As texting has become the new phone call, and Instant Messaging has replaced waving hello, the seeming anonymity of the Internet has given way to a host of social problems. Namely, cyber-bullying and sexting. Such topics were addressed Wednesday at Nassau Community College (NCC) by an expert on such abuse.

"It's about responsible citizenship," says Alison Trachtman Hill, founder and managing partner of CI4G, Critical Issues for Girls based in New York.

To kick off her talk, sponsored by the Cultural Program at NCC, Hill asked the packed audience to raise their hands if they texted, had Facebook profiles, used a computer on a daily basis, ever sent a digital photo of themselves, recall acting like a bully or if they ever witnessed bullying but didn't know how to respond. Each question saw hands fly up, if somewhat sheepishly.

"Today's youth are digital natives," Hill says. Parents, teachers and administrators, who have adopted technology but didn't necessarily grow up with it, are "digital immigrants."

The pervasiveness of technology is rampant, and with it comes new social issues to grapple with, like where personal standards lie and where personal responsibilities begin. Yet, regardless of the newness of the technology, whether it is social networking pages, Twitter, blogs or e-mail, the issues regarding taking responsibility for one's actions and the possible consequences a cruel or inappropriate message could have on a targeted victim remain the same as the offline world, she says. Feelings can get hurt and words and images can take on a cyber life of their own, or be misunderstood.

"There's always someone else on the end of that screen…and sometimes that's hard to remember," Hill says.

Cyber-bullying, or using technology to violate another human being, or inappropriate sending of images might not just impact the victim. Because there's no guarantee of truly deleting in cyberspace, these negative messages or images might be traced to the perpetrator and be used against him or her years down the road, for instance, when seeking employment, or applying to colleges, Hill explained. All messages can be cumulated to be considered his "digital footprint," she says.

"Every time you send something, it creates an impression of you," Hill says.

Being responsible for each other, stopping before we send something that may be offensive to someone else and reporting abuse when you see it are some ways to help curtail such malicious cyber practices. If being cyberbullied, get proof of the offender by printing out all electronic messages and contact the Internet service provider to report the abuse, Hill says.