obsessed with it their devices, up to a point of feeling anxious when they do not have access to them. Other posts had quizzes and tips on how to use the internet safely and prevent becoming addicted to it. We also had a list of side effects, such as headaches, difficulty sleeping and carpal tunnels syndrome, which spending too much time online could have. Check them out here, here, here and here. 

All in all, we tried to promote positive mental and physical health both online and offline, by using personal stories to encourage people to spend time with their friends and family, participate in real-life activities, and use their high-tech devices in moderation.

It’s not too late to join our campaign! Follow us on twitter, Facebook and Instagram and tag us in your posts that support healthy online and offline activities. Use the hashtags #fixtheinternet #ModerationisKey #KeeptheInternetSafe&Sweet.

Keep an eye out for our special post on friday! We bet you’ll love it!

Till next time…

Lets KEEP the internet safe!

Welcome Wide World from World Wide Web

Spending too much time on the Internet takes away from the time we could spend communicating with family members. It could also reduce the size of our social circle, and increase in depression and loneliness ( Robert et al, 1998).

Do you think that we are living virtual lives where family members text rather than have face-to-face conversations? It’s like we live in a culture of sound bites. A life where we use emoji and acronyms to send our messages, as if our lives would stop if we sent full words.  Unfortunately, this “culture” does not help to develop our verbal skills or emotional intelligence. We are losing the skill of engagement and the ability to make connections and build healthy friendships/relationships.

Our lives should look more like this;

Here are a few suggestions on how to improve real-life interactions:

• Limit and Schedule your internet use
• Make time for real life activities like sports; you can join a soccer/hockey/tennis/cricket club
• Go out more !!! This will help you to get over any shyness and start enjoy meeting new people
• TALK! TALK! TALK! Get involved in random conversations! Talk to someone you wouldn’t usually talk to.
• Spend some time daily with your family, maybe have breakfast or dinner together, or have a weekend picnic
• Build on your talents! Find even the smallest things that you are good at and share it with others. You would be amazed at how they respond, and how great you would feel
• Surround yourself with strong, well-meaning people who may share the same interests and support you
• Cultivate your sense of humor because people love to be around with humorous people, after all laughter is the medicine of the heart!

One more thing:

Be polite; in action and in conversation!

References:

Robert, K., Patterson, Michael, P., Vicki, L., Sara, K., Tridas, M., William, S. (1998). Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? American Psychologist, 53(9): 1017-1031

picture 1: http://www.hngn.com/articles/18660/20131203/oxytocin-nasal-spray-could-help-improve-autistic-childrens-social-interactions.htm

picture 2: http://adviceshark.com/four-easy-ways-to-improving-your-social-life/

Are we paying an invisible cost?

How much do you pay for internet? Data on your phone? Home internet? Portable internet sticks? Bet you brought out your bill to check! Today, we are talking about the other payments that we make when we spend most of our time online. The internet has replaced our personal interactions.  Many of us do not realize how our online interactions affect our face-to-face interactions. It is more difficult to read people’s facial expressions and body language. Our many virtual interactions seem to make it easy to forget about the consequences of our actions. People think nothing of ripping others off in emails or on social media. Others say many things over the internet that are guaranteed to get them punched in person. Others still don’t know the basics of everyday human interaction. Check out the people in the picture below;

Do these people sound/look familiar to you? Well, don’t worry too much. It’s something that more interaction can fix. We need to learn interpersonal skills so that we can achieve great achievements in life. These skills  can be developed by practicing our physical interactions. You know what they say; “practice makes perfect” The more you interact with people, the better you get at having face-to-face conversations and building real relationships. Technology is affecting the way we build our relationships. Our younger generation is making more friends online than ever before. We could be at risk of losing our interpersonal skills. Here’s a little saying: Feed a duckling with bread at early age, without teaching it to find its food; when the bread is taken away, the duckling may suffer because of lack of skills to find food on its own. Join us in encouraging our younger ones to foster real life friendships in addition to the virtual friendships that are already ongoing. That way, we will keep the human bond alive and have friends to talk to, and maybe hug, when we are going through tough times. So, what is your internet really costing ?

check this video out

References: Picture source: http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2235/face-time-vs-screen-time-the-technological-impact-on-communication.html http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/03/technology-replacing-personal-interactions-at-what-cost/

Internet Without Boundaries

Eran was a young man who was diagnosed with clinical depression. He spent the majority of his time heavily medicated and with his best friend – the internet (Aderet, 2009). The internet provided Eran with company, as he spent the majority of his time physically alone. Online, he engaged in discussions about suicide – something that would never be morally acceptable in the “real world” (Aderet, 2009). This space has been recognized as a place where people can go to speak freely and openly about their views and opinions of suicide, without any limitations or supervision.

 

The internet has become a place without boundaries – a place where people can freely and openly speak about any topic of interest. This can become dangerous to a person that has been or is socially isolated. The web has been referred to as a sanctuary for social outcasts (Aderet, 2009), because these people can use the internet anonymously to create a new identity, reinvent themselves, and create new online friends (Aderet, 2009). The anonymous aspect of the users of the internet can lead to discussions where other web users and minors are exploited, and where racism, discrimination, and prejudice behaviours are encouraged (Aderet, 2009). These types of discussions and behaviours are what poses a threat to the users of the internet, and the web as a whole. In the case of Eran, who  was in great need of social support and empathy, was instead deeply involved in negative discussions that embraced the discussion of death and suicide on the internet, which unfortunately filled his mind with suicidal thoughts, and lead to his self-inflicted death (Aderet, 2009).

 

We just want to let you know that there is so much more out there than just the internet, social media, and technology. As previously mentioned, we are not here to scare you, just to make you aware! The internet is an open space to freely discuss whatever it is you please. Just remember to be cautious, and understand your personal and moral boundaries and apply these when you are online.

 

What types of discussions and conversations do you have with your peers or other online friends? Comment, or share your feedback on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

References
Aderet, A. (2009). The dark side of chats: internet without boundaries. The Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences. 46(3): pp. 162-171.

FOMO…on LIFE!

Ever find yourself surrounded by your friends, but you are all on your phone? Don’t sit on the sidelines, LIVE YOU LIFE! Retrieved from http://exhilaratedliving.org/2013/01/13/unhappiness-problem-3-over-reliance-on-technology/

Like any student I spend a lot of time on the Internet. My excuse is that I need it for school (which is true), but it’s also where I connect with friends, shop and just spend my time in general (I don’t want to admit how many times I’ve gone into a YouTube black hole). For me, the ultimate time-waster is Facebook. I’ll catch myself scrolling through Facebook on my phone while standing in line, or somehow end up on it even though I have an assignment due in two hours.

But last summer, something changed. I began to read about a movement where people were shutting of their phones and only spent time on their laptops, iPads, etc. when they needed to be! People were beginning to see that while they were texting, Facebook-ing and Pinterest-scrolling they were missing out on the important moments of life! I decided to try it out, especially in regards to Facebook after I realized that every time I logged into the site I was comparing myself to others (Why wasn’t I travelling? Why wasn’t I going to medical school? Why doesn’t my life look as picture perfect as my friend’s?). This has actually been scientifically proven, you can read about it here.

For the month of July I told myself that I would not go on Facebook and I would not spend any time on the Internet without a specific purpose. Now, I have to say in the Summer I rarely go on the Internet because I’m usually outside swimming, biking, etc, and not by my computer. But this summer I had a desk job, which made it harder! Sometimes I would end up on Facebook without even realizing it! But, I pushed through and the truth is

1. I was a lot happier  not comparing my life with other’s
2. I rarely missed out on things by not going on Facebook (although there was one time where my friends organized a get-together on Facebook and I had no idea it had taken place)
3. I had so much more time on my hands now that I wasn’t wasting it online!

In August, I decided to loosen the reins a little and didn’t impose any hard restrictions. But I have now placed my own restrictions to limit the amount of time I spend on social media and the Internet. Here are some of the tips I use to make sure I have an online/offline balance

1. I only let myself go on Facebook on Sundays (that way if anyone messages me I can still reply, but I am not spending my time on there needlessly)
2. I deleted the Facebook app on my phone, instead I engage with my surroundings when I’m in line at the bank, or have time to kill
3. When I go online to catch up on websites, blogs, etc. I set a 20-minute timer for myself
4. When I am with friends, family, etc. I challenge myself not to look at my phone

The trick is to maintain an online/offline balance, don’t miss out on life because you’ve been on your phone! Do you have any tricks you use to maintain this balance? Share in the comments or Tweet us!

How Social Are You On Social Media?

As recent technological innovations have impacted the ways people communicate, the ability to form and maintain relationships are evolving due to the rise of social networking websites. While social networking sites are typically used both to keep in touch with existing friends its availability now to develop new friendships as well (Ellison et al., 2006).

Social networking sites are different from other interpersonal Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) applications, such as e-mail, or Instant Messaging, although both are largely used to either communicate with unknown people, or to maintain relationships with one’s existing friends.

Social networking sites provide a good chance to explore and compare the frequency and nature of the three different types of friendships:

(a) Online friendships, which are developed online and remain solely online

(b) Mixed-mode friendships (Walther & Parks, 2002), which are developed online but have extended to other, offline settings

(c) Offline friendships, which are developed offline and have extended to online settings

One of the characteristics of friendships is their quality, where the quality of friendships refers to the experienced closeness, trust, and understanding between friends (Marsden & Campbell, 1984).

The quality of all three types of friendship has improved as the friendship developed over time. However, while some studies define that the quality of online friendships remained significantly lower than that of offline friendships, the quality of purely online friendships differ from that of offline friendships, the quality of mixed-mode friendships witch we most experience was of the same level as that of offline friendships.

So many studies suggest many different paths to friendship, as long as YOU respect it and cherish is whether it’s offline or online the principles shall be the same.

Reference:

Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1143-1168.

Walther, J. B., & Parks, M. R. (2002). Cues filtered out, cues filtered in; computer mediated communication and relationships. In M. L. Knapp & J. A. Daly (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal communication (3rd ed., pp. 529-561). Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage.

Marsden, P. V., & Campbell, K. E. (1984). Measuring tie strength. Social Forces, 63, 482-501.