Casi Lumbra, 17, is an advisory board member for MTV's A Thin Line campaign, which launched today to help teens stop the spread of digital abuse. She's also a member of WiredSafety.org's Teenangels, a group of teens trained in all aspects of online safety, privacy and security. While people on Facebook may never encounter digital abuse, they still need to be able to spot it and stop it. We asked Casi to share her perspective as a teenager and expert about the causes of digital abuse and ways that teens can avoid it.
Have you ever snooped on a... friend's text messages, posted nasty messages about a classmate or colleague on Facebook or posted an embarrassing picture of someone to get even? Have any of these things ever happened to you?
Let's face it: For many teens the answer to at least one of those questions is likely "yes." We use technology 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from connected devices in our backpacks, pockets and purses. This creates a digital side to every part of our lives. Even our relationships are wired. We interact with friends, boyfriends, girlfriends and acquaintances online just as we do offline, and sometimes it's hard to remember that our online behavior has boundaries.
If you also answered "yes" to any of the questions I asked above, you've experienced "digital abuse." Digital abuse is the use of digital technologies—such as cell phones, social networks, instant messaging and e-mail—to hurt someone, even when you didn't "mean" it. It even includes certain high-risk digital activities that can hurt us, like "sexting"—the act of sending sexually explicit images. It's also digital abuse if you:
Even though it involves the virtual world, digital abuse has serious real-world consequences. Things may start out as a joke, but end up badly. Curiosity can become criminal privacy intrusions. Sometimes it's hard to tell where our actions fall.
There's a thin line between what's harmless and what's harmful, and that line can be difficult to spot.
There's a thin line between one person's sarcastic message, and another person's wounded feelings. When sexts are being spread around, there's a thin line between a choice made in one instant, and consequences that can last a lifetime.
So, how do we stay on the right side of this thin line?
In the end, it all comes down to choices. And those choices are yours. You have to draw your own line. You decide what kind of person you are, and you decide what kind of digital citizen you want to be. You decide what values are important. It's not always easy, and the rules change all the time. The best time to make these choices is before you have to and when you are sober, calm and your brain is engaged. There are no "Cliffs Notes" or cheats. Look deep.
While this isn't easy, there are a few ways to avoid becoming a digital abuser or victim:
The power to take a stand against digital abuse is in your hands. Now decide where you want to draw your lines. Share it. Get your friends involved. If they're safer, you're safer. For more information about digital abuse and ways to protect yourself and your loved ones, become a fan of A Thin Line on Facebook or visit www.AThinLine.org.
Casi is supporting the Redraw the Line Challenge awarding $10,000 to the best digital innovation for battling digital abuse.
See MoreHave you ever snooped on a... friend's text messages, posted nasty messages about a classmate or colleague on Facebook or posted an embarrassing picture of someone to get even? Have any of these things ever happened to you?
Let's face it: For many teens the answer to at least one of those questions is likely "yes." We use technology 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from connected devices in our backpacks, pockets and purses. This creates a digital side to every part of our lives. Even our relationships are wired. We interact with friends, boyfriends, girlfriends and acquaintances online just as we do offline, and sometimes it's hard to remember that our online behavior has boundaries.
If you also answered "yes" to any of the questions I asked above, you've experienced "digital abuse." Digital abuse is the use of digital technologies—such as cell phones, social networks, instant messaging and e-mail—to hurt someone, even when you didn't "mean" it. It even includes certain high-risk digital activities that can hurt us, like "sexting"—the act of sending sexually explicit images. It's also digital abuse if you:
- Harass people with constant text messages
- Demand that they be available at all times and even sleep with their cell phones
- Send nasty or threatening messages, post mean pictures or create groups to gang up on someone online
- Hack into people's accounts to hurt them
- Spy on people with keystroke loggers or take over their profiles by changing their passwords
Even though it involves the virtual world, digital abuse has serious real-world consequences. Things may start out as a joke, but end up badly. Curiosity can become criminal privacy intrusions. Sometimes it's hard to tell where our actions fall.
There's a thin line between what's harmless and what's harmful, and that line can be difficult to spot.
There's a thin line between one person's sarcastic message, and another person's wounded feelings. When sexts are being spread around, there's a thin line between a choice made in one instant, and consequences that can last a lifetime. So, how do we stay on the right side of this thin line?
In the end, it all comes down to choices. And those choices are yours. You have to draw your own line. You decide what kind of person you are, and you decide what kind of digital citizen you want to be. You decide what values are important. It's not always easy, and the rules change all the time. The best time to make these choices is before you have to and when you are sober, calm and your brain is engaged. There are no "Cliffs Notes" or cheats. Look deep.
While this isn't easy, there are a few ways to avoid becoming a digital abuser or victim:
- Keep your passwords private, and don't ask anyone for his or her password. There's a thin line between sharing and snooping. You're entitled to privacy, and password abuse is the root of much cyber-evil.
- Hit "delete" instead of "forward." You have the power to break the cycle of sexting and harassment simply by choosing not to spread such messages.
- Think twice. Before you post that picture or send that message, think about the consequences it might have – today, next week or years from now.
- Report abuse on Facebook if you see or are a victim of abusive behavior. Since Facebook is based on a real-name culture, it's important to stop people who are abusing others. Look for "Report" links throughout the site, such as the "Report This Photo" link underneath photos and the "Report" links in Inbox messages from people who aren't confirmed friends.
The power to take a stand against digital abuse is in your hands. Now decide where you want to draw your lines. Share it. Get your friends involved. If they're safer, you're safer. For more information about digital abuse and ways to protect yourself and your loved ones, become a fan of A Thin Line on Facebook or visit www.AThinLine.org.
Casi is supporting the Redraw the Line Challenge awarding $10,000 to the best digital innovation for battling digital abuse.
