Video conference with a Sri Lankan educationist on the ills of social media

The students of our School were given a wonderful opportunity to interact with Ms. Surani Maithripala on skype, to discuss matters of social media, its pros and cons, cyber crime, and its prevention.

Students of class 9 and 10 interacted with Ms. Maithripala to know how the dark side of social media is slowly eating into the development of teenagers, and destroying their futures.

Ms. Maithripala is a Microsoft Innovative Educator expert. She is Head of Department - ICT at Gateway College, even as she strives to save the youth from cyber crimes through her awareness programmes.

Ms. Maithripala began the interaction with a presentation on how small acts can tempt a person into the world of cyber crime. For example, Practice of Profanity, i.e. the use of bad language can provoke the addressee and thereby land the sender into deep trouble. Sending pictures that inappropriately reveal sensitive body parts may go viral and thereto result in cyber bullying, or phishing.

Social media applications, including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc., which access the location, can be used by middlemen to execute a criminal activity, including even, a terror attack. Although, encryption is promised by many instant messaging applications, they too get decrypted, and therefore, are capable of revealing personal information, which can lead to cyber bullying. Similarly, visiting adult websites can result in similar consequences.

Ms. Maithripala discussed the techniques for guarding against such crimes. The first is to be very circumspect about anything being shared on the social media. While visiting any website, we should look for https:/ or 'Secure' or the lock symbol to ensure its encryption.

One should never share personal information. We should report any unusual behaviour either to ones parents, teachers, adult siblings etc.

The reported bully must be blocked and specific action should be initiated. Strictly resist sending personal information or sensitive personal photographs is particularly useful.

Ms. Maithripala answered the students' questions on social media. She advised a healthy distance from adult websites. She informed that the authorities must also place robust safeguards to prevent cyber crimes.

Ms. Maithripala was happy with the level of awareness that our students possessed and said she was very pleased with the interaction. Our students felt the same.

Aryan Singh, 9D.