The paper and print era is finally dying out and it appears the internet is now setting the pace for global digitization. We bank on it, we study on it, we shop on it, we leisure on it, and apparently, we date on it too! But everybody today is too busy surfing to question its vicious nature and given that its leads strongly outweigh its cons, it’s not surprising at all. Even then, we can’t overlook the fact that the internet is, in fact, destroying the world, so slow that it’s almost transparent for us to see. So without much ruckus, let’s visit the top eight dangerous ways the internet is being misused today.
- Identity theft
If you’re reading this, I’m almost certain that you own an account on at least one social website. Basically, when you sign up for an account online, you are required to submit your personal information for identification purposes. But what happens if the platform is fake? What happens if the platform only exists to amass data from people all over the world for malicious reasons? The internet offers spammers and hackers a good opportunity to collect personal information and use it to their advantage. Those pictures you post online could be posted on porn sites, you could be a victim of blackmail, extortion for money, and the list goes on. And that’s not even the scary part. Other than the fact that you might be completely unaware of how your information is being misused online, it would take you forever to follow up on the case should you ever find out.
- Cyber bullying
The internet is flocking with millions of fake profiles that pose as valid users. The fact that everything is online makes it easy for insensitive internet abusers to anonymously threaten other gullible users. Cyber bullying has been a major issue for many years and many victims have ended up with psychological issues. Several cases of suicide have been reported, all owing to the cyber menace. All the teasing, insults, threats, harassment, lies, and rumors: it all never ends well.
- Piracy
There was a time when artists and media owners enjoyed the fruits of their hard work. Then people got indecently ‘smarter’ and piracy grew into a pattern. Today, thanks to the internet, people can shamelessly copy and download copyrighted material online, without pondering on the losses the owner is set to face. Even worse, black markets have now moved online and for just a few bucks, you can get your hands on almost anything. Bootlegging is the term nowadays. And for some reason, the larger population supports this form of ‘soft’ victimization. It’s like watching a mob snatch ice-cream from a little kid, and then joining the mob to have a taste, while the poor kid watches!
- Porn
Porn is one of the most despicable uses of the internet today. Kids are being exposed to sexual thoughts too early, thanks to the internet, and Lord knows young minds are ready and willing to learn. Sure, being a strict parent could work, but the results are not always that promising. Today, we are seeing 13-year olds updating statuses online about heartbreaks and break-ups and it’s all too confusing. Youngsters are unable to gauge the purity of sex and what they see in porn confuses them even further. Teenage pregnancies, abortions and emotional abuse are some of the upshots of this early exposure to the internet.
- Spamming
Email spamming is probably not new to you. You signed up for an account somewhere and now the emails just keep coming and honestly, they are really annoying. Junk emails are sent in bulk to numerous recipients at once and the process is often automated. Such spam emails consume large network bandwidth and slow down your network. They are also used by hackers to inject malware into other computers. You’ll get an enticing ad or file via email and once you open it, boom! You naively invite a virus into your hardware and your simple private life on the internet will never be the same again.
