The Essay

Compensation dating, child pornography, sexual assaults and monetary frauds, these are the most disturbing tragedies that every parent in Japan wish to prevent on their children. 71.2 percent of teenagers at their tens actively engage in activities on social media platforms. Prominent social media in Japan such as GRee, mixi, Mobage and DeNA, become major platforms for these teenagers to be actively engaged in, as such the risks of crime as result of high degree of usage have come into the spotlight for social concern. Deai-kei site, or dating web services in English, have not been regulated against teenage users. At the process of chatting with online strangers, teenagers are deceived to meet strangers and thus making them susceptible to threats. There are more than 1000 teenage victims each year in Japan, which government regulations have to come into effect to reduce this tragic number. However, even though strict institutional enforcement on usage and SNS users monitoring, the root of problems lie at the insufficiency of education on teenagers on risks of social media, and heavy reliance on social media sites.

Law and regulation enforcement against social media usage should be implemented especially against teenagers. To do so, one way is to implement registration by real-names and particulars in social media sites where they free-chat functions are allowed. For users to be registered with real particulars, law enforcement bodies such as police and Ministry of Home Affairs & Communication can track down any inappropriate conversations involving teenagers and potential sexual activities seekers. In addition it can ensure that an internet environment has been monitored in protecting against teenagers. Social media sites are being used for dating purposes in many cases, and victims usually are unaware of the risks they might face. By implementing such a hard measure can at least bring any offenders into justice, and can at least rescue the victim before anything worse could happen. However, the setback of this system is that individuals can use fake particulars to register online SNS services, particularly in Japan where there isn’t a system of national identity registration. Tracking might also be difficult when users register with fake addresses or other people’s addresses. It might seem impossible to urge Japan to introduce a nationals identity registration system like other countries such as Korea, China and Singapore, yet a higher level of security can be done by requiring information such as driver’s license number or credit card numbers. There will always be loopholes in monitoring online activities, and there will be criticisms on privacy intrusions. Yet for a safer internet environment for teenagers, such measures are necessary to a large extent. 

The Chinese government monitored its internet contents extensively at each words in fear of political unrest, and Japan could use the same method in warning teenage users against potential dangers. In China, websites, instant-messaging services such as QQ and WeChat, and online forums have been closely monitored by the government. When there are sensitive keywords such as money, remittance, political words appear in the content, the system automatically detects the keyword and warn users against potential threats. If social networks could introduce this system in Japan, teenagers could be warned against potential sex crimes and monetary frauds. In-game purchases in popular application GRee have been the most popular target of monetary fraud in teenagers, according to Metropolitan Police Department in 2012. There was a case of a victim aged 16 years old, being asked to send nude photos of herself to a stranger in exchange of in-game coins in Okayama Prefecture (Nikkei, 2010), violating the law of child pornography prohibition. Such conversation exchange should have been brought down, before the dignity of the girl being ruined by such pervert. Therefore, although it will be heavily criticized by the west that such strict control on internet is violating the spirit of freedom, yet the act of exploitation of freedom by suspicious ones must be curbed. 

Even though hard measures could have been implemented, the root of SNS susceptibility of teenagers lies in education. School and parental education can focus on risks of using social media sites, with emphasis on how to identify hints or invitations on these activities. There is a need to alert on teenage users that social media sites contain more risks behind communicating only, and education on prevention on personal information is needed as well. Information-technology and Promotion Agency (IPA) has warned teenage users on how to prevent risks, such as not revealing personal information and set higher security level. The agencies also provided support in case of tragedy happens. Yet, there might have been education on the national level, but parental and school level is insufficient. In Japan, third-party organizations which promote SNS safety are active outside campus, but the penetration rate in students may be a big question mark. Therefore, there should be a greater level on education at a closer life proximity with teenagers. 

In conclusion, hard and soft measures should work together in order to compensate the shortcoming of each other. While hard measures such as government regulation and monitoring can reduce new cases of teenage sex crimes, education from young can instill a sense or alertness at a massive scale that future or existing SNS users will know how to protect themselves against dangers. 


917 words

Reference

ソーシャルメディアの利用状況 ： 平成23年版 情報通信白書 [Usage on social media, white paper 2013 version] (2011), Ministry of Home Affairs & Communications (Japan)

Inoue, O. (2010, December 8). ＳＮＳを悩ます「出会い系」問題の深淵　非出会い系の被害児童数は最悪水準へ. [The deep-rooted problem of Deai-kei that making SNS a mess, Worse level of child victims in non-deai-kei websites] Retrieved from http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZZO19323130T01C10A2000000/

被害に遭ったら [In case there is a crime] (2014), Information-technology and Promotion Agency (IPA) (Japan)

Essay Outline

Main problem:  Many Japanese social media sites such as 2-channel, mixi and LINE, colloquially known as deai-kei sites, have been manipulated for dating with compensation, sexual crimes such as child pornography and rape, especially against junior and senior high school girls.

Affected target group/stakeholder: Teenage girls, their safety, guardians, community.

Agent of change/stakeholder: Ministry of Technology, social media corporations, guardians

Solution 1: Enforcements of registration by real-names and particulars in media sites where they free-chat functions.

Evaluation 1: For users to be registered with real names and particulars, law enforcement bodies such as police and ministry of technology can faster track down on people who committed crime, and also to ensure an internet environment has been monitored for safety purposes. Social media sites are being used for dating purposes in many cases, and victims usually are unaware of the risks they might face. Individuals can therefore use fake particulars especially in Japan where there isn’t a system of identity registration of its nationals, even though adults can use driver’s license numbers and credit card information. Tracking might also be difficult when users register with fake addresses or other people’s addresses.

Solution 2: School and parental education on risks of using social media sites, with emphasis on how to identify hints or invitations on these activities. Social media sites contain more risks behind communicating only, and education on prevention on personal information is needed as well.

Implication/Conclusion: Teenagers might be reluctant to comply with since social media sites have become their main tool of communication and many made them their only window to see outside world.

Thesis: Even though strict institutional enforcement on usage and SNS users monitoring, the root of problems lie at the insufficiency of education on teenagers on risks of social media, and heavy reliance on social media sites.

An influential event

I have always been blessed with almost everything. As such, I have taken for granted for many things. But this seemingly privileged illusion came to an end with the life-threatening illness of my mother, which rang a warning bell and woke me up from illusion of blissfulness.

My mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, where the tumor can be visually seen by a person and there was a high possibility of being malign. Because of the tumor was so big, I could not stop myself from fearing that the possibility of cancer cells has already shifted to other organs. As suggested by doctors, removal by surgery was the only way of reducing risks to a smaller extent. The surgery was scheduled at about 2 weeks after diagnosing, and its estimated duration was 3 hours. She had a very optimistic mindset, this might seem relieving but in fact this has worsen my fears. The contrast between fears of losing her and her cheerful spirit made me spiral into deep horror. Then, I broke down in tears even before the beginning of her surgery. All I could do, was to sit down and pray.

I expected to see her being pushed out from the theatre after 3 hours. But 5 hours has passed, I started to fidget at the seats, tremendous terror surrounded me so that I couldn't think properly. At one point of time, I even had the impulse to dash into the operating theatre. But I was stopped by my father who was also trying to keep his anxiety in order to comfort me. At last, she was pushed out from the theatre after 6.5 hours. The results were malign, but there were no signs of spreading. Again, I broke down in tears.

My mother has been strong, and her recovery was quick. After her surgery, I have realized that I need to be strong and grateful for everything that I am enjoying, while not forgetting importance of health, filial pieties and the fact that I am blessed. 

Reader Response Draft 3

According to the article “The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks” by Emm (2014), Internet security has effects on many aspects in our lives. Many people feel uncomfortable about being monitored by authorities. Since the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, this made us susceptible to threats due to high accessibility of personal data. Emm emphasized that posting on social media has more detrimental effects than simply showing to others, where it sometimes can be used for evidence of unfavorable outcomes. Furthermore, the author believes that in a corporate context, over-sharing can lead to leakage of business information thus posing a threat to organizations’ survival and profitability. However, there are several steps that everyone can take to reduce vulnerability to threats.

Social networks have become the main platforms for many people to interact with each other. Yet there are social problems more influencing and more prominent than data security issues, where Emm (2014) did not address.

Emm talks about risks of manipulating personal data for those who over-shares. Besides chatting, there are many fancy status sharing functions such as checking-in, tagging and liking, have been manipulated and exploited for unlawful or undesired purposes. For example, revealing one’s current location in night club with a group of friend by tagging photos or checking-in locations, making one known to people that he or she is not at home. Some who got to know their home locations would pay a secret visit, resulting in burglaries and even robberies in real life cases. Hong Kong’s Occupy Central movement student protest leader Joshua Wong had previously shared his home location, where later many anti-occupation angered individuals surrounded his home and threatened his mother’s safety. As such, Internet data that can be stored indefinitely would be manipulated and therefore, stressing the urgency and importance of protection on personal data by reducing the information shared.

Over-sharing will also jeopardize work confidentiality and sometimes even reliability. Office workers who share their office views will expose their work place location, structures and layouts, revealing to public the internal scenery of offices. This is undesired since many firms are unwilling to impart any impressions other than marketed advertisements to the public. Public might be skeptical about the reliability of a company since sharing in work place does not seem professional at all. Furthermore, many would end a day’s hard work by uploading a photo with their work desk at the background. Some could be unaware of the stack of files and papers behind, where technologies can easily encode the actual information. Hackers only need small pieces of information to access company’s databases and thus resulting in leakage of business information. In all, simple actions such as posting online could have unimaginable potential risks, where they could be leveraged as evidences in resulting in losses. Nevertheless, strict Internet access control and protocol of use of technology could effectively curb sharing in work places by implementing blockade of social networking sites. Yet, the seriousness of undesired outcomes by over-sharing still needs to be emphasized especially in work places.

However, more prominent social problems are found related to over-sharing in social media which became bigger concerns by many families. In order to gain recognition in who we are and what we do, people especially teenager over-share to gain attention from online friends. Greenberg (2013) believes that teens should learn to be in the moment by interacting face-to-face with peers, instead of sharing everything online that could jeopardy their verbal communication skills. If teenagers believe that self-esteem and recognition are gained only by sharing, such wrong world views would lead to potential mental health problems. Klein (2014) mentioned about a girl who committed suicide after getting obsessed with taking selfies, and also cases where increasing number of teenagers engage in drug use and violence, these reflect the outcomes if people over-rely on SNS. Greenberg also believes that online social platforms are exclusive places for users themselves that they have very limited opportunities to interact with others. Over-reliance as a result of over-sharing on online platforms would gradually transform users to become socially awkward since he or she is used to sharing information online instead of in real life.

In all, the author provides an insight of dangers arise from over-sharing. Besides personal and corporate data risks, the society should also be more aware of detrimental social problems that could harm everyone who uses social networks.

734 words 

Emm, D. (2014). The perils of over-sharing in social networks. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html.

Greenberg, B. (2013, June 20). 8 Problems with Teens and Social Media. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-greenberg/8-problems-with-teens-social-media_b_3472816.html

Klein, S. (2014, May 7). Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Health Issue? Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/07/social-media-mental-health_n_5268108.html

Reader Response Draft 2

According to the article “The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks” by Emm (2014), Internet security has effects on many aspects in our lives. Many people feel uncomfortable about being monitored by authorities. Since the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, this made us susceptible to threats due to high accessibility of personal data. Posting on social media has more negative effects than just showing to counterparts, where sometimes can be used for evidence of unfavorable outcomes. Also in a corporate context, over-sharing can lead to leakage of business information thus pose a threat to organizations’ survival and profitability. However, there are several steps that everyone can take to reduce vulnerability to threats.

In our daily lives, many depend on the Internet heavily on personal or business purposes. Many fancy functions such as check-in, tagging, and liking that supposedly be social sharing functions have been exploited by people with distorting purposes. For example, revealing your current location in a fancy night club with a group of friend by tagging photos or checking-in locations, making yourself known that you are currently not at home. Some who got to know your home location would pay a secret visit, resulting in burglaries and even robberies in real life cases. I have been warned not to post any photos such as boarding passes and passport at the airport, because that would make everyone who follows me know that I am going overseas and someone can do unfavorable things. Personal safety issue is the main concern for over sharing.

Many of us nowadays, including me, resort to social media to gain recognition in what we do, such as academic, activities and work. It is true that posting such contents online will sometimes jeopardize one’s credibility, work confidentiality and sometimes even reliability. One shall not reveal his or her own life to the extent that it can become evidences that will turn against themselves. Emm (2014) mentioned that “If you post a 'morning after the night before' selfie on your Facebook wall…but what if your boss sees it, thereby discovering why you didn't turn up for work today?”I felt the same like the author because of real life experience of mine that I could not turn up in school the next day after a night’s drinking with friends. I was in a difficult situation as the school had caught me through social media and took disciplinary actions against me. One has to be responsible in what he or she posts online, and try not to make it to turn against them even though for that moment it is glorifying by high number of likes and comments.

However, I disagree with the author over privacy issues. One could actually set privacy over the content that they are going to share, be it open to public or open to friends only. If one could control the privacy well enough to allow which group of social media friends could see which kind of contents, the risks could be reduced. Also, the author mentioned leakage of business information that could potentially cause profit loss in companies, this might not be the case. Companies’ internet is stricter than those we get to access at home or in public venues. Together with data protection technologies and code of use of technological products, it is actually extremely difficult to leak any business data from the inside. Logging into social networks like Facebook is almost impossible.

In general, this article caters to readers with all kinds of Internet environment. The motive written here is highly desirable by the society, provided that there are many people who do not have Internet safety knowledge. Yet given differences in Internet environment controls, personal usage may not be a huge concern. Therefore, I have a few disagreements with the author but I do think his article will be insightful for many Internet dependents nowadays.


649 words

Emm, D. (2014). The perils of over-sharing in social networks. Retrieved fromhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html.

Reader's Response Draft 1

According to the article “The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks” by David Emm (2014), Internet security has effects on many aspects in our lives. Many people feel uncomfortable about being monitored by authorities. Since the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, this made us susceptible to threats due to high accessibility of personal data. Posting on social media has more negative effects than just showing to counterparts, where sometimes can be used for evidence of unfavorable outcomes. Also in a corporate context, over-sharing can lead to leakage of business information thus pose a threat to organizations’ survival and profitability. However, there are several steps that everyone can take to reduce vulnerability to threats.

In our daily lives, many depending on the Internet heavily on personal or business purposes. Many fancy functions such as check-in, tagging, and liking that supposedly be social sharing functions have been exploited by people with distorting purposes. For example, revealing your current location in a fancy night club with a group of friend by tagging photos or checking-in locations, making yourself known that you are currently not at home. Some who get to know your home location would pay a secret visit, resulting in burglaries and even robberies in real life cases. I have been warned not to post any photos such as boarding passes and passport at the airport, because that would make everyone who follows me know that I am going overseas and someone can do unfavorable things. Personal safety issue is the main concern for over sharing.

Many of us nowadays, including me, resort to social media to gain recognition in what we do, such as academic, activities and work. I agree with the author that posting such contents online will sometimes jeopardize one’s credibility, work confidentiality and sometimes even reliability. One should not reveal his or her own life to the extent that it can become evidences that will turn against themselves. Emm mentioned that “If you post a 'morning after the night before' selfie on your Facebook wall…but what if your boss sees it, thereby discovering why you didn't turn up for work today?” I agree with him because of real life experience of mine that I could not turn up in school the next day after a night’s drinking with friends. This made me into a hard situation and I received disciplinary actions from school. One have to be responsible in what he or she posts online, and try not to make it to turn against them even though for that moment it is glorifying by high number of likes and comments.

I do agree with the author to a medium extent, partially due to disagreement with him over privacy issues. One could actually set privacy over the content that they are going to share, be it open to public or open to friends only. If one could control the privacy well enough to allow which group of social media friends could see which kind of contents, the risks could be reduced. Also, the author mentioned leakage of business information that could potentially cause profit loss in companies, this might not be the case. Companies’ internet is stricter than those we get to access at home or in public venues. Together with data protection technologies and code of use of technological products, it is actually extremely difficult to leak any business data from the inside. Don’t even think about logging in to Facebook because the monitoring system in companies’ Internet made it impossible.

In general, this article caters to readers with all kinds of Internet environment. The motive written here is highly desirable by the society, provided that there are many people who do not have Internet safety knowledge. Yet given differences in Internet environment controls, personal usage may not be a huge concern. Therefore, I have a few disagreements with the author but I do think his article will be insightful for many Internet dependents nowadays.

661 words

Summary-The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks

According to the article “The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks” by Emm (2014), Internet security has effects on many aspects in our lives. Many people feel uncomfortable about being monitored by authorities. Since the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, this made us susceptible to threats due to high accessibility of personal data. Posting on social media has more negative effects than just showing to counterparts, where sometimes can be used for evidence of unfavorable outcomes. Also in a corporate context, over-sharing can lead to leakage of business information thus pose a threat to organizations’ survival and profitability. However, there are several steps that everyone can take to reduce vulnerability to threats.

116 words