Impact Of Internet

The internet has brought with it many opportunities and brought a lot of challenges to the lives of people around the world. It is imperative to note that Internet has gone beyond just information sharing but has become our connection point for everything.

At least today the most used tools such as Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Google are now being called ‘digital goods’ as they make digital content more accessible and easier to interact with. This also allows us to share our ideas and opinions on social media. These can be very helpful in helping people cope up with personal tragedies through support. Social networking has turned into something like a mini social system where people can be proud of each other. In addition to that, the use of smartphones has allowed us to stay connected even while not physically together.

I have always spoken about the importance of staying connected because what happens when you don’t know who you are? This is a big problem as we are bombarded by messages and emails every day. As people want to stay connected, they need to avoid those who may have been affected by certain negative events and stay away from negative comments or texts. We find ourselves becoming a society where negativity is encouraged, especially amongst children who are developing their own knowledge and understanding about different cultures. When children develop these qualities, they can lead their futures in a positive direction. With this way of thinking, the future generation can focus on building up their knowledge. They can learn new skills and build their confidence to face situations and challenges at work while making friends. So, there is hope and the fact that they won’t feel like an unimportant person for having learned something new. Furthermore, as a child grows, it gives him/her self-confidence and a sense of belonging. Through constant interaction with others around them and interacting with your peers on social media platforms, they can get to the bottom and understand certain topics.

However, one thing that we may forget is that not everyone is happy on social media. And that’s the biggest challenge that we have now in social networks. Many individuals need to take charge of a certain situation, for example, if someone mentions bad words, one person might reply to it by saying the word it is but they’re not happy with his/her comment. Others are angry because he said something nasty such as "You must not talk like that." Most people, especially under 18 years, are really worried about how come they were not heard. There can be times when individuals are feeling isolated especially during holidays when we are trying to spend time with family. Therefore, we may get depressed. In order to keep this at bay we try to connect with positive persons through social media. We have seen it through memes like the ones below. Another issue that comes along with social media is cyberbullying. To be clear, there are few cases related to cyber bullying but in the majority of this case, it happens mostly online when individuals harass, intimidate or commit crimes at another individual’s house. Cyber bullying can result in depression especially if someone feels that he has lost some kind of identity due to cyber bullying. This can trigger self-harm, anxiety and panic among youngsters and adults who try to deal up with this mental disorder. For some teenagers, it is normal because they can relate to the perpetrator and their feelings of isolation. But unfortunately, for those who don’t have friends, they can get affected also. Therefore, we should avoid this type of behaviour. Moreover, the rise in suicide rates in young individuals can cause more trouble too. Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among adolescents worldwide and almost half of teenagers in Sub Saharan Africa experience suicidal thoughts, especially girls and boys. Suicide is a global epidemic which affects over four million people annually and around 80% of suicide victims are between the ages of fifteen and twenty. It is important to note that it usually takes several days before any person dies from suicide or self-injury. Thus, the number of suicides caused by cyber bullying is much higher than actual numbers. A victim of cyber bullying can be severely impacted mentally and socially. Therefore, we should be aware and help to prevent cyber bullying and offer help to victims who might need it. Hence, we have to ensure that we engage experts and professionals to deal with these types of issues and to provide assistance to victims. Parents also play a major role in prevention and awareness creation to improve the overall social condition of adolescents.