Scrolling, commenting, sharing... We feel like we're all having fun in one place, but where is everyone? Has the digital world become a "more real" world than the real world?
By surfing the Internet, I often admire all the advantages it offers. With all the splendour of the digital world, I rarely wonder what its negative sides are. For me, the Internet serves as an excellent source of information for learning, communication with family and friends, and of course, entertainment. When the pandemic began, the Internet became even more important in the lives of us young people.
Social networks like Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat have become a big part of my everyday life. I wake up with my smartphone and go to sleep with it. The phone is always with me as if it is a part of me. I believe that is the case with most people. It simply became impossible for me to imagine a day without a smartphone.
Of course, apart from the good sides, it also had its bad sides. Ugly comments, insults, hate speech, and cyberbullying are just some of them.
Whenever I read things like this, it seems to me that many people see the Internet as a "exhaust valve" in a negative sense. At the same time, they forget that insulting and abusing, the person who is the target, hurts just as much, whether it happened live or online, and they do not think about the possible consequences of their words.
We are aware that by publishing some content on the Internet, we will be subject to all kinds of comments, both good and bad. But are we ready to independently judge the same? Could that post or comment hurt someone? Does the content of my post comply with social norms (polite language)? These are just some of the questions we should all ask ourselves before posting or commenting on any content on the internet.We all feel freer in the internet environment than in the real world, but this is not always the case.
We are all different because if we were the same the world would be boring. By opening Tik Tok or Instagram, I will come across countless videos featuring each different person. I like it because I have the opportunity to watch entertaining content or learn something new. But that's me, what about that group of people who don't use social media for those purposes? As I mentioned above, some will use it to "vent" their frustrations.
It is necessary to be yourself. People who comment on you based on your physical appearance, skin colour, nationality, sexuality, etc., are simply not satisfied with their lives, so they feel the need to spread negative energy to others. You can always report such discriminatory comments on any social network, there is no need to enter into discussions with such malicious people. These are the rules I follow in the digital world:
1. I do not share my private information
Since the day I decided to write blogs, record and post content on social networks, I am careful when it comes to personal information that someone could misuse... I keep my address, information about which school I attend and similar information about myself. I do not share my passwords, email address, date of birth or personal identification number with nobody.
2. I try to balance the digital and the real world
I may sound like a sixty-year-old, but it is really good to spend a lot more time outside. Until a year ago, I was addicted to my smartphone, and I decided to reduce my addiction. Back then, I rarely had time for school duties, friends, family obligations and socializing and things like that. I introduced habits in my life that reduced it. I started to travel, spend more time with friends, read, etc... Maybe the previous sentence sounds a bit "cliché", but you need to believe in changes. They won't happen overnight, but it's important to start.
3. Encourage others to change.
Educate each other about the problems of the digital environment, the problems of discrimination on the Internet, spending too much time on social networks and similar. Make a presentation or talk to your friends, class, and family about the digital world and its good and bad sides.
Let's be thoughtful about what we post online. We must be kind to each other, both online and in real life. It's all up to us!
