Are we more alone than ever, despite our ultra-connected lives? In this new special episode of Digital Culture, we explore digital solitude, the false pretenses of social media, and the very real dangers of social engineering: the need for belonging, online safe spaces... and romance scams à la Brad Pitt. Between the quest for social connection and the risks of manipulation, should we still trust the internet?
Listen to the episode of Culture Numérique, the Siècle Digital podcast, with guest Gladys Salmouth, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky:
Whether through social media like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, discussion forums, or instant messaging like WhatsApp and Telegram, the opportunities to communicate digitally are multiplying.
Paradoxically, the figures show that many Internet users have never felt so alone online, and this may even be the case for you. According to a recent study conducted by Kaspersky, the subject is much more worrying than we imagine…
Social networks, a dangerous refuge?
To alleviate this loneliness, the latest Kaspersky study shows that digital technology has a positive effect on this loneliness. In France, 27% of respondents who say they feel lonely believe that social media has an impact on their mental health and well-being.
Nevertheless, as Gladys Salmouth mentions in the Digital Culture podcast, web scams have partly developed on social media.
While some risks are very easy to avoid for intermediate and advanced users, users with little digital knowledge who feel lonely can very quickly fall into the trap.
Increasingly advanced techniques for Millennials and Gen Z
Faced with the Millennial and Gen Z generations, which seem much more alert to potential scams on the web, this is actually only an appearance. Moreover, hackers have managed to develop techniques that are much more difficult to avoid for younger people…
In recent years, with the advent of artificial intelligence, which has become easily accessible to the general public, and chat and dating applications, it has become almost impossible to verify the identity of an interlocutor…
These generations having grown up with the internet, this can also make them more vulnerable. Indeed, with the assurance of knowing how to spot real profiles from fake ones, they turn out to be prime prey. A Kaspersky analysis recently showed that in France, 71% of Millennials do not always check the identity of their online contacts. Is "cat fishing" a practice that is becoming widespread? With the fear of having their personal data exposed online, Kaspersky's survey on the subject shows that 17% of respondents may have used a fake profile online. This practice, known as "cat fishing", is now used both by ordinary users as well as by dishonest organizations. On the side of social networks and messaging applications, while some profiles are quickly identified, a good number of them slip through the net...
Fortunately, industry professionals are organizing locally, for example with the Government Cybermalveillance platform. This platform is particularly known for reporting numerous romance scams, where malicious actors rely on public information from the targeted users.
Online communities that bring people together... or isolate them?
According to Gladys Salmouth of Kaspersky, the growth of online communities is both beneficial and harmful for people suffering from digital loneliness. They reinforce both the feeling of belonging, but at the risk of becoming dependent in the most extreme cases.
This feeling of belonging online is explained by the fact that it is difficult to find shared passions or other people to exchange with in certain territories, where digital technology is positioned as a facilitator. This is undoubtedly why in France, 42% of Millennials first talk about their problems within online communities according to this study, before talking to their family or friends. Unfortunately, for malicious people, this is a godsend to be exploited...
"Cyber hygiene" as a solution to the risks of digital loneliness
With dangers on the web becoming increasingly present, specialists in the field such as Kaspersky recommend implementing "cyber hygiene".
Concretely, beyond the installation of an antivirus, this consists of following good practices such as using phrases instead of words for passwords, revealing only the minimum necessary information on a site, and never rushing to act when pressured by a message.
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