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The Exponent – Purdue’s Independent Student Newspaper
Web cam use requires caution
By Sarah Michalos
Campus EditorFor Scott Borden, using a Web camera makes communicating with his long-distance girlfriend more convenient.
Borden, a freshman in the College of Technology, said a Web cam is better than a phone because he can actually see his girlfriend.
“She lives in Singapore; I use it with her and a few other friends because it’s pretty easy,” he said.
Web cams, which are cameras connected to computers that use the Internet to send images, are becoming increasingly popular among college students like Borden, said Sorin Matei, assistant professor of communication.
Matei said Web cams are a good technological advance when shared in a secure environment.
“It shouldn’t be a problem as long as you don’t broadcast your life online,” he said.
However, Matei said, problems can arise when people do things that put them in the public view, like public video chats.
“When people put stuff online, tag it and share it with the world, it might be cute and fun to do it today, but they might be sorry later,” he said.