Chapter I

PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPES

INTRODUCTION

The fact that the Internet has become an exhausting and unsafe place to

spend time in is an affront to its founding values. Technology was supposed to

make the world a better place, not a guilty and toxic one. The internet trolls, and

judgmental people are obliterating the once good sides of the Internet, their

personal attacks, name calling, and abuse has still stayed and its preventing the

internet to grow into a better place. (Hinsliff, 2016)

The world of the internet is driven by real people, people who have been

socialized to resist being impulsive in the real world, so on the internet they cave

to their temptations to lash out resulting in the internet’s increasing toxicity. (Uong,

2018)

It has been seen that a growing number of journalists saying that they plan

to quit from Twitter and other social media platforms as the toxicity in those social

networks/platforms are continuing to rise to a level where they can no longer stand

amidst everything from hurtful taunts about their children and personal life to

outright threats of violence. (Leetary, 2018)

It is also believed that individuals who use the internet/social networks have

a larger impact on them than they think, and combined influence can make

massive change. Social media/networks can harbor a flow of generally undesirable

things such as anger, sadness, or unhappiness but good things also flow like
happiness, love, altruism, and valuable information, one can be heavily influenced

by either side depending on where they end up in the internet. (Kasteler, 2010)

It is often reported that the intense and uncontrolled use of the Internet

increases the risk of isolation, alienation, and withdrawal from society but available

evidence shows that the internet neither isolates people nor reduces their

sociability, it actually does increase an individual’s sociability, civic engagement

and the intensity of family and friendship relationships, in all cultures. (Castells,

2014)

Also, the impact of social media on body confidence results in teenagers

altering their physical appearance, for that his doesn’t mean that the social media

is the actual cause of the problems but that there’s an involvement between them,

teenagers were more likely to link their self-worth to their looks, which they try to

alter and change for the sake of their social media accounts so they won’t get

cyberbullied, thus resulting in social media being a toxic mirror. (Simmons, 2016)

Browsing the internet could possibly cause depression or create a “toxic

mirror” as said previously. It could even make us question our deepest principles

but Michael Kosinki states that the Internet only reflects who we already are, he

showed that private traits and attributes are predictable based on responses to

social media posts – they reveal who we are. (Livni, 2017)

It would be smarter and better to be cautious around the internet, because

its personality has changed trolls pick on those who are gullible and easily

vulnerable to pranks and trolling, it would be recommended to try and stay on your
guard and not to trust any strangers in asking for help around the internet. (Stein,

2016)

The total time of the children’s use of the internet was related to perceived

declines in family time but not related to family communication. The influence of

the Internet on family time and family communication is diffused by the type of

children’s online activities. (Sok-Sung Lee, 2007)

It is also said by most that the internet and the presence of its social media

brings people together from around the world, yet the internet today often does the

exact opposite of what it was intended to be when it was found, even as it has

increased connectivity. (Xie, 2019)