People use the Internet every single day. They rely on the Internet for fun games, keeping up with friends, information for reports, online shopping, and directions to a new town. Almost everyone agrees that the Internet is a useful tool. And almost everyone agrees that it is also dangerous. The question is: are the risks that we take when using the Internet too high to make it a valuable resource? Is the Internet today’s evolution or tomorrow’s menace?
The clear answer is that the Internet will hurt our society if we do not change the way we use it. That doesn’t mean that we have to completely stop using the internet. But it is time to make it safer and to use it wisely. There are three main reasons. First, the Internet is a big time-waster. Second, there is the risk of losing one’s privacy on the Internet. Finally, the Internet has many evil, inappropriate, and harmful sites on it.
Obviously, the Internet is a far too easy way to waste time. One can spend hours on free (or paid) game sites, sometimes playing the same game over and over. Social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook can be black holes where minutes and hours simply disappear as users update their page or chat with friends. Personally, I waste a ton of my time checking emails and chatting, when I could be working on school. The Internet tempts people to squander their precious time on frivolous activities. This is a big problem with using the Internet.
Another problem is that private data is easily accessible on the Internet. People’s lives are supposed to be private. Unfortunately, it is relatively simple to find out where you live, whether you have children, how much you paid for your house, where you went to school, and many other pieces of information, sometimes even including your credit card number or Social Security number. Obviously, this material can be used in wrong and harmful ways, such as identity theft, kidnapping, or burglary. Try googling yourself. It’s shocking and pretty scary how much is out there. The lack of privacy on the Internet provides information for criminal activities, making life more dangerous.
Cyber bullying or cyber harassment is another huge problem that arises from the ease and accessibility of information on the internet. Faking an identity online is far too easy, and worse, most of the time, the culprit is never found out or punished. And we only know about half of the bullying going on online, because statistics show that many teens are continually harassed online and do not tell anyone. That needs to change.
The biggest problem with the Internet is that it is full of harmful sites. Although many people use computer filters, these filters are sometimes inaccurate and fail to block unwholesome sites. Because of they make mistakes, these filters are dangerous for those who rely entirely on them. Pornography sites are widely available, and are becoming more commonly used, a risk to marriage and relationships. With the many harmful sites, the Internet is a dangerous place for children and adults.
The Internet, with its tempting games and social networking sites, is a time-waster; it reveals private information; and it has thousands of unsafe and evil sites on it. Even though the Internet is useful and convenient, the problems with it make it a menace, and safety must be put before the convenience of using the Internet. People must become aware of the hazards of the Internet for them to be prevented. Our government should make internet safety a priority, because the internet is used everyday by hundreds of thousands of people, and has the ability to ruin lives forever.
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