The main objective of the Internet was to connect people all over the world, and it did; however, it accommodate people with distinctive beliefs to coincide with each other, and the Internet furnished them a platform where they can denounce each other's views. It seems impossible for people with varied outlooks to breathe with each other as they attack each other as much as they could such as how they attack each other on every social media platforms.
Because of social-media overnight success, the agenda of each creator was initially to make the world a better place by giving individuals a place to advocate their beliefs, but it soon evolved to do everything in their power to attain as much profit as they could. For example, by adding advertisements on their platforms, companies make money while increasing engagement because they distribute advertisements that are personalized for each user.
When I first started using any social media, I continuously questioned why I must answer inquiries about myself such as my likes and dislikes or my hobbies. After reading the article, I came to an understanding that they require those questions to personalize the advertisements that I see on my page. I find it shocking that social media can use our personal data against us by enticing us to the internet that can negatively influence our behaviors.
Every company is contending for people's attention to develop their company, and they don't care how they do it, expanding their company is their fundamental purpose. Many social media platforms don't care if their users are bots or real human beings, whether or not the posts factual or disturbing, they're simply attempting to provoke engagement to the platform and maximize all enterprise. Furthermore, instead of developing programs that can educate people, their principal objective is how they can manipulate people into squandering their money on the program.
Do you think the founder of the Internet envisioned the transformation the Internet has gone through? Do you think that the Internet can ever go back to its primary purpose? Whose fault is it that the Internet turned out the way it did?
-Eriell Ricasata
With naive ideas such as attempting a pure connection between people across the globe, I doubt the founder of the Internet first envisioned the outcome of his creation as the Internet was primarily created with 'hippie' ideas. The Internet would have to impose strict regulations or rules for itself to revert itself back as it's now a manifestation of negativity and false news, so I doubt that the Internet can ever go back to its true primary purpose. Since the Internet held such features that seemed high implausible, such as allowing people anywhere as long as they have wifi and a computer or mobile device to communicate with each other freely.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, in the early 21st century, AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) was a huge computer program that people could access anywhere as long as they made a profile and had internet connection. That computer program allowed me to communicate with my family members regularly, and luckily, I never added other contacts as friends besides my family relatives (meaning I wasn't exposed to foreign/negative influences). AIM was popular-- with the ability of people anywhere to send messages as long as they were each other's contacts, to modify our profiles along with modifying our profile message anytime, AND it gave us the ability to change the color of the messenger tab to an ugly neon color.
With such an unfamiliar concept came with an abundance of curious people with different cultures and perspectives. This brings the ugly side of the Internet that resulted with the pure intentions of the Internet creators to be destroyed. The huge audience consisted of trolls, arrogant people, and of course, the sea of ignorance. The huge audience ultimately brought the destruction of the Internet as trolls were everywhere along with the idea of being rude and having no heart nor any personality on being 'cool'. It brought the idea of any bright colors as a sign of stupidity, the jokes that humiliated groups of people, and those ideas spread. Now, the Internet is the birthplace of pessimism with our humor becoming self-deprecating jokes or shaming others. In a way, the global audience ruined the Internet as we spread ugly trends along with some of the audience have ignorant ideas, which in turn, created the dark spaces of the Internet where hatred and stupidity are most common at.