“How close is World War 3.0?”

The author says World War 3.0 may already be here. Ask the class to research computer-against-computer warfare. Search news articles with key phrases, such as World War 3.0, cyber attack, cyber army or cyber warfare. Student can address one or more of these batches of questions in a two-page paper.

Flashlight: How long have people been writing about World War 3.0? What’s the earliest use of the term you can find? Does it always mean cyber warfare or can the term mean other things? (A little help: The headline in quotes above is the title of a 2007 Networked World article by Carolyn Marsan.)

Spotlight: Do you think World War 3.0 already started? Has your life been affected so far by not knowing? Does the government have a responsibility to make its citizens aware if it is involved in a cyber war?

Searchlight: Choose a cyber attack to study. The author notes that freedom decreases when war increases — what does this imply in the era of cyber warfare? Consider this question: If there is no freedom to cover the war, will it run rampant?

Extra credit: Students propose two journalism articles related to cyber warfare. They consider potential sources and how the stories could be reported. They come prepared to discuss the stories in class. Are there some countries in which those stories can’t be done? Why?