Whether we like it or not, or realise it or not, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep our work lives and our private lives separate. The things we say and do in the digital space as a private individuals, may not only become public and shared by others without our consent, but they may also affect how we are treated in the workplace, and even whether we remain gainfully employed.

 

Over there years, considerable attention has been placed on parents and caregivers monitoring children’s internet use. As we are all aware, while there are tremendous benefits from being able to access the Internet, it is also fraught several dangers. In addition to being a medium to send a broad range of computer viruses and malware, having devices connected to the Internet opens them to be hacked, and for data to be corrupted, or even stolen, among other things.

Hence, it is crucial that we are vigilant when online, and that we engage in good practices such as:

  • having strong passwords for our log-in accounts
  • not using the same password twice
  • changing our passwords regularly
  • not logging into our accounts on unsecured Internet (Wi-Fi) connections
  • being careful when clicking on attachments or links in emails
  • not leaving our devices unlocked or unattended.

However, children and teens tend not to be as vigilant. Not only can they access inappropriate content, they also tend to more easily fall prey to cyberattacks, cyberbullying, stalking, and other dangers, thus justifying the need for parents and caregivers to exercise greater oversight over their Internet use.

Private content versus our public or professional persona

Having said this, and although not necessarily a cybersecurity issue, there is a growing awareness that we need to be more mindful of our behaviour online – even in circumstances that we believe are safe and private. Thanks to the Internet, the line separating our work and private lives may no longer be as clearly delineated.

Although social media does encourage self-expression – for us to share our thoughts and feelings with others, increasingly, it is being used by employers to assess the character of prospective employees. For those already employed, particularly in prominent positions or in high profile organisations, their social media accounts may be monitored to ensure that there is alignment between what they are posting and what the organisation stands for.

Further, and whether we like it or not, it may be unavoidable that at some point, at least one of our devices or online accounts may be hacked. So, private texts, images, video, etc., may unfortunately, become very public.

However, hacking by some foreign, unknown threat is not the only way private (and perhaps salacious) content is leaked. In many instances, (former) friends and loved ones are the blame. It was thus sobering to note, based on a recent study conducted in Barbados,

More than 65 per cent of persons in Barbados have stated that they have received either nude videos or photos from persons who they know it has been shared without their consent. Six out of ten persons…

40 per cent of the persons shared nude video of persons who they knew didn’t give consent for that to be shared.

Source:  The Barbados Advocate

We are no longer invisible

Although it can be argued that the release of private content should not affect how we are seen in the workplace, or in the wider society, the truth is that thanks to telecoms and the Internet, in particular, we are no longer anonymous. Most of us have a well-developed presence online –thanks to our social media accounts – which it could be argued suggest that we want to be seen. However, as more of our lives goes online, which is almost inevitable, we ought to appreciate, and perhaps even accept, that we may not be in control of our private content, as we might believe.

 

 

Image credit:  Miguel Á. Padriñán (Pexels)