We Are Not Totally Safe Using the Internet

Online addiction, cyber crime and exposure to wrong content negate the positive impact of the internet technology. The internet was invented to help man solve problems of information access and communication. Some people however use the internet to hurt themselves and others. Cyber criminals for example take advantage of people’s innocence to rob them of their finances. Some people also browse a lot of negative internet content which ultimately polite their minds. Access of sites of violence and pornography ultimately make the viewer turn immoral and violent.  A lot of time is also wasted online which could otherwise be used for gainful activities. Mentzer observes that “Internet was associated with later declines in within house family communication.”. Family ties could be stronger if members spent little time online. It is however true that one can control the kind of information that they observe in the internet. This paper discusses the negative aspects of the internet with a critical look at ways of turning the evil into good.

The internet is a major source of wrong content both to the adults and young generation. Checkpoint observes that information of any kind can be obtained easily from the internet by all age groups. The wrong internet content includes pornography and any other information considered as garbage. Psychologists argue that people normally do the things that their minds are exposed to. Youths who watch violent movies through internet streaming have a likelihood of being violent themselves. Such young people could not have been violent if their internet access was restricted. Some married people have a lot of addition to pornographic sites. Such nude content ultimately interfere with the marriage life of the affected couple. It is however true that one can control the kind of information that they observe in the internet. Young people who watch nude sites on the internet also practice immoral behavior in their day to day life. It is actually sad that many web designers and content developers use x-rates links to lure people into their pornographic sites. 

Even though some people have used internet information to their own destruction, others vane been built by the same internet. People only need to choose and make the right decision when using internet. It is true that bad content exists in the internet. However, people also know that important and vital information equally lies in the internet. 

The internet is a source of predators and hackers whose intent is evil. In the recent past, some ladies have been lured into meeting strangers whom they met online through social networking sites. In one of the incident, a girl was raped and killed by a predator whom she met online. Even though people use internet to communicate to their loved ones, others have explored the communication capability of the internet to hurt others. Many of the internet predators usually pose as ordinary people whose intention is pure and good. Some predators form facebook.com and twitter accounts that are later used to launch attacks on the victims. The internet has also been used to hack and steal a lot of money from business. The hackers also masquerade as a known user in a company system. Banks loose money annually in the hands of hackers.  The issue of hackers and predator is very difficult to handle in internet technology. It is true that people benefit from the use of internet. However, people also need to stay away and safe from predators and hackers. 

The only way to be safe from the hackers is to stay away from the internet. Very few people would agree to stay away from the internet despite the threat from hackers and predators. Technology firms have presently discovered antivirus and user authentication systems that helps keep hackers and predators at bay. Avira and Kaspersky are some examples of antivirus software that helps keep away hackers from personal computers. People are also encouraged to use complex authentication passwords when subscribing for online services. One can decide to evade any masquerading screen pop ups which could be potential attackers. 

Cyber crime is presently on the rise as a result of online shopping capabilities. Many genuine product and service stores offer online shopping procedures that can be used by clients who cannot access their physical shops. It is evident that cyber criminals have taken advantage of the online shopping to steal vital personal information from innocent people. The personal information can then be used to steal from these people of their friends. Such cyber crimes are increasingly done as a result of increased internet connectivity. It is amazing that bad people take advantage of existing infrastructure to launch attacks. Many people have been conned by cyber criminals who also pose to offer genuine products. Sometimes, the cyber criminals pose websites which look genuine. They can claim to offer some sort of a service. The cyber criminals sometimes practice SEO poisoning by influencing the internet to have their website ranked on top of the search engine options.

People innocently subscribe to the cyber criminal sites that in turn use their personal details to empty the victim’s accounts. It is worth noting that the cyber crime event can take place to anybody. Everyone is vulnerable to the cyber criminals. Many people lost money through a fake internet investment scheme that promised huge returns on investment. The fake internet investment claimed to trade on forex exchange. This website later went off with millions of dollars belonging to innocent investors. Such criminal activities take place without any warning. Other cyber crimes masquerade as foreign exchange brokers of freelance job sites. It is true that some internet mistakes are people caused. Most cyber crimes however target people who are actually very careful with their details. No one can be blamed for having been robed through the internet. The cyber criminals are always very smart people who seal every loophole of suspicion. Banks with very excellent and latest internet security have been robed in online scandals. Some people have made payments to online companies that do not exist. Protection can be made so as to reduce chances of internet attacks and cyber crimes.

Personal research needs to be done to avoid losing money to online companies that do not exist. Some cyber criminals pose as genuine companies offering some sort of a service. Checkpoint explains that “cybercriminals create fake websites” that offer goods at significant low prices.

One can avoid losing money by doing enough research about a company before committing any money to it. People should never search online engines for service companies. Instead, one can use services of a company that is recommended by a trusted friend. Some companies go to the extent of videotaping fake clients to offer online recommendation in bid to lure more innocent civilians. The internet environment has become so dynamic that fake firms create websites that almost look like the legitimate companies. A website can be created that misses only one word in comparison to the genuine one. www.choice.com and www.choices.com illustrate slight difference between websites that can be very difficult to notice. Such small variations can result to massive loss of money when one confuses the wrong one for the right one. People only need to exercise care to avoid being coned. People should never send money to any site that they are not sure with. Freelance and online investments sites should also be avoided as long as no success evidence is present. One must do proper research and exercise patience before investing in new firms. Greed is one emotion that makes people rush to invest money in companies which promise high returns before doing thorough research.

The internet technology has significantly reduced family communication time between husbands and wives and their children. The Internet can very addictive. People also waste a lot of time doing things which add no value to them on the internet. Some couples hardly have time with one another because each is glued to the internet searching something or responding to social media messages. People also spend a lot of time on the internet hence lack time to build strong ties with friends. Children on the other hand have adopted some philosophies that they obtained online. Some couples even cheat on their spouses with people they met online. The internet has made families pained.

Control and personal discipline is very essential when doing things online. People should create boundaries in time spent online and that spent in other things of interest. Couples should never allow online communication to deny them the vital family time. The innovation of smart phones has further worsened the internet addition situation. Some families insist on laws that prohibit members from using their phones at certain times dedicated to the family.  The internet can make couples lonely even though they stay in the same house. Internet addiction has also reduced work efficiency in some companies where employees spend more time online chatting with friends than doing the actual work. 

Opposing Views

Even though the internet has been used to access wrong and negative content, some people use internet to read their daily spiritual devotions. Students and teachers use the internet to access education materials. One can choose to make or break themselves from the internet contents. Internet information can also be used to run businesses through the creation of digital villages for information access. Relevant internet contents have been used for research and academia by many students. One can chose what content to view in the internet so as to inspire or destroy his moral values.  Even though some couples face communication challenge due to internet, others use the very internet to boost their communication. Couples who work far away from one another can use video streaming communication modes to talk one to another. Skype is one video communication application that effectively helps people to communicate. The power of choice and decision must be made on whether to use internet as an advantage or a disadvantage of communication. The internet is also good in offering online purchases. It is more convenient to shop online compared to going the physical way.

Conclusion

The internet technology has brought more evil than good according to social science scholars. Many people use the internet to their destruction. A lot of time is spent online which could otherwise be used constructively in some other way. Husbands and their wives do not get enough time to talk one to another because each is glued to the internet at personal levels. The children also have their own addiction to the internet that they never have quality chats with their parents. A lot of change is needed to bring back order. The use of internet is actually turning paradoxical. The same technology is also used by others to their advantage. Some people spend lot of time online making money. Others get exposed to wrong content of violence and pornography hence polluting their minds.  Some negative aspects of the internet are however hard to evade. Cyber crime for example poses danger to everyone. Small and big institutions all face danger of being hacked. Some fake websites have been developed to lure innocent people into buying services that are nonexistent. Proper care and choice needs to be made so as to remain safe while using the internet. Even though negative things are found with the internet, people need to balance their live and use the internet only for the right reasons.