Intro

Controversies are notorious for bringing attention to topics that aren’t very much loved by all crowds. That’s only normal as different mindsets create different opinions, thus, controversial topics to argue about. Recently, controversies surrounding the internet’s good for the world have spiked and led people to question, now more than ever, if the internet is becoming too much or if the causes of this dilemma are attributed to other reasons, we may not be aware of.Here’s the thing, no two sane persons disagree on the essential advantages the internet has brought to the world. Look around you and see if anything could be done without it, literally, nothing. Even a small cafe will now ask you to check the menu online via QR Code scans to eliminate the need for printed menus and long lines of customers who are still guessing what to order.Today, the internet is solving things that we didn’t know were labeled as “issues” until it became involved, and we noticed the drastic change it had gifted us with. The internet has already taken over the planet, but some people still question if it actually did. Comparing the numbers to 10 or 20 years ago, humanity is definitely more dependent on it now. Simply, because it serves primary roles in education, security, business, social life, news, politics, and the list carries on. Yet the question remains, is the internet becoming too much? Or maybe our actions are the real cause behind that? Let’s find out the truth together.

is The Internet The Real Cause or Did it Just Expose?

Many people place the blame on the internet for all the downsides it has brought to technology and online platforms, in general. Those who raise such claims believe that many issues have found a more solid ground over the internet and so the ramifications were hard to tame. An interesting claim that may seem hard to debunk.However, we’d like to discuss things from another angle that is usually overlooked. The internet, just like any other innovation in the world has its pros and cons and we’re not here to say otherwise. But, the real question we’d like to ask is, are these cons due to the internet being a bad tool placed in the good hands of humans? Or is it a good tool that, perhaps, has been mishandled in the wrong hands that didn’t know how to use it? Truth is, it’s the latter and we’re about to tell you why.The internet has been around for quite some time and since its birth on 1/1/1983, computer networks were able to find a way to communicate with one another. Similarly, humans were also able to get in touch with distant internet users who were on a whole different continent, while businesses were able to adopt new concepts in work such as remote work and hire teams located all across the world with interviews and meetings being held online.So far, so good. But what has changed now is the high number of crimes and unethical acts being associated with the internet as they’re being done over the internet. Thus, with the internet being the mediator to such actions, many are questioning if access to the internet should be restricted with more strict rules.Below, we list some of the commonly shared cons with a brief on each so you’re able to stay on track with us:

Cyberbullying

One of the main concerns keeping many parents awake at night is knowing how their kids are doing at school. This is a totally normal feeling that any parent is entitled to feel, however, the real struggle now is the fact that they have to worry about their kids even outside the school’s limits since the internet has no limits. Unfortunately, years ago we were concerned with bullying as harmful act students practice against others inside the school to cause them harm and mischief. But now times have changed. Bullying is no longer how you imagine it to be as we got introduced to the term “cyberbullying”. Cyberbullying is an awful behavior where the criminals in charge use technology-related methods to hinder or blackmail the victim into forcing them to do certain things in return for not being harmed, or less harmed.The accessibility of computers, phones, tablets, and social media presence on multiple platforms powered by the internet has opened the doors for misuse of the objectives originally created in mind as bad users took advantage of them to get their bad motives answered in return. This includes things like taking photos or videos of others without consent, running a hate page or campaign against victims on online platforms, and sadly more that we won’t address in this article.Everything circulates fast on the internet. In other words, what’s bad goes fast before you know it, and once it does you won’t be able to stop it. The result is, easier access for bad people to commit bad actions that threaten the lives of others regardless of the time and place if we overlook the fact that cyberbullying could sometimes entail targeted hacking plans to acquire access to some information from the victim’s side. What’s causing the damage here isn’t the internet itself but the actions of the users who have twisted its amazing role into one that is full of harm and evil acts.And while we understand these valid concerns, we must also note that likewise, many people have been taking advantage of the internet in exposing people who do such stuff. Therefore, counterattacking them with their own tactics to protect themselves and provide evidence that in often cases proves to be very useful. It’s worth noting as well that the vast majority of online platforms like YouTube, Tik Tok, and more provide parents with parental control features. This allows parents to keep an eye on the content their kids are interacting with.On top of that, they’re also capable of restricting certain websites from the internet home network. This could be done with the help of your internet service provider depending on where you’re located. These are precautions that may be advised from the early stages to prevent issues from escalating and do not rule out the parent’s role in having a good talk with their kids so they’re aware of the consequences of using the internet in such a malicious way. Results often show that most parents aren’t aware of the content their kids are engaging in which leaves us in no wonder as to why they’re taken with shock once the damage is done.

Trouble Socializing

Another common claim we often notice is that too much access to the internet has led teenagers and children to have trouble socializing in real life. In this regard, we’d like to tackle a few major points that prove to us that it’s not the internet but the people. Remember when the world shut down during the pandemic when Covid first hit the globe? Back at the time, the only thing that made it possible for people to connect with relatives, governments to update citizens with news, and schools to keep going without causing any student to lose the right to have an education was the fact that we had the internet.None of that would have been made possible without it. But, in that regard, it was being used in good hands that contributed to the world through it. This digital jump, in fact, helped some get over social anxieties related to video calls, and online meetings as it became the new norm. Socializing isn’t in real life only but online as well, so just as you may find someone afraid to speak in public, others fear doing so online.On the other hand, we have others who have developed social anxiety in real life due to their very few encounters with humans in person. These users are usually comfortable online and on chats but not when talking to people face to face. It’s important on this note to mention that socially anxious people aren’t the same as introverts. As the first one requires help while the latter is just a character trait that does not hinder the person from going out or engaging with people in real life. If anything, they don’t like doing it much. So, once again, it’s not the internet but the people using it.

Quick Recap

Too much access gives more access to those who don’t need it and those who do, making this amazing innovation a double-edged sword that could either hit or miss. Nevertheless, a good swordsman knows how to hold their sword, when to raise it, and when to put it down. Saying that all swordsmen do is kill is the same as saying that internet access is the worst thing we had to witness when it’s not because good behaviors lead to good actions and great results. But bad behaviors lead to bad actions and horrific results. Hence, the internet didn’t cause these issues but rather exposed what long has been there and buried.

Conclusion

All in all, internet access is a tremendously valuable tool if used properly in the right hands. It gives a wide range of access to tons of information in various fields. It serves a crucial role in many sectors like information technology, educational institutions, governmental institutions, business, and more. It can be considered a very life-changing communication tool that helps bring people together and tell the world a story without having to travel the world. When used responsibly, it widens people's horizons, protects communities, and keeps everyone aware of the latest updates. That said, if there is anything we have to change, it's the way we deal with it without much care.