Ignorance is Bliss

Ignorance is bliss...A cliche proudly stated by the few who would rather not know when something goes wrong. My mom's personal version of this cliche is, "Just close your eyes and it'll all go away." These cliches, and several others, can be summed up in the proverbial statement, "What you don't know can't hurt you." Usually when we hear this, we shrug and agree or laugh it off. Of course what we don't know can't hurt us. Or can it?

In an article (beacon security risks) written by a senior research engineer with CA's Anti-Spyware Research team, Facebook's Beacon (the new system to transmit data from affiliate websites to Facebook) security and privacy issues were absolutely torn apart. There are two shocking issues that make this new system uncomfortable for many knowledgeable users: first, that they send the information even when you select to opt out of the data transmission, (Facebook still gets it, but just doesn't publish it) and second, that they do all of this without notifying the user. The secret transmission of data to companies when the user doesn't know about it is certainly becoming more and more of an internet safety issue. Many of the people who use Facebook aren't particularly internet savvy and may not even think about possible safety issues in terms of their data. In fact, even after all the bad publicity about Beacon, I'm sure there are many people out there who are still happily clicking away while sitting in ignorance. Some may complain that these people aren't hurt at all when their data is given to Facebook without their knowledge, but issues like this don't stop with Facebook. They can easily expand and become harmful. For instance, what about when a customer's buying tendencies are unknowingly given out and they become the target of spam advertisements? Or their credit card number is sold? Or their identity is stolen? Ignorance can hurt. And it will if companies continue to take advantage of the innocent and the "innocent" chose to be ignorant.

Alma's advice on Internet Safety

In Alma 37, Alma is getting ready to pass the golden plates down to his son, Helaman. As he discusses with Helaman the beautiful and important records that are found on those plates and the various reasons for which Helaman should use them, he takes great care in instructing Helaman what to do with the records about those who had not been so righteous. In Alma's opinion, making Helaman aware of those records was vital so that he would know the potential problems and how to avoid them. However, Alma cautions Helaman quite zealously not to share all the same information with the people. Alma says, "I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed" (Alma 37:27). We can learn from this lesson that it is important to teach our children to be aware of evils, but also that we do not need to teach them everything about those evils. For example, when a parent leaves a child alone for a bit, he or she may say, "Do not eat the cookies while I'm gone." He or she would never say, "Do not pull a chair over to the counter, and climb up on it and reach your hand into the cookie jar and eat a cookie, ok?" Too much information may actually increase curiosity. We normally hear this idea in relation to teaching the law of chastity, but I believe it also applies to internet safety. Parents need to be especially aware of teaching their children safety techniques; they definitely need to set limits to internet use, but that does not mean that they explain in detail to their children the problems with everything they may ever possibly encounter in any situation. Children don't need to be shown every chatroom they should avoid, instead they need to be taught about appropriate behavior and what their options are. As we teach principles, people will be able to use their agency to govern their use of the internet and allow it to be the wonderful tool that God intended.