The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly of the Internet

The internet has proven to be both a positive and negative influence on society in general. As big as the internet has grown to be there are still individuals that shy away from this technology. These people embrace the idea that life existed just fine before the internet and life will still be fine with out it. The use of technology is a personal preference, take the Amish as an example. Groups such as the Amish go day by day in the midst of technology all around yet they manage to survive with out it. It may be true that we can survive with out the use of technology and the internet, but what would we be missing. What has the internet offered that is the greatest benefit to modern society. I believe the greatest benefit is also the greatest curse. This benefit would have to be the instantaneous sharing of knowledge. 

I believe it was said in the book 1984, "Knowledge is power." When addressed to the internet this is very true. Power and knowledge are two powerful tools that have been used to create and destroy. In times past these tools took time to work and now with the internet these tools are harnessed on a global scale with close to instant results. 

Recently the people in the Middle East used the power of Twitter and similar social media to spread their ideas of government and social reforms. The internet allowed groups of protesters to organize, something that may have been difficult to do in their countries with out the use of the internet. Closer to home, the internet has helped politicians win major elections. In the past, politicians would have to travel all across the country to gain supporters, now the traveling is done via the internet. Elections are won and lost on a localized level. Gone are the days of broad campaigning, now a simple Twitter or blog post is all it takes to spread  political rhetoric. 

The internet can be a very positive tool for everyday use. Just like life, the internet parallels both the dark side and light side of humanity. A lot of good has come about with the use of the internet and equally a lot of bad has come about also. 

The internet has become a pool of empty promises and false sense of security. What you may do in the privacy of your own home really is not all that private. Take a simple messaging app such as Snap Chat. It was promised or thought to be true that any images sent via Snap Chat would be destroyed and no evidence of those images would remain. This was proven wrong. The images may have been removed form the servers of Snap Chat but through devious intentions of others the images remain stored on external devices and stored in other media. 

The recent revelations about the Ashley Madison web site is another good example of the evil of the internet. People, mostly men, seeking or just curious about affairs were violated by hackers. This event shows two sides that demonstrate the maliciousness of the internet; people seeking acts of infidelity and those people willing to tarnish the reputations of others all in the name of justice.

I believe the internet is like the wild west. The west was founded on good intentions. It was a gateway for many groups of people seeking refuge and a new life. Like all good things there must be some sort of opposition. With the influx of new people, the wild west, and new ideas and innovations, the internet, organized and unorganized crime grew. Hackers, identity thieves,corporate espionage, and international spying have all been given a new avenue to do their dirty work. This is the dark side of the internet.