essay on the topic internet safety

Essay on Internet Safety

Students are often asked to write an essay on Internet Safety in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Internet Safety

Understanding internet safety.

Internet safety means being secure online. When we use the internet, we should be careful, just like when crossing the road. It’s important to keep personal information private, like your full name, address, and school.

Creating Strong Passwords

A strong password is like a secure lock. It keeps your online information safe. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use easy words like your pet’s name because others might guess it.

Avoiding Strangers Online

On the internet, not everyone is friendly. Some people pretend to be someone else. Never meet up with someone you met online without a trusted adult.

Safe Sharing

Think before you post photos or share your location. Ask yourself if it’s something you’d want everyone to see. Once it’s online, it’s hard to take it back.

Asking for Help

250 words essay on internet safety, what is internet safety.

Internet safety is about being secure online. When we go online, we can talk to friends, play games, and learn new things. But just like we look both ways before crossing the street, we need to be careful on the internet too.

Keeping Personal Information Private

Imagine your personal information is like a secret treasure. You wouldn’t want strangers to find it. Online, don’t share your full name, address, phone number, or school name with people you don’t know. It’s like giving them a map to your treasure.

Strong Passwords

A strong password is like a locked door to your online house. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols to make it hard for others to guess. Don’t use easy passwords like “1234” or “password,” and never share your passwords with anyone except your parents.

Being Kind Online

The internet is a place where you can meet people from all over the world. Always be kind and respectful, just like you would be in person. If someone is mean to you, tell an adult you trust.

Staying Away from Strangers

If a stranger tries to talk to you online, don’t answer them. Tell a parent or teacher right away. Just like in the real world, not everyone online is a friend.

500 Words Essay on Internet Safety

Internet safety is about being protected online. When we use the internet, we share information about ourselves, sometimes without knowing it. It’s like leaving the door to your house open; if you’re not careful, someone you don’t want inside might come in. So, it’s important to keep that door closed and locked by being smart about how we act on the internet.

One key part of staying safe online is to keep your personal information private. This means not telling strangers your full name, where you live, your phone number, or where you go to school. It’s like not telling a person you just met all your secrets. Only share personal details with people and websites you trust, and even then, only when it’s necessary.

Safe Passwords

Be careful what you click.

When you’re online, you’ll see lots of things to click on, like ads or links in emails. But not all of them are safe. Some can be tricks to take your information or put bad software on your computer. This is like picking up a piece of candy from the ground – it’s not a good idea. If something looks strange or too good to be true, it’s best not to click on it.

Online Strangers

Just like in the real world, you might meet people you don’t know on the internet. Be cautious when talking to strangers online. They might not be who they say they are. It’s like talking to someone with a mask on; you can’t be sure of who’s behind it. Never agree to meet someone in person that you’ve only talked to online without a trusted adult.

Using Social Media Wisely

Ask for help.

If something online makes you feel uncomfortable or if you’re not sure if something is safe, ask a trusted adult for help. This could be a parent, teacher, or an older sibling. It’s like when you’re not sure about crossing the street; you ask for someone’s hand.

Remember, being safe on the internet is a lot like being safe in everyday life. By keeping your information to yourself, using strong passwords, being careful about what you click, being cautious with strangers, using social media wisely, and asking for help, you can enjoy all the good things the internet has to offer without worry. Stay alert and stay safe!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Essay About Internet Safety

Introduction, illegal access, adult content, monetary fraud and fake identity, online harassment, banking cyberattacks.

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Youth Internet Safety: Risks, Responses, and Research Recommendations

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Subscribe to the Center for Technology Innovation Newsletter

Adina farrukh , af adina farrukh rebecca sadwick , and rs rebecca sadwick john villasenor john villasenor nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , center for technology innovation.

October 21, 2014

As Internet use by children and teenagers increases, so do concerns about their online safety. Providing a safe environment requires an in-depth understanding of the types and prevalence of online risks young Internet users face, as well as the potential solutions for mitigating risks.

Despite the significant amount of research on these risks, improving child/youth Internet safety remains a challenge. In part, this is because definitions of terms and categories relevant to online safety (such as “cyberbullying”) often vary, making the comparison of statistics and findings among sources imprecise. In addition, there are complex overlaps among different online safety subtopics.

Overall, these factors can make identifying the specific gaps in existing research and knowledge difficult. If these gaps can be better identified and filled, a data-based understanding of issues facing youth could play a key role in driving policy decisions regarding online safety.

In this paper, Adina Farrukh, Rebecca Sadwick and John Villasenor provide:

an overview of existing online safety research across a wide range of categories
an analysis of major findings
an identification of knowledge gaps, and
a set of recommendations for specific areas of research that can further the policy dialog regarding online safety

Governance Studies

Center for Technology Innovation

Kevin C. Desouza, Richard Watson, Yancong Xie

August 28, 2024

Isabella Panico Hernández, Nicol Turner Lee

August 22, 2024

The Brookings Institution, Washington DC

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EDT

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Career Readiness
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Digital Citizenship

What Is Internet Safety and Why Is It Important to Teach?

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June 12th, 2019 | 12 min. read

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Internet safety is the practice of following actionable guidelines, understanding modern technology, and protecting your digital devices so you can defend against malicious parts of the online world.

It’s one of the main parts of a strong digital citizenship program in any school.

That’s because the internet provides near-instant satisfaction when looking up answers to questions, instructions on how to accomplish a task, and more.

But it’s also packed with potential dangers. Malware, phishing, scams, drive-by downloads, misrepresentation, and old-fashioned lies hide in every possible corner online, just waiting for an opportunity to strike.

So how can you prepare children and teens to successfully navigate this minefield of information?

It’s not easy — but the first step to teaching i nternet safety is understanding it yourself!

What Does Internet Safety Entail?

Internet safety requires you to have a firm comprehension of the internet, what’s on it, how it’s used, and how it operates.

It also emphasizes understanding the lesser-known areas of the internet, like code, webpage interactions, and secure connections.

In general, you can break down internet safety into two categories — behavior and knowledge .

If you’ve never had to teach internet safety before, we recommend starting with seven behavior ideas that work in middle school and high school :

Verifying someone’s identity
Verifying a link is safe
Identifying an online scam
Protecting privacy
Creating and using passwords
Identifying cyberbullying
Becoming a good digital citizen

Internet safety is truly an expansive space, and it requires a knowledge component as well — the kind of knowledge that helps you use safe technology .

That includes:

Understanding code
Using ad blockers
Identifying secure connections
Using virtual personal networks (VPNs)
Understanding your data and its value
Knowing when your data is being collected
Understanding how your data is used to advertise

Because these two lists are pretty long, we’ll dive into each one separately.

Let’s start with making safe choices!

Making Safe Choices

The most important part of internet safety is learning how to make safe choices.

That requires a lot of background knowledge, but it’s all actionable information that your students can use any time.

Using the points below, you can teach your students how to stay safe online by making the smartest and best choices available.

1. Verifying someone’s identity

The internet makes it a snap for anyone to falsify their identity.

All it takes is an email address, made-up name, and social media profile. With that done, any person on Earth can impersonate someone else.

Students can verify identities by searching someone’s name in search engines and multiple social networks — especially LinkedIn .

Why is LinkedIn special?

Because it’s one of the hardest social profiles to fake!

LinkedIn essentially requires you to upload a full-fledged resume to join the network. Any LinkedIn profile with minimal information is immediately suspicious.

Facebook profiles with no friends, Twitter profiles with no followers, and Instagram profiles with only selfies are also suspicious.

Essentially, if someone seems very into themselves but doesn’t have the online friends to show for it, that person may be an imposter!

2. Verifying a link is safe

In addition to verifying the identity of a stranger, students also need to know how to “read” a URL or link.

You can do this a couple of different ways.

First, students should understand the letters that start a URL — HTTP and HTTPS.

The easy to way to think of these is that HTTP is unsecure and HTTPS is secure .

That means the URL goes to a trusted and well-maintained website, as opposed to a throwaway website that’s being used maliciously.

Second, students should also know about hovering. Hovering is when you place your mouse cursor over a link (without clicking it) to see the link embedded in the text.

99% of the time, these will be the same URLs. But 1% of the time, you may see that a link shows a different URL when hovering with your mouse cursor.

Don’t click these links! They may be deceptive, especially if the text of a link looks like you’ll go to one website but the embedded URL will send you somewhere else!

3. Identifying an online scam

Online scams often take the form of unsolicited emails, instant messages, or text messages.

Basically, they’re messages that come from unknown sources that tell the recipient to do something, like click a link.

As tempting or promising as the offer may be, students need to know not to click the link !

Simply opening the link could subject the student’s computer to malware, viruses, ransomware, or some other villainous software.

4. Protecting privacy

Privacy is another key area of understanding where students make crucial choices.

Today, every social network asks for a name, email address, phone number, and more!

So where can you draw the line?

In the event your students choose to create social media profiles, it’s crucial that they’re careful about publicly posting their personal information.

They should hide their phone numbers. Their email addresses shouldn’t be searchable. In some networks, students may even be able to remove themselves from search results entirely, protecting them from random friend requests and online invasions of privacy.

As a rule of thumb, students should always keep their addresses and contact information secret, even from social networks that ask for them.

5. Creating and using passwords

Passwords are used in every account-based service online, from social networks to banks.

As a result, they’re crucial in maintaining the privacy and integrity of any student’s information.

This opens the door for you to teach your students about best practices when creating passwords.

Strong passwords tend to be:

10+ characters long
Include letters, numbers, and other characters
Unrelated to personal information
Easy to remember
Hard to guess

Creating good, unique passwords is a challenge for anyone — especially if they’re not tech-savvy.

If you’d like your students to practice passwords before making them, you can use the LastPass password tester in your class.

6. Identifying cyberbullying

Because social networking and messaging is easier than ever, it’s also easier to harass people as well.

This unfortunate side-effect of the internet is called cyberbullying , and it’s been a hot-button topic in schools for years now.

Cyberbullying is essentially insulting or harassing someone via the internet. While it’s mostly discussed in the context of children, teens, and young adults, it’s shockingly prevalent across all age ranges.

The major takeaway for students is identification . Insults, jokes at someone’s expense, and repeated harassment are all callsigns of cyberbullying.

The effects can be devastating on the victims. Social media has a tendency to permeate our lives, and that’s amplified for teens and pre-teens who are highly involved in their social circles.

To prevent feelings of isolation, self-doubt, and worse outcomes, it’s crucial for students to know cyberbullying when they see it so they can do their part to stop the harassment.

7. Becoming a good digital citizen

Good digital citizenship means students know how to make safe choices when using the internet.

It also entails a general knowledge of technology, how the internet works, and warning signs that something may have gone wrong.

In that respect, making smart choices on the internet is just the first step on the road for your students as they become responsible digital citizens.

The next key area of internet safety is using — and understanding — safe technology.

Using Safe Technology

Using safe technology helps protect a student’s devices.

Understanding safe technology helps protect a student’s life .

While this requires more information and a thorough digital citizenship curriculum , it also gives your students the essential knowledge they need to protect themselves from digital pitfalls for the rest of their lives.

You can start by talking about code.

1. Understanding code

Code is the back-end, written text that developers use to create webpages and webpage elements.

With it, developers can tell a webpage to show a certain image at a certain point. They can denote where a video should go and whether it should play automatically.

The options are nearly limitless!

Most of the code on the internet is in a language called Hypertext Markup Language , or HTML. For the most part, HTML is a safe coding language that has very little opportunity to harm someone’s computer or steal someone’s information.

Other languages include Java , CSS , Python , Ruby , and more. These languages all have their strengths and weaknesses, and some of them can be used maliciously.

Thankfully, these languages don’t show up too often except for in special online applications.

The best way for students to learn about code is to learn how to code . Once students use the coding languages themselves, they’ll have a sharper idea of how those languages can be used online.

2. Using ad blockers

Ads are everywhere these days. Unfortunately, very few ad providers actually check their advertisers to ensure they’re providing clean, safe ads on webpages.

This is where a lot of websites run into trouble. It’s possible for them to unknowingly serve malware or virus-infected ads that prompt what’s called a drive-by download .

That means someone just needs to open a webpage and their browser will start downloading viruses, spyware, malware, or ransomware in the background — and nobody knows until it’s too late!

The best thing to do is to show students how to use ad blocker extensions in common web browsers, like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

Yes, ads play a vital role in helping companies keep the lights on.

But so few companies perform quality assurance checks on their ads for malicious code, and cybercriminals will always strive to stay one step ahead of the people who may catch them.

As a result, the best solution is for your students to use ad blockers!

3. Identifying secure connections

Secure connections are essential to ensuring someone’s personal information goes directly to a website and isn’t intercepted, decrypted, or misused by malicious third parties.

Thankfully, secure connections are easy to identify. Just look for the HTTPS at the beginning of a website’s URL.

The S indicates that the website uses something called secure socket layers , which is essentially an extra layer of security that protects information as it goes from a student’s computer to the website’s servers.

You can also teach students about virtual personal networks , or VPNs. These are encrypted micro-networks that add even more security to information that’s transmitted from someone’s device to another area.

With HTTPS websites and an always-on VPN equipped to a device, students can protect themselves from almost all of the internet’s dangers when it comes to transmitting data.

4. Using virtual personal networks (VPNs)

Speaking of VPNs, it’s important to understand how they work.

A VPN establishes a secure connection between someone’s device and a proxy location. In addition, the VPN creates a digital “shell” that protects that connection.

So if you imagine a standard internet connection as a copper wire, a VPN internet connection would be like that copper wire covered in a thick layer of rubber for protection and waterproofing.

In addition, VPNs prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from tracking a lot of your browsing activity online. This is important because it’s legal for ISPs to sell anyone’s browsing information to marketing firms to create targeted advertising.

VPNs stop that dead in its tracks. It’s just a safer way to use the internet!

5. Understanding your data and its value

So why should you and your students care that ISPs, social networks, and third-party operators have access to your data?

Because in today’s fast-paced, information-based world, personal data is a valuable commodity .

Packages of data are sold among companies just like any other product. The most recent example of this is the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal that revealed enormous breaches of personal privacy and dozens of security concerns.

Essentially, every student in your classroom is valuable to an advertiser. Because of that, their information has value for the social networks, ISPs, and other companies that collect it.

The less a student tells these websites about themselves, the less likely they’ll be to have their information packaged and sold to the highest bidder.

6. Knowing when your data is being collected

How do you know when your or your students’ data is being collected?

Because of a European law called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), any website that has traffic or customers in Europe must disclose when someone is being tracked.

The method of this tracking is often through something called a “cookie,” or a unique identifying code that makes one person stand out against the millions who may visit a website.

So while American or Asian websites don’t have to disclose their tracking information by law, they still do it to accommodate their European usership.

As a result, you’ll often see websites with popups that say they’re currently tracking you.

7. Understanding how your data is used to advertise

Finally, it’s essential that students understand how their data is used to advertise to them.

As we established before, third-party agencies will collect and sell anyone’s information for a price. Then, the people who buy that information can use it to deliver targeted advertisements to individuals through different means.

Have you ever talked to your friend about a brand or product only to open your Facebook account and see an ad for it right away?

Have you ever texted someone about a book you wanted to read and then saw it as an ad at the top of Amazon?

This isn’t an accident. Advertisers have never had more access to information about you, your students, or anyone else in the world.

As a result, they have a very sharp idea about what they can offer people.

If you or your students see ads on social networks or shopping websites, remember that they’re not there by accident!

Those ads are placed through a complex series of identification and delivery systems. Even if they show something that you want, it’s smartest not to click on them since you also don’t know where the ad may lead!

Teach Internet Safety as Part of a Digital Citizenship Curriculum

Learning and practicing internet safety is critical for your students to stay safe in a technologically-driven world. But without the right curriculum resources, your students are at risk of not learning essential information that will help them become good digital citizens.

When you teach the internet safety concepts in this article, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring your students are prepared to work in the digital world.

But how can you be sure you meet your standards for internet safety and other critical digital citizenship topics? Consider adopting a comprehensive curriculum system such as iCEV.

The iCEV curriculum includes material to help meet your standards for internet safety, digital citizenship, and more.

Visit the curriculum page to learn more about topics you can teach with iCEV to decide if it’s right for your classroom.

Essay on Internet Safety

Introduction.

An unprecedented commercial and trade revolution has been unleashed by the Internet. Communication through the internet is today considered to be a critical platform for connecting businesses with one another and with their customers. Prospective consumers looking for information about particular business goods before making a purchase have come to rely on corporate websites as their primary source of information in today’s age of information. Aside from that, websites have developed as essential and cost-effective marketing platforms via which firms may present new products and deliver key marketing information to end consumers (Arnold, J. et al, 2011, p. 56). As a consequence, even while the internet and other online technologies have unquestionable benefits, the growth of these technologies has resulted in the formation of security loopholes that, when actively exploited, expose the connected organizations to enormous financial risk (Garfinkel & Spafford, 2002, p. 48). Microsoft is the selected company for the paper. Microsoft has grown to become a well-known US software development business whose products, such as Windows, have become household names all over the globe, will discuss internet technology, marketing, and security from their perspective. It will be focused on the description and evaluation of Microsoft’s website in terms of product information, corporate contact details, tailoring things for customers based on their preferences, and collecting customer information at the moment of purchase. Additionally, as part of the inquiry, an audit and review of Microsoft’s privacy and security policies, as well as the expected corporate response to a security breach, will be carried out.

Academic review of one feature of digital consumer culture

Privacy is generally characterized as “the right to be alone,” and it is related to emotions of isolation, secrecy, and autonomy. The term “invasion of privacy” is typically associated with personal information when it comes to consumer activities that take place in the arena of the electronic marketplace, and an invasion of privacy is typically interpreted as the unauthorized collection, disclosure, or other use of personal information as a direct result of electronic commerce transactions (as opposed to other types of consumer activities). The types of personal information that are at risk may be split into two major categories based on the nature of the information involved in the invasion of personal information privacy. Personal information that is not anticipated to vary much over time, for example, might be referred to as “static private information. Static private information includes things like reference information, historical financial information, health information, personal associations and beliefs, and personal papers, among other things. Another kind of private information is that which fluctuates significantly over time but may still be obtained and processed in such a way that an accurate individual profile can be constructed. This type of information is referred to as “other private information. Known as dynamic personal information, this kind of information includes things like activity history and activity content, amongst other things, and it is collected automatically.

Individual data is being generated, collected, and processed by an expanding number of governments, organizations, and people.

Data protection aims to strike a balance between the risks and advantages of personal data processing1 so that people may have trust that their information is gathered and maintained securely. Besides, it is only used for lawful reasons.

Personal data processing is normally required to be legal, restricted, transparent, accurate, and secure under the terms of data protection regulations.

They often strive to preserve people’s privacy2 and to provide them with some level of choice over how personal data about them is used and stored.

As part of this process, they often create organizations with the authority to conduct investigations and enforce responsibilities.

In the digital economy, a robust data security framework offers assurance that may foster investment, competitiveness, and innovation in the digital economy, as well as the adoption of digital government and private sector services. There are hazards associated with the collection and processing of large volumes of personal data.

With digital marketing, loss, theft, disclosure without authorization, and abuse of personal information are all possibilities. According to Federal Trade Commission (2021), identity theft, inappropriate or humiliating disclosures, loss of crucial information, or uninvited marketing or solicitation are all possible outcomes.

Additionally, personal data may be utilized for government and corporate surveillance as well as for the biased treatment of vulnerable persons and groups (Voigt, 2019).

In certain cases, individuals are oblivious to how their personal information is being utilized or to which companies their information is being transmitted, and their confidence should not be taken for granted. Consumers who become more aware of the hazards associated with their data are more likely to avoid or restrict their use of digital services, which might impede attempts to promote economic growth and inclusiveness. Recent research has shown that customers in both high- and low-income nations place a high value on the security of their data.

Digital Media

One’s corporate website acts as the company’s online shop, and its performance is vital to the success of any online business venture (Catalano & Smith, 2000, p. 118). As with any subjective concept, the web material on any respected company website must emphasize specific concerns for which they supply solutions to consumers and the main goals that they help customers in reaching.

Among other things, web content must establish credibility and include a call to action that encourages the user to go to the next step, such as buying the product or service in question. As an example, on the Microsoft web page, the tabs that connect to product information are prominently displayed on the top page of the website. Even though they are a touch cluttered, the product pages for the software, business software, and hardware categories, as well as the entertainment categories, provide a short synopsis of what is available in each category. The corporation’s decision to use this way of communicating product information makes sense when you consider the vast number of things they provide in each category and the diverse range of products they offer. The layout, as shown by the positioning of product information on the pages, indicates a subtle knowledge of the enormity of the product portfolio, as seen by the efforts taken to ensure that the information provided is evenly distributed across the pages.

The product information on the Microsoft website is precise and adequate to enable a potential customer to make an informed decision. On the surface, it seems that the company’s website does not pay any special attention to the company’s contact information, which is understandable. Contact information is presented on the website in the standard method that can be seen on the vast majority of the company and personal websites. Information on contacting the company may be found on the “contact us” page, which offers links to e-mail, chat, and phone options for getting in touch with the organization. Sublinks are included in each of the three links, making it easier for prospective customers to get the information they want with more ease and precision. It is critical, however, to update the “Contact us” link on the home page in such a way that it adds to the overall image of “great” customer service.

The production of items that are specifically customized to the needs of individual customers is a serious undertaking. As a result of the dynamic and changeable nature of corporate needs, Microsoft’s website has done an excellent job of defining the underlying meaning of goods, as well as the conditions in which they are most suited and where they are most successful.

One specific benefit of the website when it comes to personalizing items for customers in the absence of broad promises that may lead purchasers to assume that the company can fix their software problems “no matter what they are.” In light of the intricacy and one-of-a-kindness of Microsoft’s products, the company’s website does not have an online purchasing portal that would enable consumers to place orders straight from the website itself. Following the transaction, it is evident that the business will rely on the contact information to provide “additional assistance” as well as, presumably, to provide customer information after the transaction has been completed. As a result, there is a serious lack of information regarding customer purchases available on the website as a result of this. Because such information is not accessible, even in the most general terms, the website has committed a strategic failure, and this is true despite the presence of connections to relevant resources on other websites.

With its resources and inventiveness, Microsoft was able to establish what might be described as “monopoly status” in the internet and software development marketplaces when the business initially entered the markets. In recent years, however, the company has faced intense competition from counterfeits, as well as from other quickly rising firms like Google and Apple (Boone & Kurtz, 2011, p. 175). It has put in place a marketing strategy that places a strong emphasis on the usage of the internet as a medium for marketing.

Beyond partnerships with social networking sites, which are particularly crucial for promoting Microsoft’s search engine Bing, Microsoft also posts adverts in rival search engines and promotes sales and specials on the company’s main website (Beyazitoglu, 2010, p. 98). However, although the approaches outlined above are likely to provide excellent results, they are also a part of the normal internet marketing strategies, and their effectiveness is thus likely to be restricted as a consequence of this.

Competition

While social networking sites have not yet achieved their full marketing potential, it is an effective technique that the company should continue to improve and concentrate on for it to stay competitive. It is said that a company’s ability to surpass competitors by doing what they do better or in a completely different way is the cornerstone of its competitive advantage (McDaniel and Gitman, 2008, p. 108). However, even if Microsoft’s website is up to date, it does not give any kind of competitive advantage when compared to its rivals’ websites. Because the website offers the company’s flagship goods, such as Windows, which have practically become a need for all computer users, this may be the only competitive advantage the website has to offer in this area of the market.

Increasing corporate espionage has caused internet security to come to the top of many firms’ priority lists, and it is expected to continue to increase (Mackey, 2003, p. 78). On the website of a company like Microsoft, you will see a detailed privacy policy that describes precisely what information the company collects and how it uses that information. Following the policy’s clarification that personal information is collected with a customer’s consent, it explains how the personal information is used. Also, it provides contact information in the event of a privacy issue and emphasizes the customer’s choices and options when it comes to receiving promotional communications from the company, the policy states that the company may. Overall, the policy is comprehensive and addresses the great majority of the privacy concerns that a normal Microsoft website user would have about their personal information, which is a good thing.

Even though Microsoft has one of the most powerful cyber security systems accessible in the corporate world (Ratliff & Ballard, 2006, p. 24), it still grapples with security challenges. This year’s website was targeted by an attack in October, despite the company’s promises that personal information was protected. The event cast doubt on the company’s ability to detect and repel hackers who attempted to steal information from the website as a result of the incident. Using credentials sent to an external e-mail address in Russia, the hackers launched their attack and were able to download source code from the Microsoft website from a distant location. A Trojan horse called QAZ was used in the attack, which, according to the corporation, lasted 12 days and gained access to the company’s computer system via an employee’s e-mail account. Most likely, Microsoft did not adequately safeguard their network’s access points, hence exposing their remote access system and resulting in a security compromise on Microsoft’s end. When the breach occurred, one of the company’s first responses was to invite an FBI Computer Analysis Response Team to examine the company’s systems, which included a study of network logs with the main purpose of identifying recognizable fingerprints of the intruder. Additionally, Microsoft blocked and, in some cases, limited access to its network for some of its employees when they were away from the office. As a consequence of this decision, Microsoft was able to prevent any hacker from re-entering its network.

Therefore, the firm must strengthen its virus scanning and prevention procedures, as well as its network access point protection, in light of the aforementioned security issue. This attack may have happened as the consequence of a failure in virus and access point security procedures. As a result, logging systems have become some of the most vulnerable security points in any network system, making them an attractive target for cybercriminals (Bhasin, 2003, p. 67). In addition to having a rigorous monitoring system for the logging system, the business must deactivate any ports that are no longer required.

According to Dell, the internet’s ability to aid firms in decreasing expenditures indicates that the internet’s potential in business and commerce has not yet achieved its pinnacle. Beyond e-commerce, there are a variety of additional novel applications for the Internet that corporations have yet to make use of. With the increasing availability of internet access throughout the globe, especially among previously unreached populations in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, there is a tremendous marketing potential for businesses to capitalize on. In contrast, the threat of unlawful entrance is becoming more prevalent with each passing day.

Consequently, companies should make investments in secure internet technologies via research and development to ensure safe online transactions while also safeguarding themselves from data theft.

Voigt, K., 2019. Social justice, equality, and primary care:(how) can ‘big data’help?. Philosophy & Technology, 32(1), pp.57-68.

“New Data Shows FTC Received 2.2 Million Fraud Reports from Consumers in 2020,” Federal Trade Commission (4 February 2021). Available at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/02/new-data-shows-ftc-received-2-2-million-fraud-reports-consumers.

Arnold, J. et al. (2011). Web Marketing All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies . New York: Springer Verlag.

Beyazitoglu, F. (2010). Business Marketing – the Case of Microsoft . New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Bhasin, S. (2003). Web security basics. London: Sage Publications.

Boone, L.E. & Kurtz, L.D. (2011). Contemporary Marketing . New York: Springer.

Catalano, F. & Smith, B.E. (2000). Internet marketing for dummies . NJ: Infobase Publishers.

Garfinkel, S. & Spafford, G. (2002). Web security, privacy and commerce . London: McGraw-Hill.

Mackey, D. (2003). Web security: for network and system administrators . New York: Routledge.

McDaniel, C. & Gitman, L.J. (2008). The Future of Business: The Essentials . London: Cengage Learning.

Ratliff, B. & Ballard, J. (2006). Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 . Chicago: Cengage Learning.

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Essay On Internet for Students and Children

500+ words essay on internet.

We live in the age of the internet. Also, it has become an important part of our life that we can’t live without it. Besides, the internet is an invention of high-end science and modern technology . Apart from that, we are connected to internet 24×7. Also, we can send big and small messages and information faster than ever. In this essay on the Internet, we are going to discuss various things related to the internet.

Reach of Internet

It is very difficult to estimate the area that the internet cover. Also, every second million people remain connected to it with any problem or issue. Apart from that, just like all the things the internet also has some good and bad effect on the life of people. So the first thing which we have to do is learn about the good and bad effect of the internet.

Good effects of the internet mean all those things that the internet make possible. Also, these things make our life easier and safer.

Bad effects of the internet mean all those things that we can no longer do because of the internet. Also, these things cause trouble for oneself and others too.

You can access in any corner of the world. Also, it is very easy to use and manage. In today’s world, we cannot imagine our life without it.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Uses Of Internet

From the time it first came into existence until now the internet has completed a long journey. Also, during this journey, the internet has adopted many things and became more user-friendly and interactive. Besides, every big and small things are available on internet and article or material that you require can be obtainable from internet.

Tim Berners-Lee can be called one of the main father of internet as he invented/discovered the WWW (World Wide Web) which is used on every website. Also, there are millions of pages and website on the internet that it will take you years to go through all of them.

The Internet can be used to do different things like you can learn, teach, research, write, share, receive, e-mail , explore, and surf the internet.

Read Essay on Technology here

Convenience Due To Internet

Because of internet, our lives have become more convenient as compared to the times when we don’t have internet. Earlier, we have to stand in queues to send mails (letters), for withdrawing or depositing money, to book tickets, etc. but after the dawn of the internet, all these things become quite easy. Also, we do not have to waste our precious time standing in queues.

Also, the internet has contributed a lot to the environment as much of the offices (government and private), school and colleges have become digital that saves countless paper.

Although, there is no doubt that the internet had made our life easier and convenient but we can’t leave the fact that it has caused many bigger problems in the past. And with the speed, we are becoming addict to it a day in will come when it will become our basic necessity.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What are the limitation of internet?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Although internet can help you with anything but there are certain limitation to it. First of it does not have a physical appearance. Secondly, it does not have emotions and thirdly, it can’t send you to a place where you can’t go (physically).” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the ideal age for using internet?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Nowadays everybody from small kids to adult is internet addicts. So it is difficult to decide an ideal age for using internet. However, according to researches using internet from an early age can cause problems in the child so internet usage of small children should be controlled or banned.” } } ] }

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How the internet can harm us, and what can we do about it?

The internet has received much negative news coverage in recent years.

Written by Gianluca Quaglio,

The internet has received much negative news coverage in recent years. Articles focus on major privacy scandals and security breaches, the proliferation of fake news, rampant harmful behaviours like cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, revenge porn, the exchange of child porn and internet predation, internet addiction, and the negative effects of the internet on social relations and social cohesion. Nevertheless, some 87 % of European households have internet access at home, and 65 % use mobile devices to access the internet. Europeans aged 16 to 24 years spend 168 minutes per day on mobile internet, dropping to 30 minutes for 55 to 64-year olds. Around 88 % of 15 to 24-year olds use social media, 80 % on a daily basis.

While the social and economic benefits of the internet cannot be denied, some of these developments can severely affect such European values as equality, respect for human rights and democracy. Technology companies are under increasing pressure to mitigate these harmful effects, and politicians and opinion leaders are advocating drastic measures.

The recently published STOA study on ‘Harmful internet use’ covers the damage associated with internet use on individuals’ health, wellbeing and functioning, and the impact on social structures and institutions. While the study does not attempt to cover all possible societal harm relating to the internet, Part I focuses on one specific cause of harm, internet addiction, and Part II covers a range of harmful effects on individuals and society that are associated with internet use. The report concludes with policy options for their prevention and mitigation.

Other studies have already extensively discussed some harmful effects, and these are already subject to a history of policy actions. These include harm to privacy, harm related to cybersecurity and cybercrime, and damage resulting from digital divides. In contrast, this study covers the less-studied but equally important harmful effects that concern individuals’ health, wellbeing and functioning, the quality of social structures and institutions, and equality and social inclusion.

Internet addiction and problematic internet use

Internet addiction and problematic internet use prevalence rates vary across studies and countries. The noteworthy discrepancy in prevalence estimates has a number of causes, including the different populations studied, as well as the various diagnostic tools and assessment criteria utilised. With this in mind, it appears that roughly 4 % of European adolescents demonstrate a pathological use of the internet that affects their life and health, while 13 % of adolescents engage in maladaptive behaviour when using the internet. Similar numbers are reported for adults.

Part I of the study focuses on generalised internet addiction, online gaming addiction, and online gambling addiction. Clinical presentations, patient profiling, comorbidities, instruments, interventions, and prognoses are different across these three potential addiction disorders. The study states that the individual, cultural and media-use context significantly contributes to the experience and severity of internet addiction.

The study proposes a set of preventive actions, and evidence to support future policies . It states that offering information, screening tools and campaigns to students in secondary schools and at universities regarding internet-use-related addiction problems can help, especially regarding gaming addiction in adolescent populations. This will require allocating research and resources for schools and their staff, and for families, as well as the establishment of working relationships with health professionals and services.

Harmful social and cultural effects associated with internet use

Part II of the study identifies a number of different harmful social and cultural effects associated with internet use. The evidence points to the occurrence of significant damage to both individuals and society. Some of these harmful effects are described briefly below:

Information overload: Having too much information to be able to adequately understand an issue or make effective decisions. Information overload is associated with loss of control, feelings of being overwhelmed, reduced intellectual performance, and diminished job satisfaction. Studies show that information overload affects up to 20-30% of people.

Damage to social relationships: Extensive internet use, of social media in particular, is correlated with loneliness and social isolation. Intimate relationships can be degraded by internet use, particularly due to viewing online pornography. Malicious online behaviour, particularly cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking and online predation, affects a significant percentage of internet users.

Impaired public/private boundaries: The way in which the internet and smartphones blur the distinction between private and public, and between different spheres of life, including work, home life and leisure, harms the boundaries between people’s public and private lives. Harmful effects that can result from such permeations include loss of quality of life, lack of privacy, decreased safety and security, and harm to social relations – when friends and family members feel they are left behind by new technology.

Harmful effects on cognitive development: Empirical evidence suggests that internet use can have both positive and negative impacts on cognitive development, depending on the person and the circumstances. There is evidence that children’s cognitive development can be damaged by prolonged internet use, including the development of memory skills, attention span, abilities for critical reasoning, language acquisition, reading, and learning abilities. More research is however needed to draw more reliable conclusions.

Damage to communities: Many off-line communities suffer through the partial migration of human activities – shopping, commerce, socialising, leisure activities, professional interactions – to the internet. Online communities sometimes extend off-line communities and sometimes replace them. They are often inadequate replacements, however, as they do not possess some of the valuable or the strongest qualities of off-line communities, and communities may consequently suffer from impoverished communication, incivility, and a lack of trust and commitment.

The study identifies a number of broad policy options for preventing and mitigating these harmful effects. They include, among other things:

promoting technology that better protects social institutions, stimulating or requiring tech companies to introduce products and services that better protect social institutions and internet users;
education about the internet and its consequences;
stronger social services support for internet users: this policy option involves strengthening social services dedicated to internet users to prevent or mitigate harmful effects such as internet addition, antisocial online behaviour or information overload;
incentivising or requiring employers to develop policies that protect workers against harmful effects of work-related internet use, such as information overload and the blurring of lines between public and private life;
establishing governmental units and multi-stakeholder platforms at EU level,to address the problems of the internet’s harmful social and cultural effects.

Problematic use of the internet (PUI) research network

Finally, in relation to internet-caused damage, it is worth mentioning the recent article published by the European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) on the European Problematic Use of Internet (PUI) research network. The project, funded by the European Commission, gathers over 120 psychologists, psychiatrists and neuroscientists, with the objective of reaching a better definition of diagnostic criteria, the role of genetics and personality traits, and the brain-based mechanisms behind internet related disorders.

Scientific Foresight (STOA)

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Top 15 internet safety rules and what not to do online

A family discussing essential internet safety rules and tips.

So much of our daily life revolves around the internet, from work to education and even talking with friends. A 2021 survey found that the average US household had around 25 internet-connected devices, up from 11 in 2019. The more online accounts and devices you have, the greater the scope for cybercriminals to cause you harm. That’s why it's now ever more essential to understand internet safety rules which protect you and your family from threats that may harm your data and devices. Read on to find out about key internet dangers and the ways to stay safe online.

The Key Dangers of the Internet

When you and your family use the internet, you are (often unknowingly) exposing yourself to a wide range of potential online threats. Digital landscapes as we know them are constantly evolving as cybercriminals devise new ways to target internet users. Here is a list of just some of the biggest internet dangers you and your family need to watch out for:

Identity theft.
Data breaches.
Malware and viruses.
Phishing and scam emails.
Fake websites.
Online scams.
Romance scams.
Inappropriate content.
Cyberbullying.
Faulty privacy settings.

Essential Internet Safety Tips

To avoid all of these dangers, we recommend following our essential internet safety tips when you or your family are online:

1. Make sure you’re using a secure internet connection

Although using public Wi-Fi is not recommended, it’s sometimes unavoidable when you are out and about. However, when you go online in a public place and use a public Wi-Fi connection, you have no direct control over its security, which could leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. So, if you are using public Wi-Fi, avoid carrying out personal transactions that use sensitive data, such as online banking or online shopping.

If you need to do any one of these, use a Virtual Private Network or VPN . A VPN will protect any of the data you send over an unsecured network via real-time encryption. If you don't use a VPN, we recommend saving any personal transactions until you can use a trusted internet connection. You can find out more about what a VPN is here .

2. Choose strong passwords

Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots when it comes to cybersecurity. People often choose passwords that are easy to remember and, therefore, easy for hackers to crack with hacking software. In addition to this, using the same password for multiple sites puts your data at further risk. If hackers obtain your credentials from one site, they can potentially access other websites which use the same login details.

Select strong passwords that are harder for cybercriminals to crack. A strong password is:

Long – made up of at least 12 characters (ideally more).
A mix of characters – upper-case and lower-case letters plus symbols and numbers.
Avoids the obvious – such as using sequential numbers (“1234”) or personal information that someone who knows you might guess (or that might already be online), such as your date of birth or a pet’s name.
Avoids memorable keyboard paths.

Using a password manager can help. Password managers help users create strong passwords, store them in a digital vault (which is protected by a single master password) and retrieve them when logging into accounts online.

3. Enable multi-factor authentication where you can

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method that asks users to provide two or more verification methods to access an online account. For example, instead of simply asking for a username or password, multifactor authentication goes further by requesting additional information, such as:

An extra one-time password that the website's authentication servers send to the user's phone or email address.
Answers to personal security questions.
A fingerprint or other biometric information, such as voice or face recognition.

Multifactor authentication decreases the likelihood of a successful cyberattack. To make your online accounts more secure, it’s a good idea to implement multifactor authentication where possible. You can also consider using a third-party authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator or Authy, to help with your internet security.

4. Keep software and operating systems updated

Developers are constantly working to make products safe, monitoring the latest threats and rolling out security patches in case of vulnerabilities in their software. By using the latest versions of your operating systems and apps, you will benefit from the latest security patches. This is especially important for apps that contain payment, health or other sensitive information about a user.

5. Check that websites look and feel reliable

For any website you visit, especially ones you transact with (such as e-commerce sites), it's crucial that they are reliable. A key element to look out for is an SSL/security certificate . This means, lookout for URLs that start with “HTTPS” rather than “HTTP” (the “S” stands for “secure”) and have a padlock icon in the address bar. Other trust signals include:

Text which is free from spelling and grammar mistakes – reputable brands will make an effort to ensure their websites are well-written and proofread.
Images that are not pixelated and fit the screen's width correctly.
Ads that feel organic and are not too overpowering.
No sudden changes in color or theme. In some cases, where users have interacted with a particular website and returned to a familiar page from a link, subtle color or design changes might indicate forgery.
The accepted standards of online payments – legitimate ecommerce websites use credit or debit card portals or PayPal, only. If a website is using another form of digital money transfer to accept payments, it is probably fraudulent.

6. Review your privacy settings and understand privacy policies

Marketers love to know all about you, and so do hackers. Both can learn a lot from your browsing and social media usage. But you can take charge of how much information third-parties can access. Both web browsers and mobile operating systems have settings to protect your privacy online. Social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, amongst others, have privacy-enhancing settings that you can activate. It’s worth taking a while to review your privacy settings across the board and make sure they are set to a level you are comfortable with.

Many of us accept privacy policies without reading them, but with so much data used for marketing and advertising (and hacking) purposes, it's a good idea to review the privacy policies of websites and apps you use, in order to understand how your data is collected and analyzed. However, bear in mind that even if your settings are set to private, very little data online is totally private. Hackers, website administrators and law enforcement could still have access to the information you regard as private.

7. Be careful of suspicious links and where you click

A careless click can expose your personal data online or infect your device with malware . That’s why it's essential to browse consciously and avoid certain types of online content – such as links from untrusted sources and spam emails, online quizzes, clickbait, ‘free’ offers or unsolicited ads.

If you receive an email that you're not sure about, avoid clicking on any links in it or opening any attachments.

In fact, it's best to avoid opening untrusted emails at all. If you’re not sure whether an email is legitimate or not, go directly to the source. For example, if you receive a suspicious email from your “bank”, call your bank and ask them if the email is genuine.

When you’re on a website, make sure links click through to relevant or expected topics. For example, if you click on a link that you think is about safaris in Africa, but instead you're taken to a clickbait-style page about celebrity weight loss or a “where are they now?” style piece, then quickly close the page.

A woman researching online safety tips with her child and partner.

8. Make sure your devices are secure

With up to 60% of people using mobile devices for shopping and finding information online, instead of a desktop, it’s important that they are secured correctly. With all your devices – phones, computers, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, etc. – it's good practice to use passwords or passcodes and other security options like fingerprint readers or face-scanning technology. These measures will reduce the likelihood of a cyberattack or your personal data being stolen by hackers.

9. Backup data regularly

It's important to backup important personal information on external hard drives and regularly create new backups. Ransomware – a type of malware – involves cybercriminals locking your computer so you can’t access valuable files. Backing up your data – and your family’s data – helps mitigate the impact of a ransomware attack. You can protect yourself further with appropriate security software. Other forms of malware deny you access to your personal data by overwhelming your system or simply deleting files, so be careful.

10. Close unused accounts

Over the years, many of us accumulate old accounts that we no longer use. These can be a weak link in terms of safety when using the internet – not only are old accounts more likely to have weaker passwords, but some of those sites may have poor data protection policies. In addition, cybercriminals could piece together the information you have left in them, for example, old social media profiles – such as your date of birth or location, etc. – to build up a picture of your identity in an attempt to hack you later. As a result, we recommend closing your old online accounts and requesting that your data be deleted from the relevant third-party servers.

11. Be careful what you download

A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware, which can be used to open a “backdoor” to your machine. Malware might be disguised as an app – anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather. Or, it could be hidden on a malicious website that attempts to install malware on your device.

Malware causes damage – such as disrupting how your device operates, stealing your personal data or allowing unauthorized access to your machine. This usually requires some action on your part, but there are also drive-by downloads , where a website attempts to install software on your computer without asking for permission first. Think carefully before visiting a new website or downloading anything onto your device, and only download content from trusted or official sources. Regularly check your download folders and if unknown files appear on your system (potentially, from a drive-by), delete them immediately.

12. Be careful what you post and where

The internet does not have a delete key. Any comment or image you post online may stay online forever because removing the original won’t remove any copies that other people may have made. There is no way for you to ‘take back’ a comment you wish you hadn't made or remove an embarrassing image you posted. So, don't put anything online that you would not want a parent or prospective employer to see.

Similarly, be careful about disclosing personal information about yourself online. For example, avoid disclosing your social security number, address or date of birth in social media bios. You wouldn't hand personal information out to strangers individually, so don't hand it out to millions of people online.

Be careful about where you display or submit your email address. It's good to have a secondary, throwaway email account that you use solely for email sign-ups and subscriptions, separate from the one you use for friends and family, and separate from the one you use for work.

13. Be careful who you meet online

People you meet online are not always who they claim to be. Indeed, they may not even be real. Fake social media profiles are a popular way for hackers to groom unwary internet users and pick their cyber pockets. Apply the same caution in your online social life as you would for your in-person social life. This is particularly true with the rise of online dating scams in recent years .

14. Double check online information

Sadly, fake news, misinformation and disinformation are all present on the internet. It's easy to feel lost with the flood of information we're exposed to every day. If you read something you are unsure of, do your own research to establish the facts. Reliable websites will have references to the original information and source materials. Suspicious pages won’t offer any references at all. Read our guide to spotting fake news here .

15. Use a good antivirus and keep it updated

As well as following safety tips for online behavior, it's essential to use a good quality antivirus provider . Internet security software guards your devices and data and blocks common threats like viruses and malware (plus complex ones like spy apps, “cryptolockers” and XSS attacks). As with all operating systems and apps, it's essential to keep your antivirus updated to stay ahead of the latest cyberthreats.

3 Online safety rules for the kids

Although many of the tips to stay safe online are the same for adults and children, they are not easy or straightforward to explain. Often, children can accidentally be a gateway for malicious actors to gain access to your digital systems. It is therefore important to teach your kids the essentials of staying safe online in order to protect your home network from any unwanted accidents. Here are 3 areas that you should cover:

Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint, what exists of you online after usage, is an important concept that children need to know about. When teaching children about this, it’s important to focus on how information is readily available and how others could interact with this data (for example, email addresses and usernames that contain identifying information, which could be used for criminal activity). Wider discussions can also come from this, such as sharing content online (through social media, gaming accounts and emails). Make sure to clearly state what content is not allowed on the internet (photos, address, phone numbers and middle names).

Strong passwords are integral to modern cybersecurity measures today. Instructing children from a young age about the importance of strong passwords (ones that consists of at least 12 characters and are a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols) and their appropriate storage is one of the simplest ways to make the internet safer for your family. This is also why it can be very useful to have a password management system that can automatically fill in password credentials for different websites.

Communication

One of the most accessed routes for all manner of cybercriminal, online messaging and communication is a “must-have” conversation for your children’s safety. Primarily, it is important to explain how to identify and avoid messages, suspicious links, downloads or emails from strangers asking for identifying information online. This can also lead to a wider discussion about how to detect phishing scams and fake websites. The second most important part of safe online communication is correct engagement with others. Much like the real world, staying safe can sometimes depend on staying vigilant, engaging in polite communication and learning how to identify and not engage with bullying. Educate your child on what cyberbullying looks like and how to act kindly to others online.

Internet Safety for Kids - Teaching Kids About Internet Safety

Internet safety for kids -, teaching kids about internet safety, internet safety for kids teaching kids about internet safety.

Internet Safety for Kids: Teaching Kids About Internet Safety

Lesson 1: teaching kids about internet safety, teaching kids about internet safety.

Intro illustration for Internet Safety for Kids

The Internet can be a wonderful place to learn, shop, play games, and talk to your friends. Unfortunately, there are also predators, identity thieves, and others online who may try to harm you. In order to be safe online, it's important for you and your kids to be aware of the dangers.

Many kids are confident that they know how to be safe online. However, there are a few reasons kids are often more at risk. They may not always think about the consequences of their actions, which can cause them to share too much information about themselves. Kids also are sometimes specifically targeted by cyberbullies or predators.

If you're a parent or guardian, you can help to keep your kids safe by talking to them about their Internet use , teaching them about online dangers , and learning everything you can about the Internet so you can make informed decisions.

About this tutorial

This tutorial is designed for any parent or guardian who wants to learn how to keep their kids safe online. You may want to review our Internet Safety tutorial first so you'll have a basic understanding of online safety. Throughout this tutorial, we'll link to other resources you can use if you want more information. We'll also link to some activities, videos, and other resources that are geared toward kids and teens. You may want to show these resources to your kids or even work through them together.

If you want to learn the basics of using the Internet, you can also check out our Internet Basics , Email 101 , and Beyond Email tutorials.

Understanding online dangers

In order to keep your kids safe, you'll need to know about the different types of online dangers that exist. For example, kids and teens may find inappropriate content on the Internet, such as pornography or obscene language. There is also a possibility of cyberbullying or cyberharassment from others online. This does not mean your child will encounter all of these threats. However, knowing about the dangers can help you and your kids make smart decisions online.

Review the interactive below to learn about some of the dangers kids can encounter online.

Malware is malicious software that is designed to damage your computer or steal your personal information . It includes viruses, spyware, and other types of software.

Malware is often secretly bundled with other software, and it can also infect email attachments.

Cyber-stalking

Cyber-stalking is any kind of harassment or threatening behavior that occurs online. It can happen through instant messaging, text messaging, email, or social networks. If the perpetrator is a child or teen, it is often called cyberbullying .

In the online world, piracy refers to illegally sharing copyrighted materials . This can include music, movies, TV shows, and software. For many kids, sharing files may seem innocent, but it can result in stiff penalties.

Phishing is a type of scam where the scammer tries to trick you into revealing your personal information . Usually, it involves an email, instant message, or website that is designed to look like it's from a legitimate company.

The Internet contains a lot of content you probably don't want your kids to see, including pornography, violent content, and vulgar language .

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs online , often through instant messaging, text messaging, email, and social networks.

Cyberbullies may be the same age as the victims, or they may be older. If the perpetrator is an adult, it is generally called cyber-stalking or cyberharassment .

Revealing too much

Many kids and teens like to post photos and share information about themselves. In some cases, this information can be used by online predators .

It's also possible for an embarrassing photo to damage a kid's or teen's reputation . This can affect their social life, and it may even come back to haunt them years later when they're applying for a job.

Other types of dangers

Whenever someone uses a computer, there is a risk of eye strain , wrist strain , and other injuries . You can help prevent this by limiting the amount of time your kids spend on computers and mobile devices. For tips on avoiding injury, read Creating a Safe Workspace in our Computer Basics tutorial.

There's also another reason to limit your kids' Internet use: Because people are spending more and more time online, Internet addiction is becoming a more significant problem. Internet use can be a good thing, but if it becomes an addiction it can affect a person's offline life.

Places where dangers can occur

It's important for kids to be careful whenever they're connected to the Internet because online dangers are not just limited to bad websites . Chat rooms, computer games, and even social networking sites can be risky. If your kids have mobile phones, they'll also need to be careful when texting or when accessing the Internet on their phones.

Review the slideshow below to learn about some of the places online where kids can be at risk.

Guidelines for keeping your kids safe

It can be difficult to keep your kids completely safe online. Even if you set up parental controls on your home computer, your kids will use many other computers that don't have parental controls. To keep your kids safe, you'll need to teach them to make good decisions online—even when you're not around.

Below are some general tips you can use when teaching your kids about online safety:

Learn everything you can about the Internet. Being familiar with the Internet will not only help you understand the risks, but it will also help you talk to your kids.
Set standards for what your kids can and cannot do online. It's important to make rules for your kids so they know what's expected of them. Don't wait until something bad happens to start creating guidelines.
Teach your kids to keep personal information private . It's usually a bad idea to post personal information online such as phone numbers, addresses, and credit cards. If criminals gain access to this information, they can use it to harm you or your family.
Teach your kids to use social networking sites safely. Sites like Facebook allow kids—and adults—to share photos and videos of themselves, as well as have conversations with friends and strangers. If your kids share something with friends, it's still possible for it to get into the wrong hands. Generally, they should only post something online if they're comfortable with everyone in the world seeing it.
Encourage your kids to come to you if they encounter a problem. If your child gets into trouble online, you'll want him or her to come to you instead of hiding it. Keep in mind that your kids could accidentally encounter a bad site, even if they're doing everything right.
Talk to your kids about Internet use. Talk to your kids regularly about how they use the Internet. If they're in the habit of talking to you about the Internet, they'll be more willing to come to you if there's a problem.

The Federal Trade Commission has videos and other resources you may find helpful. Watch the following video to learn more about talking to your kids about Internet safety.

Minimizing risks at home

If you have a home computer your kids use, there are some extra precautions you can take to make it safer. Remember that your kids will probably use many other computers, and these precautions won't keep them safe when they're not at home. Also, keep in mind that these are merely suggestions; depending on your parenting style and your kids' ages, you may choose not to use all of them.

Keep the computer in the living room or in another common area. By putting the computer in a common area of the house, you can reduce the chance that they'll talk to strangers or visit inappropriate websites. For teens, you may choose to give them more freedom about where they use the computer (especially if they have their own computers).
Install antivirus software. Viruses and other malware are a risk for any computer (although Macs are slightly safer). To protect your computer, you can install antivirus software such as BitDefender or Norton .
Use a kid-friendly search engine. Regular search engines may return results with inappropriate content you don't want your kids to see. However, there are some search engines that are designed to only return kid-friendly results (although there is still the possibility of inappropriate results getting through). Examples include KidTopia and KidRex.org .
Use parental controls. Windows and Mac OS X allow you to add parental controls to user accounts. These include time limits , website restrictions , and controlling which applications can be opened . You can also buy parental control software like Net Nanny , which has versions for Windows and Mac.

Creating an Internet safety contract

Once you've established Internet guidelines, you may want to put them in writing. You can create an Internet safety contract your kids can sign, and then you can keep a copy of it near the computer.

There are also premade contracts you can download and print. One example is the Family Online Safety Contract , which you can download from the Family Online Safety Institute . In addition to a contract, it includes a contract for parents, which contains guidelines you may find helpful.

/en/internetsafetyforkids/staying-safe-from-online-predators/content/

Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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Introduction

Impact of internet on society, a case for the internet, works cited.

The internet is arguably the most influential invention made in the last half a century. This creation has had immense impact on the world with person’s personal and professional lives being influenced by this innovation. The internet has invaded most aspects of human life with its use spanning from industries as diverse as health care provision to mining and manufacturing.

This wide application of the internet has made it hard for people to envision a world without the internet. For most people, it would be impossible to operate efficiently if the internet was not there to provide quick and effective communication. However, the internet has contributed to some negative outcomes in society due to its attributes of efficiency and ease of information provision. This paper will argue that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented.

The information available on the internet has contributed to the rise in violence in our society. The internet contains a wide array of information on all topics. Some of the information contained pertains to violence and how a person can engage in acts of violence. There are websites that offer in-depth information on how to create a homemade bomb or even how to convert a handgun into a semi-automatic weapon.

This information has been used by various individuals to carry out acts of violence against members of the society (Schmitt 1). In the recent Boston bomb attack, the perpetrators used the internet to gain information on how to turn pressure cookers into deadly bombs that were used to carry out the terror attacks. The Norwegian terrorist, Anders Breivik who killed 77 people and injured at least 110 more is reported to have used the internet in his preparation for the brutal attacks.

Proponents of the internet argue that individuals with violent tendencies will find a way to carry out attacks even without the help of the internet. They argue that a person who wants to commit a crime can get the information they need from books or use traditional weapons such as guns and knives. While this is true, the internet has made it easier for the violent people to access dangerous information with little effort. This has increased the danger that such individuals pose to our society.

The internet has contributed to making the world an unsafe place by making it easy for international terrorists to operate. The prevalence of global acts of terror in the last decade has made international terrorism the greatest danger to world security.

Terror attacks in major cities such as New York, London, and Madrid have caused world leaders to recognize the devastating effect of international terrorism. The internet has assisted in the growth and development of international terrorist organizations. Schmitt reveals that the internet plays a role in the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists in countries all over the world (1).

For example, radical clerics have been known to post radical sermons online and gain many followers all over the world. The radical messages have contributed to the prevalence of “home grown” terrorists who communicate hateful messages through the internet. In the Boston bombing incident, the two brothers are reported to have been influenced and radicalized by the Islamic Cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki whose sermons provided the motivation for their deadly attacks (Schmitt 1).

The al-Qaeda terror network is known to use the internet extensively to spread its hateful messages and inspire acts of terrorism against Western targets. Without the internet, terrorists would not have such an efficient medium through which to spread their messages. It is therefore conceivable that the world would be safer without the internet to facilitate the spread of international terrorism.

The internet has given governments the tools with which to engage in pervasive surveillance of their citizens. While we live in an open community where freedom is guaranteed, the government may want to keep track of its citizens. In the past, attempts by the governments to engage in surveillance have been met with resistance.

However, the internet has provided an efficient and cheap means for the governments to track people and keep records of their communication often without their consent. By gathering information from sources such as Internet Service Providers, search engines, and Social Networking Sites, the government can build profiles of individuals and invade privacy. A report by the CNN ominously warns that thanks to the internet, “our surveillance state is efficient beyond the wildest dreams of George Orwell” (Schneier 1).

The internet has made it possible for a person’s private information to be accessed and stored by third parties. The US government has engaged in spying activities on its own citizens without their consent or knowledge. The internet has therefore contributed to the dramatic infringement of personal privacy by the government and made our society less free.

The internet has played a part in the prevalence of moral decay by providing individuals with decadent material. The internet is the largest repository of information in the world. Among this information is material of a questionable moral caliber such as pornography. A report by the BBC states that four in every ten individuals who use the internet are subjected to pornographic material (1).

This report is corroborated by the fact that the pornography industry has grown into a multi-million dollar industry with many pornography websites appearing online. Pornography is damaging to the society since it leads to a pervasion of sexual acts and promotes acts of violence such as rape.

Reports indicate that many convicted rapists and child molesters cite pornography as a trigger to their damaging actions (BBC 1). Proponents of the internet argue that there was still decadent material in the society before the invention of the internet. They claim that photographic material could be obtained through magazines and even bootleg tapes. These claims are true since offensive material has been in the society since the invention of the printing press.

However, the spread of this material before the internet was restricted and it occurred in a regulated fashion. A report by the BBC reveals that since the arrival of the internet, “pornography is far more readily available and less regulated” (1). Without the internet, it would be harder for people to access pornographic material. The society would therefore be protected from the negative effects of this decadent material.

Advocates of the internet assert that is has contributed to the growth and development of society. Industries and Businesses have benefited from improved efficiency and effectiveness due to the internet. Increased productivity in organizations has resulted in economic growth, which is a desirable outcome for the society.

The internet has also enhanced scientific research and innovation by making it easy for various professionals to work collaboratively through the internet. It has increased the research abilities of various professionals therefore contributing to the development of our society. Knut asserts that the internet has served as an enabler for all forms of innovation in the society (1). This positive attributes of the internet are all true and the prevalence of the internet has greatly affected societies and the economy.

However, it should be noted that innovation and research would still have occurred even without the presence of the internet. Economic growth and prosperity was in action for decades before the advent of the internet. What the internet has done is increase the rate at which economic growth and technological advancement has taken place in society. It would therefore be wrong to assume that there would be no development if the internet was not invented.

While the internet has been hailed as the “most important technology” developed, it has led to much harm to society. This paper has argued that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented. To buttress this assertion, the paper has highlighted how the internet has contributed to the rising insecurity and violence in the world. The internet has made it easy for international terrorism organizations to expand their influence.

It has noted that governments can infringe upon the freedom of their citizens more efficiently because of the internet. The paper has also highlighted the contribution that the internet has played to moral decay. However, the paper has also acknowledged the positive contributions that the internet has played in society. Even so, the positive contributions are outweighed by the negative influences that the internet has had. It can therefore be declared that the society would be better off if the internet had never been invented.

BBC. The internet and Pornography . 2011. Web.

Knut, Blind. The Internet as Enabler for New Forms of Innovation: New Challenges for Research. 2011. Web.

Schmitt, Eric. Boston Plotters Said to Initially Target July 4 for Attack . 2013. Web.

Schneier, Bruce. The internet is a surveillance State . 2013. Web.

The Sociology of Religion Aspects
Modern-Day Heroes in Society
An Argumentative Essay: How to Write
Pornography and Ethics
Writing Argumentative Essay With Computer Aided Formulation
Introduction to Sociology of Religion: When Religion Defines the Moods in Community
The Sociological Study of Religion
About the Sociology of Religion
What is sociology of religion
The Social Organization of Religion
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, December 19). Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/

"Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." IvyPanda , 19 Dec. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay'. 19 December.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

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August's Last Social Security Check Is Coming This Week. Here's When You'll Get It

The last round of Social Security payments will be sent this week. Here's when you can expect it.

August's Social Security payments are on their way. Here's when you'll get yours.

August's last Social Security check is coming this week. The payment schedule for August was slightly different than most months, with over a week between the first and second payouts. However, if you're expecting a check this week, it'll arrive when you typically receive it. Below is the full schedule so you can know when to expect yours. If you're still waiting on your check from July, check out why it may not have arrived and what you can do about it .

While The Social Security Administration sends out checks monthly and your check will arrive at the same time every month, not everyone gets their checks on the same day.

Instead, Social Security checks are scheduled based on date of the month you were born and when you started receiving benefits.

Read on to find out if you should expect to receive your check this week, how your payment date is determined by the Social Security Administration and other government benefit payment dates. For more, find out how to apply for Social Security benefits and what the experts predict the 2025 COLA will be .

When will I get my Social Security check?

Want to know which day of the month you'll get your check? Here's the Social Security and SSDI payment schedule for August.

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Social security payment schedule august 2024.

How is the Social Security payment date determined?

Social Security payments are typically paid out starting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. The remaining two payments will be paid out on the following two Wednesdays of the month. Which week you receive your payment depends on your birthdate. There is one big exception, which I'll cover below.

August 2
If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of any given month	August 14
If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th of any given month	August 21
If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of any given month	August 28

Will I receive my other government benefits on the same day?

If you've received Social Security benefits before May 1997, or receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, your payment schedule isn't determined by your birthdate. Instead, payments are paid out every month on the same date with a couple of exceptions that I'll explain below.

Social Security payments will be sent out on the 3rd of each month, while SSI payments are sent out on the 1st of each month. These dates will sometimes change if the 1st or the 3rd of the month falls on a weekend or holiday. For instance, March 3 fell on a weekend, so Social Security recipients received their March payments two days early, on March 1. The same will happen in the month of November.

The only benefits that are paid on the same schedule are Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance.

Didn't receive your Social Security check? Start here.

If your check doesn't show up when it's supposed to or at all , the Social Security Administration suggests waiting for three additional mailing days before contacting it. After that, you can call the national toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213

The SSA notes that "wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter in the morning, later in the week and later in the month."

If you're having trouble getting ahold of the SSA through the national number, you can use their office locator to find a local office to reach out to.

For more, see the SSI payment schedule and how to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance .

Try AI-powered search

The poisonous global politics of water

Polarisation makes it harder to adapt to climate change.

A child collects water from a station pipe that supplies water in Bangladesh

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T HE WATER thieves come at night. They arrive in trucks, suck water out of irrigation canals and drive off. This infuriates Alejandro Meneses, who owns a big vegetable farm in Coquimbo, a parched province of Chile. In theory his landholding comes with the right to pour 40 litres of river-water a second on his fields. But thanks to drought, exacerbated by theft, he can get just a tenth of that, which he must negotiate with his neighbours. If the price of food goes up because farmers like him cannot grow enough, “there will be a big social problem,” he says.

The world’s water troubles can be summed up in six words: “Too little, too much, too dirty”, says Charlie Iceland of the World Resources Institute ( WRI ), a think-tank. Climate change will only aggravate the problem. Already, roughly half of humanity lives under what the WRI calls “highly water-stressed conditions” for at least one month a year.

Adapting will require not only new technology but also a new politics. Villages, regions and countries will need to collaborate to share scarce water and build flood defences. The needs of farmers, who use 70% of the world’s freshwater, must be balanced with those of the urbanites they feed, as well as industry. In short, a politics of trust, give-and-take and long-term planning is needed. Yet the spread of “them-and-us” demagoguery makes this harder. A global study by Jens Marquardt and Markus Lederer of the University of Darmstadt notes that populists stir up anger, sow distrust of science and dismiss climate policies as the agenda of liberal elites.

Around 97% of the water on Earth sits in the salty ocean; land-, lake- and river-bound life depends on the remaining 3%. Although the amount of water on Earth is immutable, the daedal workings that move it around are not. The water cycle is made up of a dizzying number of processes, many of them non-linear, which operate across manifold timescales and areas. All are, ultimately, driven by the energy of the sun, which makes seawater evaporate, plants transpire and, by disproportionately heating the tropics, powers ocean currents and weather systems.

Global warming alters the ways water behaves. It intensifies the water cycle, increasing the severity of both very wet events and very dry ones . Warmer air can hold more moisture, which also evaporates more readily out of warmer oceans. More moisture in the atmosphere means more water falls back as rain or snow. This increases the likelihood of heavier deluges in wet regions —and of less potential precipitation in drier spots. “Thirsty” air there is more likely to suck moisture out of the soil, prolonging and worsening droughts.

The UN reckons that flooding affected around 1.6bn people between 2002 and 2021, killing nearly 100,000 and causing economic losses of over $830bn. Droughts in the same period affected 1.4bn, killed over 20,000 and cost $170bn. The World Bank estimates that by 2099, the global supply of freshwater per head will fall by 29% from what it was in 2000; and by a massive 67% in Africa, while rising by 28% in Europe (see chart).

In Chile, “too little” is becoming a crisis for which politics is nowhere close to finding a solution. It is the most water-stressed country in South America. “Santiago [the sprawling capital] is all right now, but in ten years’ time it might not be,” warns Jessica López, the minister for public works.

For centuries, Chileans who wanted water simply took it from streams and rivers, or sank wells to pump groundwater. But as parts of the country dry up, water rules written in wetter times are increasingly out of date. Intense distrust between left and right—in a country that has seen massive protests in recent years—makes them hard to revise.

Conservative governments granted many landowners “water rights”, allowing them to pump a generous amount each day, free of charge and for ever. Today, the total volume of granted water rights far exceeds what can sustainably be extracted. So farmers like Mr Meneses have had to sit down with their local water association and agree on how much everyone can pump. Yet some people cheat, sinking illicit boreholes. Tension between big farmers, small farmers and villagers is high. “We’re surrounded by farms with illegal wells, and that’s why we have no water,” says Erica Díaz, a hard-up villager who relies on water trucks and recycles her washing-up water onto her vegetable patch.

Conservative Chilean landowners think of “water rights” as a natural part of property rights. But water is not like land. A house need not encroach upon a neighbour; but a well depletes groundwater for everyone. Granting a fixed volume of water rights in perpetuity is nuts.

Meanwhile, politicians and activists on the Chilean left push the notion that water is a human right. A draft constitution , backed by the current government but rejected by voters in 2022, referred to “water” 71 times, affirming everyone’s right to it, especially if they were poor or indigenous. Yet the draft gave little clue as to how that water might be delivered.

The trickiness of water politics is on display at a meeting of small farmers in Punitaqui, a town in northern Chile. Everyone agrees water is too scarce. Some farmers complain big companies have taken an unfair share. Others complain of widespread criminality—including a water inspector getting death threats. An expert shows how to use ultrasound to detect leaks, which are common. Yet many farmers in the room admit they don’t even know where their local pipes are buried.

In one sense Chile has plenty of water: to the west is the Pacific Ocean. But getting a permit to build a desalination plant can take more than a decade. The problems are political more than technical. Just for permission to use a bit of shoreline for a plant, a firm must apply to the ministry of defence—taking three or four years. The archaeological-monuments council needs to be assured nothing of cultural interest is being damaged. That can take another three or four years. And then transporting water is a bureaucratic morass.

Chile needs to think about water logically, says Ulrike Broschek of Fundación Chile, a think-tank. Desalination is useful, but unless powered by renewable energy it is bad for the climate. By one estimate, global emissions from desalination could match all of those from Britain by 2025.

In Chile, bigger, cheaper gains are there to be made. Farms, which account for four-fifths of water use, could use more drip irrigation and hydroponics. If farmers paid directly for water, they would use it more efficiently. Cities, instead of having impermeable pavement everywhere, could use “rain gardens” to capture rain and replenish the groundwater below. And the rules need to be simpler: 56 public bodies regulate water, with no overall co-ordinator, points out Ms Broschek.

Ms López, at least, offers an encouragingly pragmatic view. A pending bill will speed up permits for desalination, she promises, and more water infrastructure will be built. More broadly, she argues that water “needs to have an appropriate price”.

Elsewhere, sensible water pricing is as rare as it is necessary. Even in places where it has been shown to work, it can be politically fraught. Take Australia, another dry country where farmers use more water than everyone else combined. Federal and state governments thrashed out an agreement in 2012 to conserve water in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’s biggest system of interconnecting rivers. It relied on an existing scheme allowing farmers to buy or sell water entitlements. The goal was to save 3,200 gigalitres (gl) by 2024, either by “buying back” entitlements from farmers or by investing in projects that could save equivalent amounts, such as more-efficient irrigation systems.

Australia has conserved about 2,130gl of water, equivalent to over 20% of what was previously consumed. Meanwhile, farm output has risen. It helps greatly that the country is rich. The government has pumped A$13bn ($8.8bn) into water-saving. Systems for measuring water use are sophisticated. When Malcolm Holm, a dairy farmer, needs to irrigate his pastures, he orders water online. Sensors measure out the volumes. Locks are raised, and it trickles into his fields. The system sustains his 1,200 cattle.

Yet nearly everyone is unhappy. Environmentalists say the targets should be more ambitious. Farmers say they are too strict. No one is forced to sell their water to the government, but because many do, the system reduces the total amount available to trade for irrigation. This is one reason why water prices have risen in the past decade. That is the point: higher prices spur conservation. But they also threaten rural livelihoods. Protests have erupted in rural New South Wales. “Pre-schools are struggling to get children in. Footy clubs haven’t got enough players,” says Linda Fawns, a councillor in Deniliquin, a small town. A local agricultural mechanic, Jamie Tasker, claims the government is “scaremongering” about the environment and squeezing irrigation to shore up city votes.

Almost nine out of ten Australians live in cities, and politicians, certainly, do not want their taps to run dry. But priorities change as parties alternate in power. The (conservative) Liberal Party, which is more pro-farmer and reluctant to do much about climate change, stopped doing water buybacks. The Labor Party, in federal power since 2022, resumed them.

And then there is water theft. Last year a farmer was fined a mere A$150,000 for stealing over A$1.1m-worth of groundwater. “Theft is a business model, because fines don’t fit the crime,” grumbles Robert McBride, an outback sheep farmer.

In 2026 the Murray-Darling plan comes up for review. As droughts grow worse, the government ought to buy back more water, thus raising water prices and driving the least water-efficient farms out of business. They won’t go quietly.

From conflict to compromise

If the politics of water is touchy in well-off, stable places like Australia and Chile, it is explosive in poorer countries. In many of them, climate change seems to be making the weather more erratic, for example by magnifying the variability inherent in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation , a global driver of monsoons and their rains.

In April and May floods in Kenya were the worst in memory, with bridges, schools and railways destroyed. Perhaps 300 people died. Following years of drought, the government was caught off-guard, says Kennedy Odede of SHOFCO , an NGO serving Kenya’s slums. “When it started raining, people were happy. Nobody was expecting there to be too much.”

The government should have been better informed. Persistent drought paves the way for flooding, because the soil hardens and the water has nowhere to go but sideways. Kenya’s populist president, William Ruto, ignored warnings last year of impending floods.

Benninah Nazau, a vegetable-hawker in Mathare, a Nairobi slum, recalls rain pounding on her tin roof at 5pm on April 23rd. When she peered out, she saw tables and chairs swept along by the nearby river. By 1am the water was surging through her home. She grabbed her five children and took them to higher ground, unable to salvage any possessions. “It was life or death.” Neighbours were carried off in the deluge.

Political dysfunction makes cities less resilient. Rules barring the construction of homes dangerously close to watercourses are ignored (Ms Nazau’s home was only six metres away). Landowners bribe officials in order to flout planning codes. Builders pave over wetlands.

Whereas scarcity has an obvious solution—higher prices—the problem of too much water does not. Flood defences must be built and people discouraged from living in the riskiest places. But where, and how? Kenya’s government is sponsoring tree-planting along Nairobi’s river banks, to help hold back future floods. A moratorium has been placed on new building permits in the city. Officials are evicting people from homes built 30 metres or less from the riverbanks and destroying the buildings. In the worst-affected part of Mathare, all that remains is rubble and a stench of sewage. Compensation for each household was 10,000 shillings ($77.60).

Many residents are resisting by refusing to leave their shacks. Others want more compensation. Many distrust the government, widely seen as corrupt. Some Kenyans even think politicians deliberately caused the flooding, to pave the way for the slum clearances that followed. Belief in such far-fetched conspiracy theories makes co-operation between state and citizens less likely.

Squabbles over water can turn violent. The Water, Peace and Security partnership, a global body, crunches data to predict water-related conflicts. Its latest update, in June, noted that herders and farmers across the Sahel are fighting over scarce water. Drought-related skirmishes are expected in South Africa, Madagascar and Mozambique, and floods in Iran and Afghanistan have displaced populations into areas where they may not be welcome.

Tensions between states are common, too. As rivers grow more erratic, negotiations between downstream countries and upstream ones may grow more fraught. Dry countries (such as China and the Gulf states) are buying up farmland in Africa and the Americas to secure future supplies of food. In effect, they are importing vast quantities of water in the form of wheat and soyabeans. This could become a political flashpoint.

Water wars between states are fortunately rare. But Egypt is furious about an Ethiopian dam that could disrupt its access to the Nile river, from which it gets nine-tenths of its water. Talks over how to share the water keep failing. Egyptian officials hint they might go to war. They may be bluffing, but no one can be sure.

To avoid water wars, countries need to use water more efficiently (Egypt wastes it copiously) and negotiate more amicably. Much work needs to be done in both areas. The world spends roughly 0.5% of GDP on water, the World Bank estimates, but 28% of allocated public funds go unspent. Meanwhile, a typical water utility has “efficiency losses” (leaks and theft) of around 16%. As for amicable haggling, three-fifths of the world’s 310 international river basins lack frameworks to govern disputes.

Another thing that makes water policy hard is that many people—such as those whose homes are too costly to defend from floods, or whose crops wither—will eventually have to move. Chilean vineyards are already shifting south. Outback towns will shrink. Inundated Africans and Asians will keep migrating to cities or abroad.

Rich countries may be able to help compensate those whose homes and fields are rendered worthless, but the process will be disruptive everywhere. Nonetheless, it should be manageable. The WRI estimates that solving the world’s water crises would cost 1% of GDP per year until 2030, and that every $1 invested in sensible ways to do so would yield $6.80 in benefits. However, getting the politics right will require calm, collaborative leadership, disproving the epigram attributed, perhaps erroneously, to Mark Twain: “Whisky’s for drinking; water’s for fighting.” ■

For more coverage of climate change, sign up for the Climate Issue , our fortnightly subscriber-only newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub .

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “The poisonous politics of water”

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From the August 31st 2024 edition

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