A recent USA Today article proclaimed that: Young adults keep closer eye on 'online reputation' Here's an excerpt:
"The Web often comes across as a global watering hole where young adults freely trade personal information while more cautious older visitors stand to the side for fear of losing a grip on their online privacy.
But a new survey turns that notion on its head, showing that those 18 to 29 are more likely than older Internet users to keep a keen eye on their online profiles and who can access them, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report out Wednesday on 'Reputation Management and Social Media."'
These survey results won't surprise readers of Virtual Integrity. Indeed, online reputation is only one of the aspects of Integrity Theft which the younger generation is concerned with. The truth is that our integrity and character are at stake every time we engage others in cyberspace.
Indeed, just as identity theft happens online and in the real world (see this article where a Harvard senior charged with forging his way into university), so online behaviors will impact every area of our lives. I have seen people lose jobs, marriages or even go to jail for online activity. Nevertheless, we can also be cyber ambassadors for good.
The interesting things is that many in the younger generation seem to "get it" when it comes to what's at stake, while older generations do not. That is, those in their teens or twenties are seeing for themselves what happens when they don't act with online integrity.
On a related topic: RC Sproul Jr. recently answered the question: Should Christians be on Facebook? His answers are very similar to the the problems I describe in Virtual Integrity, and I urge you to read his comments.
The only item I disagree with him on is item #6 - "The cyberworld can be a barren wasteland, not because it is filled with pornography and gambling, but because it isn’t real, because it is Gnostic."
While I can understand his point - the cyberworld is very real with very real consequences to online actions. The view that the Internet is totally fake can cause problems in many areas of life. In addition, our cyber worlds and real worlds are merging closer together all the time.
What are your thoughts on these articles and trends in cyberspace?