Dangers Involved with Internet Usage Essay example -- Computers

Dangers Involved with Internet Usage The Internet today is constantly advancing and expanding. Over the last several years it has changed the way that we learn, communicate, shop and conduct business. Although there are many advantages to the Internet, there are also many serious problems that occur with Internet use. Some of the problems of the Internet include, cyberstalking and identity theft and Internet addiction. Although the Internet cannot be blamed for the creation of these problems, using the Internet as a tool has made these problems bigger. The term cyberstalking was unknown to most people ten years ago, however due to lower costs and the increased access to computers, today it is a commonly used term. It can be defined as â€Å"the use of the internet, e-mail or other electronic communication devices to hound another person† (Beware of Cyberstalking, 1). There are many forms of cyberstalking such as sending threatening e-mail; live chat harassment called flaming (online verbal abuse), leaving vulgar messages on message boards or in guest books, and sending electronic viruses. Just like off-line stalking, online stalking can be terrifying to victims, and many times online stalking leads to offline stalking. Online stalkers share similar characteristics to off-line stalkers. Typically they are men who desire to control the victim, usually a woman (Netscape). Identity theft can be considered a form of cyberstalking. Identity thieves obtain information in a variety of ways including message boards and online chats. One common way that they obtain information is by sending an email message stating that a person’s â€Å"account information needs to be updates† or that â€Å"the credit card you ... ...p?key=204.179.122.141_8000_ 1550760407&return=n&site=ehost&profile=web>    â€Å"Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry. A report from the Attorney General to the Vice President.† August 1999. Online. 20, February 2002.    ID. (February 14, 2001) Government’s central website for information about identity theft. Retrieved February 20, 2002 from http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/    Hall, Alex. Hall, Alex S. (2001, October) â€Å"Internet Addiction: College Student Case Study Using Best Practices in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.† p.2. Retreived February 20, 2002 From EBSCO academic Universe database    Cyber Stalking (2001). Cyberstalking. Retrieved February 20, 2002 from http://www.ncvc.org/special/cyber_stk.htm