The Internet : The Power Of The Internet

The internet contributes to a vast amount of problems stemming from people having the ability to put false information out for the public eye to see to bullying random strangers. One thing that has been observed since the beginning of the internet is the language. Not the coding language with all the ones and zeroes and occasional two. I'm talking about the way people speak to each other. The lolz, smh, ttyl, 143, and the list goes on and on, this is the new face of language today. Students are using these acronyms not only in texting with friends but also in formal essay and emails to teachers and employers some are even starting to talk that way. These changes are just one of the many ever growing problems.

It is important that news sources provide facts because not only does that allow viewers to choose a side, but it also informs him/her about what is going on. An individual should not have to search for the truth; every source should give both sides of a story. Each individual should be able to find the truth in a single source. Since this is not the case, viewers are having to look for the truth. Watching the news on the television mostly shows only one side of the story and the sources do not pay attention to other opinions which makes the viewer stick to that belief as well. However, in today’s generation, most individuals do not rely on television for the news. These individuals utilize electronic devices to find out about recents news. The viewers hear or read about different perspectives and are able to decide what they agree with and disagree

The media controls many thoughts and facts given to the public that may or may not be true. With the Internet at fingertips across the world, news spreads faster with little evidence provided. Over the last century, the world’s speed increased with news inventions such as cars, electronics, and the Internet. Society’s mindset transformed from hard working to free handouts; therefore, when news sources make a statement, humankind believes it without researching the topic at all. Sometimes, news reporters make legitimate statements that are misinterpreted by readers. The words of the writer are at fault for perspective or understanding of news rather than the interpretation the readers obtain.

Global population has reached over 7.4 billion, of those people 3.5 billion people can access the internet. And to break that 3.5 billion internet users down further 286.9 million are from the united states. That is 88.5% of the population.The internet has been used as a tool to make everyday life easier. You can search information, communicate with others, browse websites all at the touch of a button. This seems all good until you start applying the things you’ve see or hear online into your everyday life, without stopping to check; or at the very least consider, that what you might have saw or heard could be false. Many Americans have access to the internet and most of the time it has a negative impact on our daily life.Some things that can negatively impact American lives are false information, illegal activity, and can cause psychological damage.

In today’s society, remaining connected and knowledgeable of current events and the newest trends is vital to staying ahead in business, education, and social standing. This information is supplied to everyone through the internet, newspapers, television, and radio. One can tune into stations such as CNN, NBC, Fox News, Al-Jazeera, and many others (“SQs of Media Outlets”). In order to meet the needs of viewers, readers, and listeners, the ideal media system would contain accurate, quick information, with a purely impartial view on the facts as they are known. However, this modern media system has not maintained an objective view, pushing opinionated and slanted reporting onto the population in order to create profit and gain customers. The exploitation of information media for personal gain has created a toxic and inaccurate present, constant in today’s society.

From the time we are very little, the number one source for correct facts has always been on the news. Yet after recently learning about conformity involving informational versus normative information, it opened my eyes further to understand how influenced society is as a whole. Another similar example that has been growing recently is social media. Instead of flipping on the news stations, it is just as popular now for individuals to look up information on the internet. Although just like how news stations are biased and only hold true to the sources they support, as do websites on the internet. What is worse about the internet is that people nowadays can post anything they would like either on social media or the internet. All it takes is

technology and the easy access to the internet and numerous news sources online. With that

This article explains how informed teenagers with news that go on around the world. Even though we have easy access to news and current events a lot of people don’t use their resources to inform themselves on what happens within their surroundings. The main issue is how relevant and credible online sources tend to be nowadays, with social media it has become harder to tell apart facts from opinions. This has created a system called citizen journalism, which gives the public the chance to play a part of a role in the transmission of news with just using their phone. Meaning a lot of opinion based comments and posts that are being put on social media make it difficult for teenagers to tell apart reality from biased news. Researchers state that

In today’s ever-changing world the news media no longer acts as before. The days in which the media reported the “actual facts”, are gone. Instead, media content is shaped by economics and politics. Many people have become lazy, in that, most do not conduct their own research and rely too much on the media. This results in people becoming too trusting of the media. Typically, reporters and networks put their own “spin” on stories. For example, Fox news is known to lean more towards a republican base while CNN and MSNBC

News media outlets are now driven based on the biased nonfactual information.The media’s standards of credibility are continuously decreasing making it difficult to encounter reliable sources. Many would like to blame the public's inability to distinguish factual information from opinions, but the media ultimate goal and responsibility to the public is to provide factual information which they are failing to do so.

In today’s society, more people use mass media sources such as Facebook, Twitter, (Internet users—21%) and major news corporations like Fox, CBS, and NBC, etc. (Television viewers—55%) for their information on politics and government (Saad). People have this information twenty-four hours a day, right at their fingertips. While these are quick and seemingly easy sources, they are not always the best choices because media companies are not always giving out information with the public’s best interest at heart. There are a large number of companies that focus on how much money they will bring in. The media, therefore, has an essential duty to always be truthful but also a duty not to betray the trust put into it by society. The media’s need

Newspapers have traditionally been an important part of civil society, providing information to citizens, convening groups around events and issues, and serving as a watchdog against abuses by those in power. Going back to the Revolutionary War, newspapers have served to connect their community and relay information to those unconnected otherwise. Through the atrocities of the Vietnam War, surprise and indignation of Watergate, and the disgust of the Iran Contra investigation, newspaper reporters consistently broke stories that had national impact. Even the recent Clinton e-mail scandal was discovered by a reporter for the New York Times. (Huffington Post 2015) Circulation has declined throughout the last decade with the rise of the twenty-four hour cable news as well as the internet. Cable news outlets (as seen with both Fox and CNN) do not report impartially, however, and the internet is open to whoever can write a post. The journalism standards set by newspapers have been set aside and replaced by biased reporters and the random individual spreading their version of the news. Although traditional print newspapers seem to be on the way out, the role of journalism has never been more important. Newspapers provide an important role as journalists continue to be our truth tellers and truth seekers and, according to Plato, “…without them, humanity would lose its way in the dark.”

Throughout the world, the internet continues to have significant effect on society. Many argue that the

The internet offers what seems like endless ways to communicate. Just over the past 15 years, sending letters has morphed into sending the same messages digitally (or “electronically,” as the name implies): referring to email. And even still, in many ways, email has taken a backseat in digital communication. Friends don’t “email” each other and ask about going to the movies. They use snapchat, they text (technically not internet-based but I’m including it for the sake of this argument), they post their thoughts on facebook, and they “slide into dm’s on twitter.” That’s just a start of it.

Technology is being invented every day, and children are growing up in a society where they are learning to use and misuse the internet. According to NSPCC, “One in five, 8 to 11-year old’s and seven in ten, 12 to 15-year old’s have a social media profile” (“Ofcom” 72). The internet can be very helpful and educational in today’s world if used properly parents just need to be sure that children are using it properly. Parents are worried about the predators and lack of physical activity that social media and the internet has caused on future generations. Haven’t parents really caused this problem on their own? As parents it’s time to unite to solve the problem, all that’s required is to become educated, and to educate our children. Children misusing the internet can lure predators, have children suffering from cyber bullying, and can cause children to have attitude and behavioral problems.