Sensationalism and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sensationalism and the Media - Essay Example There are new crimes which people feel they do not understand and which are different from traditional fears. The media is very effective and building these crimes up and making people feel frightened (Ball-Rokeach, 1040). One of these is cybercrime. While some people may feel less frightened of being stabbed on the street, they may be more concerned about identity theft. It seems clear that cybercrime will be a serious problem in the future as more and more of our lives are lived on the Internet. Stories about identity theft appear in the news every day. Part of the problem in todays world is that many people put a great deal of their personal information on the Internet without thinking that it can be accessible to anyone. Others do not take proper precautions with their passwords. Still others fall for internet scams run by Nigerian princes. In the future there will be more identity theft and money stole from online bank accounts and money transfers. People will probably do more i mpersonation than ever on social networking sites. The truth is people must be very careful to protect their passwords and their personal information. It is not a good idea to put your birthday on your Facebook account, for example, as this information may be used in some circumstances to access banking and other private records. Do not talk to strangers online if you are underage, as well, as they may be predators. While these are serious crimes, the media makes it seem as if it is happening all the time and that you will be the next victim (Mappes, 102). Part of the problem with the Internet is its anonymity. It is hard to track down cybercriminals and they know it. The bank robbers of the future will not wear masks and carry guns, they will be the people who sit at their computer and hack into the bank. Some people may not even know they have been victimized. This too may lead to the crime figures and victim