Internet…Dangerous or Helpful?

With the Internet: We know Too Much, But understand too little!

The internet is fun and it is also everywhere. However, the internet carries risks in which we should understand.

Just after 25 years of the creation of the printing press, the first English book to actually be printed. 25 years after the invention of the telephone, 10% of America was using this service. This is relatively small compared to the outbreak of the internet. In 1962, a boring idea to connect 2 computers together was performed. Today, we have over 3 billion people connecting to the internet.

The internet is nothing more than computers sharing their information (Privately or Openly) amongst each other. Humans simply use a computer and visually see the code being sent across this massive infrastructure.

In 1995, less than 1% of the entire world was connected to the internet. Then in 2005, 1 billion people where connecting to the internet following 2014 with 3 billion people and counting connecting to the internet. In 19 years, the world jumped up by 3 billion people connecting to the internet, which is roughly 18% less time frame than that of the printing press and the telephone.

The benefits of utilizing the internet are obvious. People use the internet for general knowledge as well as day-to-day tasks which includes research for papers/homework, communication for personal and business meetings, and shopping.

During a European wide toll had actually stated that people put the internet on top of their list, which is above bathing, transportation, and even television.

The tolls of the internet usage are effecting everyone world wide, and we don’t even know it.

Toll #1) Addiction:

In the United Kingdom, two out of five people knows they are spending to much time accessing the internet, and admits they cannot stop. Three out of five people world wide checks out internet first thing in the morning, some call it “Coffee-Before-Coffee”, and it is also the last thing we check before going to bed at night. This puts a heavy burden on couples as one or the other feels left out, if not both. Two out of five women have even stated that the greatest challenges in their relationships is to become more interesting than their spouses handheld device. Nine out of ten people would rather connect to the internet instead of traditional reading of a book.

Internet pornography has also proven to be compelling as over 60% males in the U.S. alone have admitted to watching online pornography at least once a month, while 9% of males spend 10 to 20 hours each week watching online pornography.

Humans are not neurologically designed to withstand temptations, and internet providers use this knowledge for their own power. By placing advertising everywhere that catches they eye (“CONGRALUATIONS!!!’ ‘ Click to win’ ‘ Free’ ‘Cheap'”) in order to get more users online and purchasing products and services in which the user doesn’t really need. But the advertising was appealing and so the user purchased their services or product. This can cause a big red flag, as there are some “Advertisers” in which you basically pay them to have your information, and you may never even see your service or product. But the advertiser has all of your major information, including bank/credit card information.

Toll #2) Knowledge/Usage:

We know have access to an unlimited supply of knowledge at the tips of our fingers. With a few short key strokes, one can learn how to start a business, investigate and get contact information on anyone, and much much more. Facebook users actually share 2.5 Million pieces of content each minute, Twitter users tweet 300,000 times per minute, while YouTube users actually upload 72 hours of video time each minute, an astonishing 200 million emails are sent every minute, and Apple users download 50,000 applications each minute. This is rather a large number of data compared to the time frame of 12,00 BC and 2003. Within that wide span of time, 5 exabytes of data was created. Today, users create 5 Exabytes of data every two days.

In order to “Navigate”, for better words, sort through the internet, we utilize search engines such as Google which has over 2.5 Billion searches each day. However, search engines provides their users with pop-up ads and placement ads in which is their favorite and or affiliates. This posses a problem as people often tend to stray away from their original search, thus resulting in another search some time later, with more ads.

Twitters tweet, Facebook users post information about events in which are happening. This provides other users that information online is true, and some alter the information for one reason or another. So we have to learn Wisdom from Accuracy. With that, the most common Google searched question is “What shall I do with my life?”

Toll #3) Privacy:

Online “Cookies” track users wherever you go, and mobile devices lock data at ad-on places every five seconds. This can happen even if your device(s) is “Off”.

French police enforcements have stated that it is almost impossible to commit a murder and remain undetected. Our technology leaves “breadcrumbs” all over the internet. This is basically your computer information leaving “Fingerprints” everywhere you go online. Each year in the UK, 5,000 pounds worth of data is found online, that information is then sold to marketing companies. That is then harvested, filtered and cross referenced to provide detailed insight information on users. Facebook will know how your day will be, before your own mother does.

70% of users are actually in fear of how much data we have already unknowing shared online as 1 out of 7 teenagers has sent compromising messages including images and sexually chatting with a stranger. The European internet users are under the impression that an undermining superiority services is supervising their very move online.

Toll #4) Online Crime:

Since 1995 until now, physical crime has fallen by 60%. However, the cyber crime activities has exploded world wide. In 1990, the NSCPP has reported of 7,000 known photographs of online child pornography. Later on, in 2014 American law enforcements have found over 42 million images pertaining to child pornography online…on one (1) server. There are approximate 50,000 people in which are actively downloading, as well as sharing, images of child abuse in the UK alone. Twitter has 10,000 uses of Racist slur terms each day, wile 2,000 tweets pertain the word “Rape”. 69% of young adults in the UK alone, have already experienced Cyber Bullying.

The NCA (National Crime Agency) would only ever be able to focus on less than 1% of child pornography users.

Conclusion:

New technology has always brought anxiety upon people, and always turn out to be groundless. While the NSA (National Security Agency) states “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!”, the uses in which you get out of the internet can either protect you, or harm you.

In order to be completely anonymous from internet harm, 1 delete any and all social media sites, 2 delete any and all images you uploaded to servers/websites, 3 delete your information from your cell phone carrier(s), 4 don’t use technology ever!

See a full video created by; School of Life here.