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Cayman Malig
Professor Jennifer Rodrick
English 114B
11 May 2016
Internet Influence: Positive or Negative
In todays technology savvy world, the thought of a life without internet is borderline
criminal. It has become everything. To some people their true identities could not be true without
the internet. As a millennial teen the internet has shaped who I am. I always have the constant
need to update my social media even when I know it is not important to anyone. It has also
become a way relationships are formed before actually meeting in person. Because, technology
is so easily accessible to us, people are always on their smartphones or computers checking for
new updates. Some people may think this somehow makes everyone connected, but in reality we
are father than ever. Although, the internet can be a blessing, it can also be a curse. So many dark
and twisted things go on in the depths of the interweb. While there are pros and cons to the
internet it has become an amazing and somewhat scary tool for us to receive information. It is a
place for people to either find or lose themselves. The internet has become an all-consuming
thing that has influenced every person alive today, either for better or for worse.
One of the many ways people communicate is through Facebook. It has become a beacon
of information to pull from. The information given is not just useless information such as, what
this person is having for dinner, or what movie that person just saw, but has become one of the
most convenient ways to mainstream current events. An article written by Ravi Somaita in The
New York Times states, Facebook is at the forefront of a fundamental change in how people

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consume journalism (Somaita1). You can also really get the essence of who a person is just by
looking at their Facebook page. What they like, share, comment on says a lot about person and it
is all there to see. It is a way for people to get inspired. For example, someone who did not know
they were interested in pottery, could come across a pottery video and develop a new hobby.. In
this way it is beautiful to see how each day more people are influenced by what Facebook has to
offer.

There are also other forms of social media like Twitter, Tumbler,
Instagram, Yik Yak, and ask.fm. Although some people will not have all of
these, they can all serve a purpose. A big down side is that some social
media could be filled with things like cyber bullying. In Chandra Johnsons
article, Growing up digital: How the Internet affects teen identity she talks
about a young girl who was harassed on ask.fm and proceeded to take her
own life. In this way, the internet did influence her to do something so radical
as to kill herself (Johnson 1). It was later found out that it was her saying
those mean things to see how her friends would retaliate. In hope of

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seeking validation from others, no one gave her what she was looking for,
causing her to kill herself. While that is one of the more negative sides of the
internet, there are also infinite good ones. For some people their online
identity is who they truly are, instead of the person they make themselves
out to be in public. The computer or smartphone screen creates a barrier or
mask for someone who is otherwise too shy to interact in the real world.
Aleks Krotoski explains this by saying, The millions who have gone online
over the past decade want a safe place where they won't experience bad
behavior (Krotoski 1). Most of these people go on seeking attention from
anyone, whether it be across the street, or across the country. Today it is not
as strange to say that you have friends in different countries through social
media. It has become a normal thing to mingle online, instead of at a normal
gathering.

The internet has also influenced us by changing the way that we think.
Before the use of a smartphone, it was easier to concentrate on one task at a
time. Now that the whole world is in the palm of a hand it has become
harder. When watching television I have yet to experience a time when
becoming bored of what I was watching leads me to turning on my phone.

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This could also be a good thing because there is always a constant stream of
information being given to us. In Caitlin Deweys article, Is the Internet
Giving us all ADHD? she says, The Internet, it turns out, incentivizes the
exact types of behaviors and thought processes that characterize ADHD
(Dewey1). The internet is a fast cycle and if you are not able to keep up, you
could get lost or left behind. This type of thinking can be correlated with
ADHD behaviors. Dewey also says, Theres even some research, in fact, that
the Internet could actually help people with attention disorders. Last June, a
team of Swedish researchers trialed an online therapy program for adults
with the disorder; adults in the program saw a sharp reduction in their
symptoms, even though the therapy was administered online (Dewey1).
With these people, they were able to reverse the effects of ADHD by using
the internet, the one thing that some people say is the cause. Although,
there is still the fact that the internet does give off the same behavior as
someone with ADHD.

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In a room of people you will not find at least one or more person on
their phones, when there are numerous people around to entertain them.
This also applies to in everyday communication with people. Instead of
ringing a doorbell or knocking, it has become more appropriate to message
the person to let them in. Instead of whispering something, it has become
more efficient to just text them what you have to say. This also extends to
everyday households. Instead of yelling up the stairs that dinner is ready, a
quick text is sent to have the family come together. The times of India wrote
an article about the study of communication through technology within
homes, it says, Almost half of the sample about 45% admitted that
they used phone calls, text messages, tweets and emails to communicate
with family members in the same house rather than going into another room

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to talk to them face-to-face(Roy3). Now that there is a way to communicate

without having to get up and exert energy, more people have begun using
digital messaging to do it for them. Everyday communications are becoming
silent messages between one another.

The internet is an infinite place of knowledge. With the constant stream

of information, there are also some setbacks. While the internet is useful, it
can also be a burden. The search for identity within the internet can be hard
when there is so much cyberbullying. It is also being questioned if the fast
pace life of the internet is giving people ADHD. While it hasnt been proven,
their behavior is almost the same. There is also a speaking barrier being
formed that is making it so that people would rather text and message one
another than speak face to face. All in all, the internet is a growing place that
people can find themselves in or get lost in. It can be a great way to
communicate with people in far off places, it is a huge resource for all
information, and it can help find the most unlikely of friends.

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Works cited

Dewey, Caitlin. "Is the Internet Giving Us All ADHD?" Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Howe, Neil. "Why Millennials Are Texting More and Talking Less."
<i>Forbes</i>. Forbes Magazine, 15 July 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Johnson, Chandra. "Growing up Digital: How the Internet Affects Teen

Identity." Growing up Digital: How the Internet Affects Teen Identity.
Deseret News National, 28 May 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Krotoski, Aleks. "Online Identity: Is Authenticity or Anonymity More

Important?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 19 Apr. 2012.
Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Madeley, Jade. "ONLINE ESSAY: SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICATION AMONG YOUTH

AND THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPACTS." <i>- New
Communication Technologies Blog</i>. Tumblr, 2014. Web. 28 Feb.
2016. (first photo)

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Somaiya, Ravi. "How Facebook Is Changing the Way Its Users Consume
Journalism." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2014.
Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Wolff, Linda. "Want To Find Love? Put Down Your Cell Phone - Carpool
Goddess." Carpool Goddess. N.p., 05 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
(second photo)