Poornima Manco

Author

technology

A necessary evil?

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So, I took a month off social media in June. This really meant no Facebook, Messenger, Instagram or Whatsapp for an entire month. I have done this previously when going on holiday, as a means of staying ‘in the moment’, rather than living with a screen permanently attached to my hands. Each time I have felt happy, grounded and carefree. And each time, I have wished not to come back to social media at all.

So why do I return? Why can’t I dispense with it altogether if, in the words of Mary Kondo, it is no longer ‘sparking any joy’ within me?

Social media was meant to be a way to connect us to one another. A way to reignite past relationships, reach out across time zones and continents and bridge the gap that time and distance may have created between families and friends. To begin with, it was hugely exciting. Who didn’t want to know what happened to one’s third grade crush? Or, have the ability to be able to call one’s dad for free at anytime, from anywhere? Who didn’t want to be able to display the pretty pictures from a fun weekend at the park, or show off (subtly, of course) the last exotic vacation one had been on? So far, so harmless.

Then it began to morph into something entirely different. Digital connections started taking precedence over real time relationships. What you put out there became more important than the life you were actually leading. Filters airbrushed you into perfection, Whatsapp conversations replaced real chats over a coffee, everything became marketable, fake news was touted as the genuine article and lines became blurred between what was true, real and important, and what was quite honestly, just a facade.

When did we buy into this myth without realising that we were trading our souls? When did what was going on in someone’s house two continents away become more important than what was happening in your immediate vicinity?

Biologically, geographically and in evolutionary terms, humans can only sustain x number of relationships. Those are with your immediate family and friends, and perhaps a few from an extended circle. It is humanly impossible to have over a 1000 friends and give to them the importance and attention that a relationship requires, without our minds and our means snapping.

I once read an interesting article on how social media, particularly platforms such as Facebook keep you hooked. If you take the example of a newspaper or a magazine, you might start at the front, then skim a few articles, read a few in depth and work your way to the end. The salient point being that there IS a physical end to that publication. Now, imagine yourself scrolling through a Facebook feed. You could keep going on and on without there ever being a natural end anywhere up until YOU decide to call it a day. How many times have we sworn to ourselves – 15 minutes – and found ourselves still scrolling an hour later?

Social media is designed to suck you in, keep you there, sell you something whilst you’re there and either reinforce or subtly replace your beliefs with whatever agenda is being pushed by whichever conglomerate or political party of the day. All the while, feeding off the data you provide them freely and willingly.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Nothing in life is completely free. So, how has social media sustained itself over the years without charging us a cent? The next time you are looking for a refrigerator, and multiple adverts pop up on your Facebook feed, think about what else they know about you?

Even if none of the above bother you, let’s confront another grim reality.

I am of a generation that knew life before social media. I have my memories and some old photos to remind me of those good times. Today’s generation puts everything online. They know no different and no better. Not only are they creating a digital footprint that could come back and bite them in the future, there has also been a steep rise in mental health issues amongst the young. Their inability to distinguish between real and fake, their swallowing everything that they are fed online as gospel, and the constant comparisons they make with their airbrushed peers and their fabulous lives, have led to them finding their own, perfectly normal existences, as sub par. I am not even going to dwell on the online trolling and bullying that seems to be par for the course for the youth of today.

Having said all of the above, here I am, back on social media. Why don’t I just quit it altogether and go live in a cave? Because, even with knowing what I know, I understand its reach, its impact and its ubiquity.

In my month away, I knew I would be coming back to an avalanche of messages. In all probability, I would have annoyed somebody trying to reach me, and possibly missed out on a few social events. Even before re downloading all the apps, I started having low level anxiety about what would confront me once I signed back on.

Logically, I knew that if something was REALLY important, the person/people would find a way to make contact. After all, I was only off social media, I hadn’t fallen off the face of the planet!

What I have come back with is a renewed sense of what is important and what is not. Yes, I will skim through and I will post occasionally, but the moment I find my time being sucked up and my mental wellbeing being compromised, I will switch off again. With that as a mantra, I hope to strike the right work/life/social media balance that will keep me on an even keel. Amen to that!

 

 

Blackmail, extortion and guilt

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It was sitting innocuously in my spam box. An email that went something like this:

I’m aware that XXXXXXX is your password.

You don’t know me and you’re thinking why you received this e mail, right?

Well, I actually placed a malware on the porn website and guess what, you visited this web site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching the video, your web browser acted as a RDP (Remote Desktop) and a key logger which provided me access to your display screen and webcam. Right after that, my software gathered all your contacts from your Messenger, Facebook account, and email account.

What exactly did I do?

I made a split-screen video. First part recorded the video you were viewing (you’ve got a fine taste lolol), and next part recorded your webcam (Yep! It’s you doing nasty things!).

What should you do?

Well, I believe, $7000 is a fair price for our little secret. You’ll make the payment via Bitcoin to the below address (if you don’t know this, search “how to buy bitcoin” in Google) .

BTC Address: 1Dvd7Wb72JBTbAcfTrxSJCZZuf4tsT8V72

(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it)

Important:

You have 24 hours in order to make the payment. (I have an unique pixel within this email message, and right now I know that you have read this email). If I don’t get the payment, I will send your video to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, and so forth. Nonetheless, if I do get paid, I will erase the video immidiately. If you want evidence, reply with “Yup!” and I will send your video recording to your 5 friends. This is a non-negotiable offer, so don’t waste my time and yours by replying to this email

Now, I admit that just for a minute or two I was pretty freaked out. I racked my brain about any dodgy sites I might have visited. Had I accessed porn inadvertently? Had I wandered into something or somewhere illegal? I couldn’t think of any.

Then I reread the email and spotted the errors. Luckily, over the years, the company I work for has educated us on how to spot phishing emails. The first giveaway may be the way the email is addressed to you. In my case, it used just my email address. Personal huh? Then came the spelling mistakes. Not huge and not that many which is why they escaped my notice the first time. Then the various links that might take you to sites replete with malware. Avoid! Finally, the threat to expose you if you don’t comply. Again, classic extortion tactics that should be ignored. I promptly deleted the email and carried on with my day. However, it got me thinking….

How may people would fall prey to these scammers? How many people who had no technical knowledge would accept the jargon as gospel? How many would have no idea what phishing is? Enough I’m guessing for these scammers to have various permutations on the themes of extortion.This one is called ‘sextortion’ and a simple Google search would reveal that it’s been doing the rounds for a few months.

Our smart phones are as valuable to us as our homes. I don’t mean in their monetary value. I mean that they are sacrosanct. Just as a burglary of our home would be regarded as a physical and emotional violation of our space, the fact that someone somewhere can threaten that they have the ability to access our contacts, our social media and our cameras is deeply disturbing and tantamount to a similar violation.

Yet, the fact of the matter is that yes, our phones are completely hackable. Our cameras can be turned upon us. We can not just be observed we can be recorded remotely. All those smart devices we’ve voluntarily placed in our homes- our smart televisions, our Alexas are nothing but intruders of our privacy. Year after year we succumb to the lure of newer and smarter technology without comprehending just how much access we are allowing the outside world into our personal sphere.

Obviously one does not want to live in the stone age. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself and make an informed decision on just how much you want to rely on technology. Do you really want the ability to turn on your heating and lock your front door with your phone? Good for you! However, remember, someone somewhere may just love to get their hands on those codes on your phone. Do you have enough firewalls and anti-spyware installed? What’s that? Educate yourself!

Finally, on to the issue of guilt. Each of us has something to hide. Guaranteed. That is, unless you are a monk in a Buddhist monastery and have lived the purest of lives. Blackmailers tap into this guilt. Exposure of our deepest, darkest secrets is a pretty frightening prospect and the majority of us would rather pay the hush money than have ourselves exposed. When it comes to ‘sextortion’, it taps into something even more visceral. After all, our bedroom antics are no one’s business but our own.

So, when one gets an email that purports to have recorded one in a compromising position/expression it is bound to strike terror into the bravest of hearts. Who would like their silly face (read sex face) be sent out to all and sundry?

Think about it for a moment though. What does it matter? If what you are doing is not illegal, not immoral and not causing any harm, why do you care so much? Why does having sex or watching sex become this huge taboo? Sex is a part and parcel of life. It is a biological necessity and Nature’s way to ensure survival. So, why are we so afraid of being exposed as partaking in it?

My point is twofold. Firstly, if you ever receive an email such as the one above, examine it carefully and then examine your own emotions. Chances are it will be fraudulent, in which case it is best ignored. If, despite all precautions, it is not, then perhaps you need to look at whether a knee jerk reaction is the right one? The best way to combat a blackmailer is to challenge them to go through with their threat. If you have nothing to lose, they have nothing to gain. If temporary embarrassment is the only price you have to pay, isn’t it cheaper than being held to ransom indefinitely?