Free Internet and Children’s Identity Rights

Free the Internet

When I think about the amount of people who do not have the access to the internet I am a little bit bothered. Here is the ultimate source filled with almost and endless amount of knowledge and fun. I have had access to the internet probably since I was around twelve years old. I have access at work, home and in my pocket.

To think that there is a vast population of people in this world who do not have access is not all that mind numbing at all. Poverty is an issue in many cities and countries throughout the world and unfortunately this socioeconomic group will have a difficult time coming up with the extra funds to pay for a basic internet package, data plan or smart phone for that matter. This makes the internet difficult for this population of people to reach and take advantage of.

Internet.org is the start of something good for the previously stated population of people who do not have the cash to pay for the perks of the internet. Although there is a small amount of data that can be used and a limited amount of programs that can be taken advantage of, they can get a taste of what the internet has to offer.

This is an important step in the right direction especially when we talk about open education. If there was a way in which everyone could access the internet then they would be able to take advantage of all of the great educational tools that are available for free online.

Your Child’s Identity on the Internet Published by…..You?!

I am a father of two beautifully healthy and fun boys. My oldest is five and the youngest one. My wife and I are constantly taking photo’s documenting the time we have with these little dudes until they become too cool and we are set on their back burner to their social lives. I love posting some of these photos to my Facebook and Instagram pages. I am very selective in this process because I do not want to make my future 17 year old and future 13 year old resent the choices I made to post said pictures on my accounts.

Below are a couple examples of pictures I have posted to my social media outlets that have included my boys. The only thing my five year old might be irritated by is the fact that he is twinning Art Garfunkel…

I also think it is important to be careful about what you are sharing in you Facebook status updates when talking about your children. KJ Dell’antonia’s article, Don’t Post About Me on Social Media, Children Say, tells about how children feel about their parents posting about them online. I found this article very intriguing because I am a parent. The bottom line for me though is we as parents need to treat our children as humans and protect their identities and dignity from being plagued by us on social media. They are humans not pets. The best possible thing to think of when posting about your kids is, will they want to see this when they are 10, 13, 16, or 19? Especially since those are some pretty fragile years in their life and everything is magnified in their eyes. We as Parents just need to be careful and considerate of our children and their future selves.