| How Does Mobile Technology Work? |
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Children and young people are now using more sophisticated methods of communicating with each other. They are increasingly turning to mobile phones and the internet to keep in touch, share aspects of their life and make new friends. Mobile phones
Most people are familiar with the use of mobile phones and the ability to send and receive text messages, but the additional features that many mobiles have these days, such as picture messaging and video recording, provide an additional way of communicating. Bluetooth technology also provides a way of connecting and exchanging information between mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras, and video game consoles. This makes it much easier for large groups of people to view information in a very short space of time. ‘Happy Slapping' is a term used to describe the filming of violent incidents on mobile phones. This is assault and should be treated as such. It should not be seen as ‘just' a bullying incident. The footage is evidence that an assault has taken place and must be reported to the police for investigation. Social networking sites
Social networking websites are increasingly being used by children and young people (and indeed by many adults) as a key way of communicating and building relationships, or making new friends online. Websites such as Bebo, MySpace and Facebook are online ‘communities' of people who share interests and activities, and communicate through the use of messages, videos, discussion groups and blogs, which are similar to online diaries. It's a place where people can create a personal network that connects them to other users. Individuals can add their own page to sites such as Bebo, creating their personal profile which might include, for example, information about what they like to do in their spare time, their favourite bands, football team, or TV programme. It might also include photos of themselves and friends, or even some video footage of something they've seen that they want to share. To build a network, individuals can invite people with similar interests to become a ‘friend' of their page. Similarly, they can be invited to become part of someone else's network of friends, so the scope for communicating through social networking sites is vast. Instant Messaging
Instant messaging can take place in chat rooms or on sites such as MSN Messenger. It is very similar to email, but differs in that conversations happen in ‘real' time and you don't get the time delay you can get with email. People can chat to one another in the same way that they would if they were face-to-face or on the telephone. Instant messaging and chat rooms are very different to social networking sites. Anyone (strangers or friends) can access a conversation in a chat room, whereas on Bebo, MySpace, etc, it's easier to control who sees your page and who can leave comments. When users enter a chat room or instant messaging site, the message they send is instantly displayed on the screens of the person they are conversing with or the other users in the chat room. This affords people a degree of anonymity, which children and young people need to be aware of, as some people might not be who they appear to be. |
