True enough, the rise of social media and networking use brought forth a rise in social benefits, such as an increase in convenience in social connectivity. However, it has too, made way for dangers and discomforts regarding a person's privacy, as I have also been saying and discussing in my previous blog posts.
That is why the issue of privacy in the digital world should be taken anything but lightly and as a joke. It's time for us to wake up because online identity theft, bullying, stalking, and predators actually do exist in the world. Privacy, or the lack there-of, gives us and society all the more reason to be aware and spread awareness to our peers; and parents- to their children.
And what better way to stead awareness than to depict reality of today in a movie? Below are the story lines and trailers for the two movies:
Trust directed by David Schwimmer - Safe and sound in their suburban home, Will and Lynn Cameron used to sleep well at night, trusting their children were protected. Will, in particular, was comforted by the fact that he and Lynn raised three bright children, and that once the doors were locked and the alarm was set, nothing -- absolutely nothing -- was going to harm his family. When his fourteen-year-old daughter, Annie, made a new friend online -- a sixteen-year-old boy named Charlie that she met in a volleyball chat room -- Will and Lynn didn't think much of it. They discussed his friendship with her, assuming that this is normal with teenagers who connect through the internet.After weeks of communicating online, Annie becomes enraptured by Charlie and finds herself drawn to him more and more. Slowly she learns he is not who he claims to be, yet Annie remains intrigued by Charlie even as the truth about him is uncovered. The devastating revelation reverberates through her entire family, setting in motion a chain of events that forever change their lives in ways that no one could have ever predicted. - Moviefone
CyberBully directed by Charles Binam̩ - Cyberbully follows Taylor Hillridge (Emily Osment), a teenage girl who falls victim to online bullying, and the cost it takes on her as well as her friends and family. Taylor is a pretty seventeen-year-old student dealing with her parents' recent divorce and painfully aware of her lower social status in high school. When her mom gives her a computer for her birthday, Taylor is excited by the prospect of going online to meet new friends without her mother always looking over her shoulder. However, Taylor soon finds herself the victim of betrayal and bullying while visiting a popular social website. Obsessed with the damaging posts, she begins to withdraw from her family and friends, including her life-long best friend, Samantha Caldone (Kay Panabaker). Tormented and afraid to face her peers at school, Taylor is pushed to an extreme breaking point. It is only after this life-changing event that Taylor learns that she is not alone Рmeeting other teens, including a classmate, who have had similar experiences. Taylor's mom, Kris (Kelly Rowan), reels from the incident and takes on the school system and state legislation to help prevent others from going through the same harrowing ordeal as her daughter. - ABC Family
Trust and CyberBully are just two of the many movies out there that demonstrate how the cyber world can interfere with one's personal life and privacy. Definitely, these movies serve as an eye-opener for all of us. Watching the movies in full will definitely make you stop and think of the own privacy measures you have taken when it comes to releasing personal information online. However, If you can't find a way to watch the full-length movies, trust me, the trailers can shake you to awareness enough.
