INTERNET, THE TWO SIDES

Nowadays, the majority of people have access to internet, therefore, they have access

to any social network. This is a possibility that only a few ones had in the past but today, as a

result of globalization and inclusion, it is a reality. This reality brings along an open

opportunity for thousands of people to enjoy evolution, as it might be called by some of them.

This technological advancement proposes a controversial context and a constant debate

whether it is just good and helpful for us or if it is also a powerful and dangerous tool inside

our societies.

On one hand, there are lots of people that believe that technology can be an

impressive force for good, they base their ideas on truthful arguments, as Kumar (2016)

affirms:

“Positive use of the Internet makes our lives easy and simple. The Internet provides us

useful data, information, and knowledge for the personal, social and economic development

and it is up to us to utilize our time on the worldwide web in a productive manner. The

Internet is a revolution in information technology”

That clearly shows the great utility that it represents for us. For instance, some aspects

of worldwide education have improved with the implementation of new technologies, a clear

example is that it is possible to get a major without going to a university, internet allows

people from rural populations without access to presential education, to learn from their

houses or any place with a network connection; digital documents offer an easier way of

sharing the information, which also becomes an ecological contribution preventing the

unmeasured use of paper.

On the other hand, technology can be seen as a useful tool for some people who

sponsor and provide uncontrolled harmful content. The freedom with which anyone can
access, find, watch or listen any kind of media on an internet platform is overwhelming. This

is not just a fact; it has now become a matter of concern for governments that notice that

indiscriminate content can affect a population if no measures are taken, including population

from the youngest to the oldest. Matt Hancock (UK Health Secretary) said that Parliament

should consider blocking social networks if they cannot stop children accessing content that

promotes self-harm and suicide.

All in all, evolution has brought great improvements and facilities to our lives, we

save time doing projects, writing papers, sharing or getting information and this are just the

basics. But also, it has brought negative aspects so, it is important to understand that there is

no way to completely control the reach of social networks and their users. Advancements are

being used to manage the situation on a higher scale, mechanisms like AI (Artificial

Intelligence), which automatically identify harmful content online and prevent them from

being uploaded, are in the list and they are expected to become more efficient with time.

Isaías Acosta