It’s no understatement to say that the internet has completely changed the way in which people live their lives, and so much of this is done through how it has changed communication. Much of this is positive, but it has gone on to have negative consequences that have been felt in a variety of different areas.
The positives and the negatives are both worth discussing, because it’s difficult for something to ever be wholly good or bad; its merits have to be weighed against the problems. For something as big and deeply ingrained as the internet, it’s unlikely that it will ever be removed from society, but it can hopefully be changed so that some of the negatives are ironed out in favour of a more refined experience.
Negatives
It’s always best to start with the bad news. The internet has had a variety of negative consequences, and some of this has been due to the misinformation that it has helped to spread, leading groups of people to become more easily connected who then strengthen the volume of this misinformation. Similarly, it has helped to connect groups of dangerous people, such as terrorists, and predatory people now have a platform through which they can communicate with vulnerable people through social media platforms.
Additionally, dangers are also posed through scams and malicious software that people use for the purpose of extortion of theft. One such technique in which this occurs is through the scam of phishing, which you can learn more about here: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/threat-reference/phishing.
Positives
That being said, it’s also important to take these negatives in context. The internet has allowed for mass communication in ways that have never been possible before, and this means that people can communicate and connect with others in the case of an emergency where that might have otherwise not been possible. Many people have met lifelong friends or partners through social media platforms, and that in itself is something that has spread a lot of joy.
Additionally, education has now been made more accessible than ever, thanks to tools such as online learning, or even just the ability to access such a huge range of information. Even without enrolling on an official course, websites such as Wikipedia allow this information to be available to anyone should they want it.
Understanding the Balance
While some of the negatives mentioned previously are matters for law enforcement officials to take care of, other negatives are problems that you can help to curb by simply being knowledgeable and aware. Understanding what might be a risk means that you’re in a much better position to simply avoid it, and you can then help to pass this on so that as few people as possible are affected by this.
People who are behind these negative aspects will consistently endeavour to find new ways of pushing their own agenda, but equally, people will always be working to stop them from doing so, meaning that you can help to try and make the internet a more positive place for all those who use it.
