Before we get started take a look a look at this fascinating infographic fromInternetServiceProviders.org:
There is no doubt that the internet is here to stay and, beyond that, is set to continue to grow and influence our lives in an increasing number of new and unpredictable ways. But we have to ask ourselves: “Is that a good thing?”
A few nights ago I watched a very good (but very heavy, and full of triggers) movie called Disconnect. In this film four separate, but related, stories are told over the course of a few weeks, all of which are centered around an internet specific issue. These included cyber bullying, live sex cams, chat rooms and identity theft. I think this movie was really clever in that, although it showed how the internet can greatly exacerbate any existing issues, there still have to be issues there in the first place. And it got me thinking.
Often we ask “is the internet a good or a bad thing?”, and the answer of course is neither. The internet is like a huge magnification beam, it takes everything that already exists and multiplies it all by a thousand times. It is as constructive or destructive as the person using it wishes it to be:
- Where there are communication issues, networked devices are often used to push friends and family members further apart.
- When “real life” gets too tough it can be tempting to escape into excessive online gaming or gambling.
- When we’re feeling lonely or lost we can reach out to strangers online who may not have our best interests at heart.
The internet did not invent pornography but it certainly made it much faster and easier to obtain. The internet did not invent bullying, but it has made it much easier to perpetrate through anonymity, and much more devastating with the sharing of pictures and private messages through social networks. The internet did not invent theft and identity fraud, but it has made it much safer and simpler to commit, with millions of people willingly giving up their information every day.
On the flip side the internet did not come up with art, music, literature, factual and statistical information or the concepts of sharing and collaborating, and yet it has enabled us to expose ourselves to a wealth of natural and man made beauty and ingenuity, and has enabled us to more easily create and share with others!
So like guns, motor vehicles or video games, the internet will often come under fire as the cause of all that is wrong with the world, but like firearms, cars and games, it’s all about who is using the internet, and for what purpose. And like a pistol, the internet can not “fire” itself; there would be no internet bullying without bullying, no internet fraud without fraud and no compulsive online gaming or gambling without the compulsion.
At the end of the day it all comes back to us, to the way we treat ourselves, and the way we communicate with others close to us. Our internet use is simply an extension of our habits and behaviors offline. So as always I urge you to bring your attention back to the very core aspects of your life. Are you eating basically well, are you finances basically in order, are your close relationships basically functional with good communication? If not then hop to it!
As we continue to move toward a more digitized and technological future it’s ever more important to remember the basics and not get swept up in the marketing hype. According to the infographic above, over the next 4 years smartphones and other personal devices like networked wrist devices and eye devices will become yet more prevalent, and a billion new people will be sharing the web with us! So be responsible;
- Turn off your devices when it gets late and when you are spending time with family or your partner.
- Drop out of a few social networks, or at least take a break! See what life is like without Facebook for a month or two!
- Be disciplined and put actual limits on your gaming time or the time you spend on forums.
- Get your basics right: are your fingernails cut? Have you eaten? Have you gotten some exercise? Have you used the bathroom lately?
- Protect your identity and private pictures, videos and messages. If it’s online know that potentially anyone could see or read it! Cloud saving is wonderful thing, but for sensitive material always keep it on local storage instead.
I love the internet and video games! How else would you be reading this post, right?! So don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to see what the tech geniuses come up with next. But let’s all try to keep things in perspective; our internet use is an extension of our behavior, nothing more. So if we want to get the best out of the net while staying safe, let’s take a good hard look at how to improve our offline lives as best we can
Thanks for reading! All the best 
Rohan.
Related Articles:
- Getting Hacked! How to Protect Your Sensitive Data Online!
- Self Discipline Versus The Internet!
- How To Get Rid of a Bully or Psychopath!
- The Easiest Way To Know If You, Or Someone You Know Is Being Bullied!
- How To Bring Up Difficult Subjects With Your Spouse or Partner!
Rohan Healy is the author of “Greeks to Geeks: Practical Stoicism in the 21st Century”, “The 7 Things That Made Me Genuinely & Irreversibly Happy: And How They Can Do The Same For You”, “SEX, Not as a Separate Subject: A Guide to Great Sex with Great People” and Sci Fi Action/Adventure novel Gyaros: The Mice Eat Iron!
Click the book titles to visit their Amazon pages, read the reviews, and sample or purchase the books.
