Hi everyone, today I will be blogging on a controversial issue: Anonymous chat websites. As you know, there are many anonymous chat websites, and recently my classmates and I have discovered one of them.
The name of this website is called Omegle, and basically what you are supposed to do is to chat with random strangers using Omegle as well. However, anonymity is ensured between the two parties and you will not know any detail of the stranger unless he/she tells you. There are two types of methods to converse. The first is to use normal text conversations and the other is to use the computer’s video webcam, in which both parties can see each other, unless they block the webcam.
So, I have just explained how Omegle functions; now, I will move on to my thoughts on this anonymous chat websites, or rather, all anonymous chat websites, for that matter. I remember reading an article in the newspaper about internet trolls, which are basically people who flame and post derogatory and irrelevant comments in a forum. In it, there was a quote from Plato: “Morality, comes from full disclosure; without accountability for our actions, we would behave injustly.” I believe that this quote encompasses the full essence of this topic. Note that on the website, people have full anonymity, which means that they can be a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. For example, they can be a pedophile or pervert hiding behind a friendly façade. There is an acronym used commonly on Omegle, “ASL”, which basically means Age, Sex, Location. People would type out ASL and send it to the other party, and the other person can choose to leak their personal details or just disconnect from the server. Most teenagers and adults would probably know to just ignore and disconnect from the server, but what if children are using the website? They would be trusting and simply tell the other person their personal details, and who knows that would happen after that. What I am trying to stress here, is how some people would manipulate and take advantage of their anonymity and prey on unsuspecting victims. With the anonymity given to these predators, they can easily manipulate it and use it to their advantage. That is probably the main reason why parents nowadays are so wary of the websites their children visit, afraid and worried that their children might reveal confidential details about themselves. And I think that their fears are totally normal. If you still remain unconvinced after all that I have said, I will move on to the video conversations now, where you will surely be convinced of why I am against these kind of websites.
For the video conversations, instead of using only word messages, the webcam is now utilised. Each party can now see how the person on the other end looks like, removing a little of the anonymity, but obviously, more often than not, this is not the case. I have heard of cases where seriously perverted pedophiles show the other person obscene pictures, be it porn pictures found on the internet or their own private parts. Forgive me for my rather blunt language, and I am aware that I am touching on a taboo topic, but I feel that this will be a pressing problem in cyberspace. Such cases of people are extremely common, and I have read newspaper articles before of how some children have seen such obscene and morally wrong pictures at a tender age, ruining their childhood and growth. I have personally tried out Omegle before, using both the text and video functions. I was fortunate enough not to meet any lurking pervert on the server showing some inappropriate images to me. However, I have met numerous perverts looking for “pictures” and people who wanted my personal details on the text conversations. Of course, I had disconnected from the server immediately. I estimate that out of 10 people who I have chatted with on Omegle, more than 7 out of 10 are people taking advantage of the anonymity on the internet.
In a nutshell, what I am trying to stress is how these anonymous chat websites are causing tremendous problems on the internet today. Sure, the developer of these websites may have the intention of allowing more people to know each other when they first created these websites, but people have obviously abused their anonymity on the internet. Therefore, I seriously feel that these websites should be banned and closed down immediately in order to stop these problems from snowballing into something worse. I mean, who would actually go on these websites to “make friends”? Let’s face it, these websites are only for those people who abuse their position on the internet and attempt to gain private information about others. Everyone should avoid using these websites, lest they encounter with someone with a sick and perverted mind, or worse still, view some unmentionable things on the video conversations.
Thank you! (:
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