The Dark Side Of The Internet And Affecting The Society

The internet has great things to offer as a tool for education, information, entertainment and tool for marketing. As society is changing for the better, the internet has become a vital tool. It allows users the opportunity to show empathy and heal from tragedy with the help of other people. However, it also has its dark side. The internet can be used by those, who wish to harm others or even destroy entire communities.

Table of content:

• The Internet Speeds Up Our Life

• Affect On The Society

• Using The Internet To Feel In Control

• The Changing Face Of Society

• Equality And Corruption Of Internet Users

• A Better Internet

• Finale Thoughts

The Internet Speeds Up Our Life

The internet is not a new invention. Arguably, it's been around for as long as the computer has. The idea is to connect many computers together into a network so that they can share information. Before the internet, the main form of communication was face-to-face meetings and letters. These worked well enough, but they were extremely time consuming and inefficient.

With the internet, you can send a letter with just a few keystrokes and it'll arrive at the other person's mailbox. You can have a meeting with someone online, rather than having to meet in person. The internet allows us to communicate more efficiently, especially when you have the option of communicating anonymously.

Affect On The Society

The internet has had a large impact on our society as a whole. The internet has changed the way we socialize as well. We no longer have to limit our interactions to those within our physical vicinity. With this newfound ability, we have been able to connect with people from all around the globe. This has recently caused some people to discuss and interact on a more intellectual and emotional level. It has also however, allowed for people, who would have remained hidden from society to come out of the shadows.

These people have been taking advantage of the ability to communicate anonymously via internet and meeting up in real life to engage in activities, that would have been impossible without the use of the internet.

Regardless of whether you think these people are good or bad, the fact remains that they are able to freely engage in these activities thanks to the internet. This has led to many positive changes in our society, such as the ability to help people in need with minimal fuss and the freedom of speech. However, this has also allowed for criminal activity to thrive. The existence of these hidden groups has had an effect on society as a whole.

Using The Internet To Feel In Control

In the real world, you can't just show up at another person's house and start bothering them. You have to actually make contact with them first. If you want to enter a store, you have to walk in the front door to shop there. If you want to sit at a restaurant, you have to approach the waiter and ask to be seated. If you want to go into a movie theater, you have to literally go there in person.

With the internet, all of these concepts are different. You can show up as yourself on the internet and completely take control. For example, you can create a new online identity with a new social media account. You can create another social media account under another new identity and post anything you want to its comment section.

You can also set up a blog and write whatever you want on it. This new identity can have any name you want. You can be male or female, any race, and of any age. This new identity is separate from your "real life" identity and you can use it to behave in ways, that you wouldn't normally without facing the judgment of society.

The internet has made it easier for people to act out their darker instincts without consequences. The ability to anonymously say any hateful thing you want about someone and have people anywhere in the world read it without you ever having to face them is a frightening thing. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say, that the existence of these anonymous "trolls" has made life harder for people, who are actually trying to create positive changes.

The Changing Face Of Society

As society changes, so do the ways in which we communicate. Social media sites such as Facebook have allowed us to connect with each other on an unprecedented scale. We are able to share our thoughts, feelings and experiences with each other in a way, that was never before possible. This has led to some positive effects, but there are negative consequences as well.

For one, social media allows for the easy sharing of information. This has led to bullying and fighting with each other on different social media platforms. This can lead to severe mental issues such as anxiety and depression. It is also readily available to the general public, and due to advances in technology, it is able to be accessed by criminals. This has led to various crimes being committed with the use of computers. Stealing information and credit card numbers, hacking into government records, etc. are all common occurrences nowadays.

The paranoid nature of certain people or groups in the world has also been created by the internet. This is due to the creation of conspiracy theories and internet rumors. These rumors are spread far and wide by internet users, but not everything posted on the internet is true. Many times false information is spread in order to advance some sort of agenda, such as the Sandy Hook massacre conspiracy theory.

Warnings about the potential dangers of the internet are being discussed in the media on a regular basis. Unfortunately, these warnings are generally ignored due to the common "mythical" nature of the internet. The idea, that something you cannot see or touch could possibly be dangerous is hard to believe, for many people.

As these negative effects become more common place in society, it will be up to the media to help curb them. Forums, news articles and discussion events are just a few ideas, that could help spread awareness about internet dangers. There are so many things, that people can do on the internet, but unfortunately it has also been used to spread hate and misinformation. As with all things, it's up to us to choose what to make of it.

Equality And Corruption Of Internet Users

There are two types of internet users: those who know they are, and those who don't know they are yet. Experts are predicting, that the number of "normal" people, who use the internet is constantly shrinking. The internet is a powerful tool and this suggests, that it will only continue to get more powerful in the hands of those, who are willing to abuse its power.

Most of the powerful and influential people in the world today have a good idea, that the internet gives the average person the ability to voice opinions, start revolutions, organize protests and more. This is both a strength and weakness of the internet. It would seem, that everything would be running more efficiently now, with all these people online. However, this has led to the opposite effect as governments and other large organizations are having a harder time keeping up with the speed of the information age. This may lead to social instability in the future.

Corruption is also a common problem on the internet. It's not as if it was not around in the past, but the ease of access has made it easier for corrupt governments and large organizations to thrive. It's getting harder and harder to tell, who is a government spy, who is simply an internet troll and who is actually trying to provide valuable information online.

The internet is quickly becoming a true meritocracy, where anyone can become powerful and influential just by speaking their mind online. Anyone with a good idea or service to offer can easily get online and reach a worldwide audience. This is a very good thing, but it does bring about the question of "who is in control of this new world?" The average person is becoming more and more powerful online. The question is, who holds the balance of power?

There are those, who believe that the government should hold the balance of power, as they are the ones responsible for the security and keeping up with the internet. Some believe, that large internet companies should hold the balance of power, as they are the ones, who maintain and run the largest parts of the internet. Others believe, that the people should hold the balance of power, to keep governments and large companies in check.

Whatever side you may take in this matter, the internet is an ever evolving entity. It is likely, that in the not too distant future, the power to influence events will be in the hands of the masses.

A Better Internet

We all need to come together to fix this problem. We can't just leave it up to the people, who are engaging in bad behavior to stop. The fact is, the internet needs to be a "safe space", where people can't do anything that could potentially make them feel uncomfortable. Everyone in the world deserves a safe space. Nobody should be harassed online for what they believe or say, and if they are, the person should face legal consequences. We can't allow the internet to become the "Wild West", that it once was.

We need to have a ban on doxing. Doxing is the act of searching for and posting someone's personal, identifying information online with the intention of causing harm. Doxing is already illegal in a lot of places, and it should be online too. If we don't take steps to stop this, the line between "free speech" and harassment is going to get blurred, and good people are going to start getting hurt.

We also need to have a ban on revengepawning. Revengepawning is the act of attacking someone, who has previously harmed you in some way. This could be something as minor as a troll posting your current location on a forum that you're not even on, or as serious as someone threatening to kill you or doxing you. While there are legitimate reasons, why someone may want to enact revenge on another person, we shouldn't allow this sort of behavior online.

Finally, we need to have consequences for saying threatening things online. While some threats should be taken seriously and allowed to stay online, excessive threats should get a person banned from whatever website they're posting on.

There are a few other things, that can be done to help improve the internet, but those are the main three that I feel would make the biggest difference.

Finale Thoughts

I don't have all the answers for how to fix this, and I'm not even sure if it can be fixed. However, I am convinced, that we need to try. The internet has been a source of enjoyment for me for most of my life. It seems silly to give it up, because of a few trolls, but the potential for it to be taken away due to threats is real.

We all have to do what we can to make sure that doesn't happen. I know there will always be people, who will never be satisfied. They will always find something to complain about. I wish I had the solution to this, but I don't. Maybe one day someone will and I'll be in a position to listen.

Until then, I'll be enjoying my time on the internet as much as I can.

Thank you for reading.