Dear Next President,

Today we live in a world online, but the world we live in is not as safe as you think. According to The Telegraph, “In 2014, the average teenager spent approximately 27 hours a week online and the average adult spent more than 20 hours a week online.” The amount of time we spend online has almost tripled in the last decade. You might say, well look at the positive aspects of the internet. But, the negatives overpower the positives in most cases. The wonderful online world could also bring many threats like being hacked, being exposed to inappropriate content, and cyberbullying. These are all problems that should be dealt with in a professional manner and quickly too.

You go to your history and look at how much information is there. The question is, where is your search history going? HTG says “Your browser history is stored just like everything else on your computer, as a file (or collection of files). Clearing your browser history merely deletes these files from your hard drive.” As you may know already, there are some disturbing people in this world called hackers. These people use computers and special software to gain unauthorized access to data, like personal information. Even though you supposedly deleted your history, it could easily end up in the hands of a hacker. Do you really think this is acceptable behavior considering how young these targets could be? Kids in this generation practically come into the world with an electronic in their hands. It would be worthwhile if you could make a law stating that anybody will be charged for any actions within the hacking category. You might say, how am I as your president, supposed to catch these hackers? If hackers can find out somebody’s private information, there has got to be someone who can find them.

There should be websites that keep children safe online. Parents have it hard enough and on top of that they have to monitor their kids whenever they’re online. You might say that it would be to overprotective of a parent to ever get that. But would you rather be overprotective and keep your kids safe or underprotective and let them get exposed. The choice is yours. I would like if there could be an app or website that parents can download to protect kids from any type of viruses and inappropriate information. It should be free and easily accessible. This way parents do not have to worry about what their kids are doing online because there is an app that does it for them. Parents can use it for their kids, but they should also be able to use it for themselves so they know if the site could possibly negatively affect their device by causing a virus for example. When you get an app on your device, you can’t give the app permission to access some things and deny other things; It is all or nothing when it comes to getting an app. If you future president, could make this app/website come to life, many people can benefit from this.

Did you know, according to @TeenHelpcom. “Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.” That is about 10.5 million people that are going through this terrible depression just because someone was being careless. Please, don’t be that careless person; You are the authority, the administration behind what can be a great place. I am aware there are punishments to cyberbullying, but it happens everyday and people don’t even notice it. What happens to those bullies that don’t get noticed? The answer is nothing they can get away with this to easily. Kids are afraid to report these bullies because they don’t want to be associated with it. They try to ignore it but it will never go away. You be their advocate, you give them the confidence to stand up for themselves. These victims are scared but together we can find a way to eliminate their fear and increase the penalties of the bully. Bullies could have a bad life. They should still get penalties but they also need help. You should offer them help if they accept what you’re offering. Cyberbullying will be gone in a flash if you take my input and create a positive output.

You have windows of opportunities to make the internet safer. Help eliminate hacking, inappropriate content and cyberbullying. I truly think that this could make an impact not just in the United States but countries Worldwide. If we take charge, other countries will follow. You as this country’s president, are in charge of making this country great. I know if you stick to the plan and consider this letter, you can achieve this goal.

Sincerely,

Jady

This letter is provided by…

By acting as a resource, parents and guardians can help make the Internet a safer place for their families. As a parent or guardian, you should stay well-informed about current issues to understand what your children are experiencing on and off the Intern. “Title.” Basic Internet Safety, http://www.netsmartz.org/internetsafety.

“Internet Safety.” KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health, The Nemours Foundation, http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html.

“HTG Explains: Does Clearing Your Browser History Really Delete It?” HowTo Geek RSS, http://www.howtogeek.com/178277/htg-explains-does-clearing-your-browser-history-really-delete-it/.

@TeenHelpcom. “Cyber Bullying Statistics - Bullying Statistics.” Bullying Statistics, WordPress, 7 July 2015, http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html.