Why do people get burnt by the Internet?
In response to a comment by IDBlackBox to my first post on this blog I asked “what experiences have you had changing people’s computing habits so they can better protect themselves?”
After reading the stories and reflecting on my own experiences, I find myself wondering if there was one dominant explanation for why the victims failed to anticipate for themselves the possible consequences of their decision? Whether it’s discarding their old computer with all their data still on it or giving their credit card number to scareware, why didn’t they anticipate the negative consequences and adjust their actions accordingly?
Is it due largely to a lack of critical thinking skills? Or, an inability to consider cause and effect? Perhaps it is simply wishful thinking? Could it be optimism bias? What do you think?
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