Has the Internet Made Life Better or Worse?

By Kayla Blake and Jeremiah Al-Jeleel

Technology and the internet have helped our society in unimaginable ways. Innovation has made life exponentially easier for us. For example, we now have information at our fingertips and can learn virtually anything a lot easier.

However, as with everything else in life, the internet can have its drawbacks. For example, social media can spread misinformation, which can be dangerous. But the question many of us have is: overall, do the internet and technology have a more positive or negative effect?

First, it depends on who you ask. If you were to ask someone older who grew up without the internet, they could be biased against it. This is mostly because they grew up not having to rely on technology. On the other hand, if you were to ask someone younger, they would be more likely to say good things about the internet and social media. This is because they grew up with the internet and many can’t imagine living without it. There are multiple aspects to consider. Almost nothing in life is black or white—the internet has many pros and cons.

Before technology, people had to communicate the old fashioned way. This meant that if you wanted to get in contact with someone, you would have to talk directly to them in person or write them a letter. Once the letter arrives, one had to wait for a response. Thanks to modern technology, people can communicate much faster. Instead of having to mail a letter, one can simply call or text the person they want to contact. Technology also has a large range. One can get in contact with almost anyone they please, almost anywhere in the world.

Another pro would be how social media has allowed people to swap information and communicate from all over the world. For example, if someone posts a clip explaining how to do a task, such as fixing a sink, the video could be seen by anyone. That means one could learn how to fix something quickly and with no cost. These apps give anyone the ability to comment and react to events that happen. If the information in the clip is false, it provides the chance to speak out against it.

A con of social media is how it can spread insecurity. For example, one of the biggest problems teens have with it is unrealistic body types or lifestyles. Social media often shows things that are synthetic or unnatural rather than more realistic images. For example, people might show all of the good parts of their lives through social media, which might make others feel not as accomplished. What they don’t know is that person is likely leaving out the unfortunate parts of their life. Additionally, someone might appear to have a “perfect” body, but this can be due to filters, photoshopping, or using particular angles. However, people might still feel like their body is not good enough, which causes a lot of self-doubt in our society. According to the Mental Health Foundation, over 35% of teenagers feel “upset” with the way their body looks. Thirty-five per cent of teenagers worried about their body image often or every day, and 37 per cent of teenagers felt upset and ashamed about their body image.

Another con of the internet is the spread of misinformation. Even though it can be used to spread important news, it can also be used to spread fake news. According to  Statista, around 80% of people have seen false information on the Covid Pandemic. Misinformation can be very harmful to society and push nonfactual narratives. The worst part about it is that anyone can make these posts with misinformation and even get millions of views or likes in the process. This can cause confusion and hysteria. Fortunately, even though this is a problem social media does have apps to report these sorts of things.

Overall, the internet has its good and bad parts. However, this is the case with anything. It is very important that we work to make the internet a safer space so that we are able to appreciate its benefits even more.