cyber space in Korea and how the country is dealing with it
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Instructor
ENG101F-1040
March 4 2010
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As a leading country in technology, Korea has a serious problem associated with the internet media and cyber space. Among others, cyber bullying with anonymous comments became the most severe problem that could not be ignored. Using many social networking systems, writing comments became a common way of expressing ones’ opinion. Nevertheless, this online culture brought out the disaster of a famous entertainer’s suicide. Entertainers become the most common target of internet bullying, which is especially done via comments. This does not only happen to famous entertainers, but also to ordinary internet users. To protect terrifying results, Korean online websites started to execute the ‘Internet real-name system’. The use of ‘Internet real-name system’ can give responsibility to the internet surfers since users have to use their own name in the internet.
‘Internet real-name system’ refers to using a real name while browsing the internet, which has been enforced since 2002 in South Korea. This solution was made not only to prevent personal damage, but also social damage caused by cyber bullying. When writing an opinion on the internet real-name system website, the user’s name is expected to appear on top of the posted statements. However, if a website does not have this section, another way for it to work is by making internet users only join as members after submitting their personal information. This can be done by making use of a member joining procedure. This system can be measured by three criteria to see if it brings out a positive effect on reducing the victim of a cyber bullying.
Cyber bullying solution should include and protect all the people who use the internet. The tragedy caused by cyber bullying can happen to anyone who uses the internet. Giving a deep affront to the other party does not happen by chance. It can happen to anyone on the internet, and there are no specific standards when one is a target of cyber bullying. Korea has the highest rate of internet diffusion rate, which is 95% of the whole nation. This also means that this system is applied to the 95% of the whole nation, which is a large percentage of the population. ‘Internet real-name system’ applies to all the website users since no one can use without submitting personal information before executing a search. This is a requirement for every user, and if one does not provide personal details, the system blocks one from moving to the next stage of the information search. With every posted statements and information blocked, every web user ought to follow this system.
When a web surfer logs in into a website, he or she is expected to become a member in order to view all the contents in that site. While filling the identification name and password, it is required that one provides private information. This private information includes one’s name, social security number and personal address. This means that ‘Internet real-name system’ includes all the web surfers. This procedure makes users exercise responsibility while writing and reading on websites. Since effecting responsibility on online behavior is the goal of this system, this shows how it would greatly diminish cyber bullying.
The main purpose of enforcing this system is to prevent slanderous internet posting especially comments placed under journals or online news. ‘Internet real-name system’ has to prevent the severe side effects of internet bullying. In Korea, a few famous entertainers and actors have committed suicide because of public opinions on the internet. Suicide is not the only effect cyber bullying has, as social phobia is also a serious symptom that celebrities experience. Social phobia is a critical symptom of mental problem. People with social phobias fear and avoid situations in which people may judge them and criticize their actions. It begins with the situation of over protection, and people with social phobia become very anxious and self-conscious in everyday social situations. This happens to the celebrities who are exposed to the public.
Recognizing their public evaluation from the online comments, celebrities can feel the extreme shame and embarrassment from the normal life cycle. This ‘Internet real-name system’ was held to cut the frequency of this damage. Malicious comments still exist, but not as ridiculously much as the time before using this system. With the real name on it, responsibility makes web surfers think twice before posting their opinions. It is clear that the internet real-name system is vital in providing internet protection to millions of users. Crimes committed on the internet are well propagated because one is able to hide his or her details. However, with this system in place, one is forced to fill in details and cannot commit crime freely. In other words, if one commits crime over the internet, authorities have a clear way of knowing the perpetrator.
As much as the system seems to offer maximum security, it has its flaws and disadvantages. One major disadvantage the system tends to display is that it is in the internet where hackers can access it. Technology is advancing and people have developed software that can be used to hack into one’s account and use their details. On this occurrence, hackers can easily utilize someone else’s name to commit crime. Thus, invasion of privacy can easily occur over the internet. Nonetheless, the system is still a complicated one and cannot be interfered with or tampered. Thus, it proves to offer the expected service without much interference. On the other hand, the system proves to display ones information without hiding, and this may be problematic to some people, for example, ghostwriters. These people may want to comment on something while their personal details are kept from the vicinity of the public. However, since the system does not allow one to browse without providing full personal information, such internet users are forced to preserve their opinions. Indeed all these are problems associated with this system, but it has proved to offer beneficial things than negative ones. Hence, its continuous use shows that it is a reliable system and has more merits than demerits.
Protecting people against harms brought about on the internet is a crucial thing in upholding a healthy society. The Internet real name software is a system that caters for the public, and helps in diminishing crimes on the internet. The internet is a vast world that is accessible to many people in the world. In addition, there is unrestricted freedom to post anything on the internet. This is the main reason as to the existence of various crimes on the internet. On the other hand, controlling people and the things they post on the internet is also a difficult thing to execute. However, the Internet real name software has changed all that, and it is capable of offering the much needed security and control of internet users.
