Cyberspace

Cyberspace refers to the virtual computer world, and more specifically, is an

electronic medium used to form a global computer network to facilitate online
communication.
Cyberspace allows users to share information, interact, swap ideas, play games,
engage in discussions or social forums, conduct business and create intuitive media,
among many other activities.
It is a large computer network made up of many worldwide computer networks that
employ TCP/IP protocol to aid in communication and data exchange activities.
Cyberspace's core feature is an interactive and virtual environment for a broad range
of participants.

Cyber culture

The social conditions brought about by the widespread use of computer networks
for communication, entertainment, and business.
a unique set of habits, values, and other elements of culture that have evolved from
the use of computers and the Internet.
Cyber-culture or computer culture is the culture that has emerged, or is emerging,
from the use of computer networks for communication, entertainment,
and business.
Internet culture is also the study of various social phenomena associated with the
Internet and other new forms of the network communication, such as online
communities, online multi-player gaming, wearable computing, social gaming, social
media, mobile apps, augmented reality, and texting, and includes issues related to
identity, privacy, and network formation.
Study of cyber-culture is still an evolving field. Complex relationship between
technology and our use of it is changing the cultural landscape as a result of this
complex relationship.
Cyber Wellness on the internet
Cyber wellness

refers to positive well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the
internet community;
involves an understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of
how to protect oneself and others from such behaviour;
is a recognition of the power of internet to affect oneself and the community-at-
large
It involves an understanding of the norms of appropriate, responsible behaviour with
regard to technology use as well as knowledge, skills, values and attitudes on how to
protect oneself and other internet users in the cyber world.

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 It looks into the positive physical and psychosocial well-being of students in their use
of mobile and internet technologies.
The goal of the Cyber Wellness curriculum is to equip students with life-long social-
emotional competencies and sound values so that they can become safe, respectful
and responsible users of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The key messages to students on cyber wellness are to:

Embrace ICT yet maintain a balanced lifestyle between the physical and the cyber
world
Harness the power of ICT for positive purposes
Maintain a positive presence in cyberspace
Be a safe and responsible user of ICT
Four values underpinning the cyber wellness vision are...
1. Embracing the Net & Inspiring Others - Youths adopt an attitude of using the
internet to make a positive difference to others through their online activities
2. Astuteness (wisdom) - means developing in youths a sense of being 'street smart'
when using the internet. This includes (i) developing an awareness of the dangers in
cyberspace and recognising the different forms of this danger (ii) identifying and
protecting youths from harmful and illegal online behaviour
3. Respect & Responsibility - The respect for (i) Medium - by not abusing the internet
for activities such as hacking (ii) Self and others - by not surfing pornographic sites,
putting up false rumours, infringing others' privacy and rights, and illegally
downloading copyrighted media.
4. Beyond the Internet - The balance between cyberspace and the physical world.
Internet to be used in moderation. If the balance is not achieved, it may lead to:
i. Internet Addiction: Spending too much time online that family and friends
are ignored and normal daily tasks are affected.
ii. Addiction to role playing online games:
(a) A feeling of an anxiety and discomfort when disconnected from the
virtual world
(b) Inability to limit gaming activity and to distinguish between the real world
and the fantasy world.

Features of Cyber Culture

The World Wide Web, internet, email, bulletin boards or BBS, chat rooms, multi-user
domains alongside a pool of related technological systems, including virtual reality,
digital imaging systems, new biomedical technologies, artificial life and interactive
digital entertainment systems are the basic features of cyberculture.

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 It all has the imagination and representation of cultural uses and value to focus our
attention most importantly on human interactions between one another.
It can be said that the culture evolved from the use of computer networks for
different purpose of communication is purely linked with cyberculture.
The term cyberspace, cyborg, online communities, online multiplayer gaming, email
usage etc are the derived terms of cyberculture.

Characteristics of safe websites

There are six ways you can tell if your website is credible.

It can be challenging to determine whether a website youre using is credible, but here are
a few things to look for:

Author Information on the internet with a listed author is one indication of a

credible site. The fact that the author is willing to stand behind the information
presented (and in some cases, include his or her contact information) is a good
indication that the information is reliable.
Date The date of any research information is important, including information
found on the Internet. By including a date, the website allows readers to make
decisions about whether that information is recent enough for their purposes.
Sources Credible websites, like books and scholarly articles, should cite the source
of the information presented.
Domain Some domains such as .com, .org, and .net can be purchased and used by
any individual. However, the domain .edu is reserved for colleges and universities,
while .gov denotes a government website. These two are usually credible sources for
information (though occasionally a university will assign a .edu address to each of its
students for personal use, in which case use caution when citing). Be careful with the
domain .org, because .org is usually used by non-profit organizations which may
have an agenda of persuasion rather than education.
Site Design This can be very subjective, but a well-designed site can be an
indication of more reliable information. Good design helps make information more
easily accessible. If a site looks poorly designed and amateurish, chances are it was
created by amateurs. Steer clear. But be careful - just because a website is
professionally designed doesn't mean it's reliable.
Writing Style Poor spelling and grammar are an indication that the site may not be
credible. In an effort to make the information presented easy to understand,
credible sites watch writing style closely.

AVOID ANONYMOUS AUTHORS

Articles or studies whose authors are named are often - though not always - more reliable
than works produced anonymously. It makes sense: If someone is willing to put their name

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 on something they've written, chances are they stand by the information it contains. And if
you have the name of the author, you can always Google them to check their credentials.

Other points on safe sites

Of course, there may be some reliable websites that do not include all these
qualities.
If you are unsure whether the site youre using is credible, verify the information you
find there with another source you know to be reliable, such as an encyclopedia or a
book on the subject.
The kind of websites you use for research can also depend on the topic you are
investigating. In some cases it may be appropriate to use information from a
company or non-profit organizations website, such as when writing an industry or
company overview.
HTTPS

One such sign to look for is in the URL of the website. A secure websites URL should
begin with https rather than http. The s at the end of http stands for secure
and is using an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection. Your information will be
encrypted before being sent to a server.

THE LOCK ICON

Another sign to look for is the Lock icon that is displayed somewhere in the
window of your web browser. Different browsers may position the lock in different
places
Be sure to click on the lock icon to verify that a website is trustworthy. Do not
simply look for the icon and assume a website is secure! Your web browser will have
detailed information on the websites authenticity if you click on the icon, so be sure
to read this carefully before entering any of your information on the site.

Here are the most prevalent tell-tale signs of a threatening website and some ways that you
can protect yourself:

Never click on a link embedded in an email. Even if sent from someone you trust, always
type the link into your browser
Use your common sense. Does a website look strange to you? Is it asking for sensitive
personal information? If it looks unsafe, dont take the risk.
Look for signs of legitimacy. Does the website list contact information or some signs of a
real-world presence. If doubtful, contact them by phone or email to establish their
legitimacy.

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 Read the URL carefully. If this is a website you frequent, is the URL spelled correctly?
Often times, phishers will set up websites almost identical to the spelling of the site you
are trying to visit. An accidental mistype may lead you to a fraudulent version of the site.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Is the website offering you a product or
service at an unheard of price? Or maybe they are promising you a huge return on
investment? If the offer looks too good to be true, trust your instincts. Do some research
to find reviews or warnings from other users
Check the properties of any links. Right-clicking a hyperlink and selecting Properties will
reveal the true destination of the link. Does it look different from what it claimed to lead
you to?

You should also always be on the lookout for the clues and telltale hints that you are on a
malicious website. After all, it is by smart people noticing something wrong and reporting it
that the above tools can do their job.

These unsafe sites fall into two categories, both of which threaten users privacy and
security:

Malware sites contain code to install malicious software onto users computers.
Hackers can use this software to capture and transmit users' private or sensitive
information.
Phishing sites pretend to be legitimate while trying to trick users into typing in their
username and password or sharing other private information. Common examples are
web pages that impersonate legitimate bank websites or online stores.

Understanding malware
Malware sites install malicious software on users machines to steal private information,
perform identity theft, or attack other computers. When people visit these sites, software
that takes over their computer is downloaded without their knowledge.
Attack sites are used by hackers to intentionally host and distribute malicious software.
Compromised sites are legitimate sites that are hacked to include content from attack sites.

Notifying webmasters
Safe Browsing alerts webmasters if their sites have been hacked and provides information
to help clean up the problem. We detail the steps to recover from an infection, and provide
webmasters with examples of the specific code that has been injected into their site. To
take advantage of these services, webmasters can register for Google Webmaster Tools for
free.
Webmaster response time
We measure how quickly webmasters clean up their sites after receiving notifications that
their site has been compromised.

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Webmaster reinfection rate
Even after a site has been cleaned, it can become reinfected if an underlying vulnerability
remains. We measure the reinfection rate for these sites.

Cyber use
What would a balanced use of ICT look like?
Technology can be a good slave but a bad master.
Life needs balance, and a balanced lifestyle is attainable.
Excessive Use vs Non-Use
Non-Use - (Ignorant of technology)
Balanced Use
(Harness Technology)
Balance is achieved when the time the student spent on technology is not at the
expense of his/her other offline functional areas and activities.
Excessive Use
(Addiction/Over-dependence on technology)

Negative Effects: Aggression, impatience.

Cyber Identity Healthy self-identity

How do I express myself appropriately?
Our self-identity determines our self-expression, both online and offline.
Our expression online impacts our reputation offline.

Cyber Relationships safe and meaningful relationships

An internet relationship is a relationship between people who have met online, and in
many cases know each other only via the Internet. Online relationships are similar in many
ways to pen pal relationships. This relationship can be romantic, platonic, or even based on
business affairs.
A healthy self-identity builds quality (safe & meaningful) relationships.
Face-to-face relationships are more meaningful and fulfilling.

How dependent am I on online relationships?

How able am I in developing and maintaining healthy balance between online and face-to-
face relationships?
How do I build safe, meaningful and committed relationships?
Relationships are reciprocal and require commitment.
Human beings need face-to-face, committed relationships to function well in life.
Online relationships need to be authenticated before deeper trust can be built.
Embracing diversity in relationships is needed to develop quality relationships.

Negative Effects of cyber use

Addiction ~ internet addiction, game addiction
Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behaviour regardless of its consequences.

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 Internet Addiction refers to any online-related compulsive behaviour that interferes with a
normal living and causes severe stress on the afflicted individual and those who are close to
the person.

Symptoms of Internet Addiction include

Preoccupation with the Internet

Frequent thoughts about previous online activity
Anticipation of the next online session
Observable increase in the amount of time spent on the Internet in order to achieve
satisfaction

Some strategies to prevent or counter Internet Addiction

Keep the computer in a place accessible by all, where monitoring internet usage is
easy
Agree to time limit for internet use outside school hours
Be involved and interested in the youth's surfing
Parents could spend more quality time with the youth away from the internet,
pursue common interests/hobbies/sports
Schools track students' internet usage, keep a record of all the sites visited and
install filters
Game Addiction
Games are addictive because of several reasons:

Design of game: Games are designed such that they are not intended to complete in
one session. Within the games, there are sub-plots and mini-games.
Players are motivated to complete the levels of games, and each level is achieved
with increasing difficulty.
Games have exciting and elaborate plots that evolve over time.
Some games are on-going, played by gamers all over the world in real-time.
Players who stop playing may be beaten by their opponents and will lost out to
those who continue playing.
Players who want to stop cannot stop to do so immediately as they must complete
certain tasks before they stop. Otherwise, they may ended up at a disadvantage
when they next continue.
Many players play as a team. The decision to stop playing depends on all members of
the team as well as members of other teams.
Some symptoms of game addiction

having trouble with school attendance and encountering difficulty in coping with
school work

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 Social isolation and depression - avoid family, friends and social functions, preferring
online contacts. They tend to find their virtual world more exciting than real life.
Hence, they prefer to reduce family and social contacts
sitting at the computer terminal and typing on the keyboard for long hours may
result in physiological problems such as neck and back aches, or carpal tunnel
syndrome
suffering sleep disturbances and /or eating problems
feeling good only when playing games
neglecting personal hygiene
Getting restless and irritable when they can't play the games.
Cyber bullying

Cyberbullying is the use of cell phones, instant messaging, e-mail, chat rooms
or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to harass, threaten or
intimidate someone.
Cyberbullying is often done by children, who have increasingly early access to these
technologies.
The problem is compounded by the fact that a bully can hide behind
a pseudonymous user name, disguising his or her true identity.
This secrecy makes it difficult to trace the source and encourages bullies to behave more
aggressively than they might in a situation where they were identified.
Cyberbullying can include such acts as making threats, sending provocative insults or
racial or ethnic slurs, gay bashing, attempting to infect the victim's computer with a
virus and flooding an e-mail inbox with messages.
If you are a victim, you can deal with cyberbullying to some extent by limiting
computer connection time, not responding to threatening or defamatory messages,
and never opening e-mail messages from sources you do not recognize or from
known sources of unwanted communications.
More active measures include blacklisting or whitelisting e-mail accounts, changing
e-mail addresses, changing ISPs, changing cell phone accounts and attempting to
trace the source.
Because the use of mobile and online communications has grown so rapidly and the
crime is relatively new, many jurisdictions are deliberating over cyberbullying laws.
However, the crime is covered by existing laws against personal threats and
harassment.
In some cases, it may be advisable to inform the local police department or consult
an attorney.
It is not recommended that you retaliate in kind because such behaviour can lead to
heightened attacks, or even civil actions or criminal charges against you.

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 Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

plagiarism;
unauthorised collaboration;
cheating in examinations;
Theft of other students work.

Reference
http://cyberwellness-general.blogspot.com/
http://www.bu.edu/tech/support/information-security/security-for-everyone/how-to-
identify-and-protect-yourself-from-an-unsafe-website/
https://uknowit.uwgb.edu/page.php?id=30276

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