Get informed : Internet

So, you’re preparing a presentation on the pyramids of Egypt? Or you want to adopt a dog and are wondering which breed would suit you best? Or maybe you like luxury cars and want to know more about them? The Internet gives you access to information on countless subjects. Enter a search term, click your mouse a few times, and start browsing thousands of sites on the subject you’re interested in!


INFORMATION: NOT ALWAYS RELIABLE

Can you be sure that all the information you find on the Internet is reliable and accurate? Of course not! Anyone can create a web site and write whatever they want, as long as they comply with their service provider’s acceptable usage policy. So, how do you make sure that the information you find is reliable?

Check your sources

• Who wrote the information? A recognized association, a university researcher, a qualified professional? Or simply someone who is as interested in the subject as you are?

Check their sources

• What is their information based on? Research, encyclopaedias, solid professional experience? Or simply whatever they happen to know or think they know?

Check the last time the site was updated

• Reliable sites mention the date they were created and the date they were last updated. Each page should also have this information.

Check out the author and their sources

• Are there any other sites by the same author? What do people say about the author?

Check what other sites say

• Do other sites agree with what you’re reading?

Don’t forget to credit your own sources

• When you get around to presenting the information that you’ve collected from the Internet, don’t forget to indicate the authors whose sites you relied on. This not only respects their copyright but it also enhances your credibility.

Sometimes when you’re surfing the web, you come across sites with debatable content. Some people like to use the almost infinite possibilities of the web to try and make a name for themselves by presenting content that can trigger strong reactions such as fear or disgust in other people. It’s often tempting to take a peek at these sites. But why bother? Because everyone at school is talking about them? Because other people have dared you to?

To help you decide whether or not to check out these sites, ask yourself:

• Why do you want to do it? Do you really have a good reason?
• What is it going to bring you?
• What do you think you’ll feel when you visit the site? What will be your reaction if you find the content disturbing? Do you want to go through that?

After all, you’re the one who has to cope with the consequences of visiting these sites!

Why do adults think that young people shouldn’t have access to some sites? Pornography, online gambling, some dating sites... Why don’t they just allow everyone to make decisions for themselves?

In children and adolescents, the brain has not yet developed enough to allow them to correctly evaluate the content of sites that are reserved for adults.

• How can you know if a situation is true or false if you’ve never had any information on the subject?
• How can you judge what’s possible or impossible if your brain hasn’t fully developed?

Would you let your 5-year-old brother watch a film by himself, right before going to bed, if that film was a horror film in which a young boy like himself is decapitated? Your reaction to sites whose content is not appropriate for your age might be like your brother’s reaction to such a horror film: incomprehension, misinterpretation, and fear.