Young people in the media

Privacy describes the right of an individual to exercise control over the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information by others. It can apply to both online and offline contexts.

One of the negative aspects of increased access to technology is cyberbullying – that is, using new media and technologies to deliberately hurt, upset, harass or embarrass others. Text messages, for example, provide a tool through which bullies can torment their victims, any time of the day or night.

Sexting is the term used to describe the sending of sexually suggestive or explicit messages or photographs, typically via mobile phone.

While normally consensual in the first instance, sadly many images end up widely circulated or posted online, especially if relationships end. The originator quickly looses all control over the images, often with embarrassing - and potentially devastating - consequences.

Data Protection Day aims to raise awareness of privacy and data protection. It is celebrated across Europe each year on 28 January.

The issue of revealing too much personal information is one of the greatest concerns associated with online technologies today. Risks include increased chances of online harassment or cyberbullying, inappropriate online contacts, increased chances of being located in the real world, and identity theft.

Location-based services (LBS) make use of the inbuilt facilities of mobile phones to provide content and services based on geographical location.

Recently launched services such as Facebook Places, Foursquare and Gowalla allow people to broadcast their locations to friends, often with a gaming element to encourage people to ‘check in’ or upload location-tagged photos.

Media multi-tasking is a fairly new term, used to describe the act of using various types of media simultaneously – for example, watching the television while surfing the internet or sending text messages via a mobile phone.

Research studies estimate that consumers are now spending almost half their day using different types of media, while media multi-tasking accounts for one fifth (20 per cent) of media consumed throughout the day.

Social networking sites (or SNS) are online services which allow users to make connections and communicate with others on topics of mutual interest.

Many of the more popular social networks provide other functions such as chat, photo uploads, online games and applications.

Facebook, Hyves and Daily Motion are some of the more popular social networks in Europe.

Cookies are data files that are automatically stored by your web browser when you visit a website. They are usually used for authentication, storing user preferences, or tracking the user’s web browsing habits. Some users consider them a breach of privacy.

Most web browsers will allow the user to apply settings for cookies, such as rejecting them completely.

Web 2.0 is the term used to describe the second generation of the internet and online services. Web 2.0 technologies are characterised by the fact that they support user-generated content, information sharing and online collaboration. Examples of Web 2.0 technologies include blogs, wikis, social networking sites and video-sharing sites.

A blog is an online diary or journal, created and published by an individual or a group. Blogs give their author a place to air their opinions, comment on current affairs, share their hobbies and interests, or just post random observations of the world at large. They can be private or open to anyone online.

It is estimated that 77 per cent of internet users read blogs, and more than 133,000,000 blogs have been indexed since 2002.

Media literacy is the term used to describe the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, produce and understand communication and information in a range of forms (including online). It is considered to be one of the key skills that citizens require today.

Safer Internet Day aims to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people across the world. It is celebrated in February each year.

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. It is recognised as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948.

Plagiarism is the term used to describe the act of copying a piece of work from another person and passing it off as your own, be that text, ideas or any other form of creative work. The concept is not new, but it is often thought that the widespread use of the internet has exacerbated the issue.

Online reputation relates to the way you are perceived online – this could be through your online profiles, status updates, photos, videos or blog entries. Colleges and employers increasingly look at online reputations of individuals when reviewing applications.

The term digital footprint is used to describe the trail left behind by your interactions with the digital environment – this includes information that you consciously leave (such as entering personal information into an online registration form or online profile), and information that is less obvious (such as information collected by websites to track your visit).

Children and young people today are often referred to as ‘digital natives’ – that is, born after the widespread implementation of digital technology, and therefore fully immersed in the online world and multitude of technology available today.

Digital immigrants is the term used to refer to the generation of people who were born before the widespread implementation of digital technology, and who have had to adopt it at a later stage, to varying extents.

Cyber addiction, or internet addiction, is a fairly new concept. While many people enjoy spending time online, some people become hooked on the internet allowing their online life to completely take over their real life and responsibilities. While recognised as a very real problem, psychologists are still debating on whether cyber addiction is indeed a real addiction.

Copyright refers to the laws that relate to the use of the creative works of an individual. They give rights to the individual to decide how their work may be copied, adapted or distributed.

Copyright protection comes into force as soon as something is created or fixed in some way; whether that is on paper, film, in audio format or electronically. Copyright does not, however, protect ideas, names or titles.

Sex has been used in advertising ever since advertising began. Working on the basic premise that we are all sexual beings, sexually suggestive images are used to draw attention to a particular product, with the aim of embedding it in the consumer’s subconscious as something that is desirable. Sexual imagery has been used to sell just about everything – from vacuum cleaners to cars to coffee.

A study by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in the US found that “the media is the main source of information about women’s health issues” for adolescent girls. In addition, “1 out of every 3.8 television commercials sends some sort of ‘attractiveness message,’ and the average adolescent sees an estimated 5,260 attractiveness messages per year.”

“Since the early 1960s, research evidence has been accumulating that suggests that exposure to violence in television, movies, video games, cell phones, and on the internet increases the risk of violent behaviour on the viewer’s part, just as growing up in an environment filled with real violence increases the risk of them behaving violently”.

“One of the notable changes in our social environment in the 20th and 21st centuries has been the saturation of our culture and daily lives by the mass media. In this new environment, radio, television (TV), movies, videos, video games, cell phones, and computer networks have assumed central roles in our children’s daily lives. For better or worse the mass media are having an enormous impact on our children’s values, beliefs, and behaviours”.