Let's talk about where social media calls home - the Internet
The Internet has been a noble cause which contributes to a greater good. It was designed to be a reflection of humanity, to enable us to be ourselves, or did it?There are many controversies surrounding how we use the Internet nowadays, from cybercrime and fake news to echo chambers and censorship, the Internet presents a whole new world before everyone. This new world can be quite diverse. In some places, like the Dark Net, it is shady, some sites are clearly illegal and used for malicious purposes. At the same time, there exists authoritative, state-regulated site where important transactions and activity occurs. While for some sites, it can be a mix of both.
The Internet also has a lot of other names to it too. No one can quite pin the one that we agree on using, and that represents how people can view the Internet differently. It is also known as the Net, the World Wide Web, the Web, and there must be more of such variations out there.
I believe it is irrefutable that the Internet has been one of the greatest treasures of mankind. However, our use of it might have diverged from what its original intent. It can seem to be surprising that something of such a large scale and has much influence in our lives originally started out from a purpose.
The inventor of the world wide web always maintained his creation was a reflection of humanity – the good, the bad and the ugly. But Berners-Lee’s vision for an “open platform that allows anyone to share information, access opportunities and collaborate across geographical boundaries” has been challenged by increasingly powerful digital gatekeepers whose algorithms can be weaponised by master manipulators. (The Guardian)
Let's look at a one challenge of the vision for the Internet.
Enter social media, which connects us on a deep level
The first few social media sites were most likely used for connecting for other people, building relationships, and maintain in contact with your social circle online. Since then, social media has evolved to embody new purposes and new vision. It has become a news aggregator, a gossip centre, an endless flow of entertainment, an education platform, a place to shop... The list goes on and on.
But how we use social media can threaten the very roots of our society - where most of us in the real world learn to get along and develop an understanding with each other. Those who seek to destroy this will pay. However, social media has given all of us power to spout whatever we like. Instead of being something that is beneficial for us, it is starting to look like a landfill with foul-smelling trash, or a battlefield where people start to hurt each other.
What was worse, according to a recent video published by Vox, social media is rewarding these "bad apples".
My opinion on this video
I find that it is generally well-substantiated, with the usually dry and uninteresting research brought to life through dialogues and drama. This has been different from their usual style of presenting their facts using graphics and animations. I feel such a means of presentation can relate to its audience better.
I really learnt a lot from watching this video. It has also reinforced whatever I have been taught about social media in school, and confirmed many more research papers on how social media is fallible.
An interesting thing about social media is it has a profound influence over our emotions. This article from BBC Future is worth a read:
I hope that while people respect the freedom for others to speak their mind in their online world, we can achieve some kind of balance that makes the Internet a place where everyone can utilise it to its fullest potential for the betterment of ourselves. I believe it should not just be the worst of humanity that makes it to the headlines, more can come from the amazing things people can do to benefit others using the Internet.
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