Jesus Gabriel Cabrera Jr

English comp I

12/12/2022

Phase 3 Exploratory Research paper

Title – The Impact the Internet has on our society

 

The Internet is a global computer network providing various information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols. Like a drug that is an addiction we can’t let go of, our society has become more dependent on this technology for professional or personal assistance. Unfortunately, however, the internet also brings us depression and isolation. With a resource that allows us to explore the world with a click of a button, we have slowly isolated ourselves from the world in the process, slowly but surely ruining our perspective and communication with others. Throughout my paper, I shall talk about the internet’s damage to society.

To understand where I’m coming from, we need to look back on the history of why and how it was created in the United States before the 1960s (History 2019). To my surprise, the internet’s purpose isn’t so much different from how we use it today. In “The Invention of the Internet,” it says, “Unlike technologies such as the light bulb or the telephone, the internet has no single “inventor.” Instead, it has evolved. The internet started in the United States more than 50 years ago as a government weapon in the Cold War.” The Cold War was a significant part of the second half of the 20th century, as tensions arose between two of the world’s biggest superpowers over ideological and philosophical differences. Given the name, the USA and USSR supported significant regional conflicts in various proxy wars because there was no large-scale fighting between the two. A proxy war is a war instigated by a considerable power that does not become involved. So the summary is that the internet was used to start conflicts with other people without actually getting into physical altercations. This tactic was a practical resource back then; however, how it is used now is concerning. People start drama online for humor without thinking of the consequences in real life.

Social media is the Subtopic I will use to prove further my claim that the internet has damaged our society. Social media refers to computer-based technology that facilitates sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. However, with every post and like, A user can get addicted to the website, and sometimes it can even mimic an actual drug addiction. In The Dark Side of the Like: The Effects of Social Media Addiction on Digital and In-Person Communication, Rebecca Rast, Joshua T. Coleman, and Christina S. Simmers 2021 the article state. “Functional and morphological brain changes observed in other addictive behaviors have been identified when individuals overuse social media sites (Turel and Cavagnaro, 2019). These brain changes can result in the urgency to use social media and increase cravings and, ultimately, behaviors to seek gratification” (Rebecca Rast, Joshua T. Coleman, Christina S. Simmers, 2021).

Furthermore, this explains that the more you use social media, you become addicted to using it; however, a defense to the use of social media is that it brings freedom of speech.

The first amendment to the US Constitution prohibits any law limiting freedom concerning religion, expression, peaceful assembly, or the right of citizens to petition the government. An extension of freedom of speech on the internet is freedom of information that allows for expressing oneself with privacy (History, 2017). To reiterate, this means that anybody can discuss personal issues anonymously on the Internet, such as their health problems and marital life issues, which are generally not discussed in public. However, people today often use the internet to discuss crude topics and important events that have taken place in their lives to show the world because our society has been so hooked on to the internet these days “this is America” by Childish Gambino, or Donald glover uses his freedom of speech to express his feelings of our countries brutality towards his people, In the course reader pg 29 it states “This is America opens with an act of horror: glover shoots a hooded handcuffed black guitarist execution style, and a couple of schoolchildren rush into drag his body off-screen” The video draws heavily from the experiences minorities, shining a light on a crude history of our society. African Americans have had to go through in America, people may say it’s too graphic, but that’s the point because people wouldn’t understand the depth of the video to shine a light on the brutality of the oppressed.

Despite social media being a platform on the internet used to post positive information on essential issues in the world that should be brought to light, there are still cases where the internet has been used for negativity, like cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms, and mobile phones. It is repeated behavior aimed at scaring, angering, or shaming those who are targeted. Examples include: spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone on social media. Far from its original purpose in the cold war, the internet has now been the tool of tyrants’ pleasure in harassing innocent citizens for amusement. A Pew Research article, “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying,” states, “A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 59% of U.S. teens have personally experienced at least one of six types of abusive online behaviors.” So through the internet, our society has made it available for people, mainly teens, to be oppressed through cyberbullying, which can lead to sadness, depression, anxiety, or worse, suicide. Though there are many advantages to using the internet, Like communication and information gathering, there are also Disadvantages, such as the addiction to constantly using social media and its effect on our mental health, which leads to my next topic.

Lastly is depression. The Internet/Social media has affected Mental health. Ironically, for a technology designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can make you feel more lonely and isolated—and exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. A Healthline article, Your Guide to Creating a Healthier Relationship with Social Media, states, “A 2016 study Trusted Source using survey data from 1,787 U.S. adults between the ages of 19 and 32 found a link between social media use and increased depression.” This shows you that the ever so expanding development of the internet through social media even affects teens’ to adults’ mental health.

In conclusion, the internet has evolved over many years to suit our needs in society. What was used for researching data and information transfer in the cold war has now consumed the minds of young and old in our community. With a resource that allows us to explore the world with a click of a button, we have slowly isolated ourselves from the world in the process, slowly but surely ruining our perspective and communication with others. Throughout my paper, I shall talk about the internet’s damage to society. Furthermore, we should limit our internet use and, instead of getting our information from social media, research and find out what we want to know on the web, whether true or false.

 

Citation Page

 

Monica Anderson. “A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying”, Pew research center, 2018.

www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/

 

History.com Editors.“The Invention of the Internet” HISTORY,  A&E 

Television Networks, 2019.

www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet

 

Margarita Tartakovsky. “Your Guide to Creating a Healthier Relationship with Social Media”, HealthLine, 2022.www.healthline.com/health/social-media-and-mental-health

History.com Editors.”First Amendment” HISTORY, 2017, A&E Television Networks, – www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/first-amendment#:~:text=The%20First%20Amendment%20text%20reads%3A%20“Congress%20shall%20make,petition%20the%20Government%20for%20a%20redress%20of%20grievances.”

 

 

Rebecca Rast,  Joshua T. Coleman, Christina S. Simmers,  “The Darkside of the like The effects of social media addiction on digital and in-person communication” 2021 VOL. 10 NO. 2 (2021): THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SOCIETY

thejsms.org/index.php/JSMS/article/view/839