With all the advancements in technology nowadays it is almost remarkable how much we can do. When it comes to the internet there is almost nothing that is impossible or out of reach. For instance, if I had a research paper on the most obscure subject, with the use of the internet I could pull up pages and pages of information on the subject within a matter of seconds. However, the question still remains...is too much freedom a good thing? As we discussed in class, the space available on the internet is endless, unlike the radio where there is a limited amount of space. In this sense the internet is hard to regulate, there really is no way to determine what gets posted and who reads what. Just to prove my point, I typed in Google "how to commit suicide" and within seconds Wikipedia provided over ten commonly used methods. So I guess there really is no way to monitor the internet, but parents should probably monitor what their children are exposed to.
There is a huge problem today with people abusing the internet. Perverted men and women log into chat rooms pretending to be a young girl or boy in hopes of making sexual advancements with a minor. Not only is this disturbing, but also almost impossible to regulate. I mean they do a little undercover work trying to set up sexual offenders, but the percentage they actually catch is probably miniscule compared to the actual amount out there. Of course this is only one example of many of how people abuse the internet. The government is struggling with this same issue of regulating the internet as more people transition from using the telephone to communicate to the internet. A New York Times article states, "Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations for the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is “going dark” as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone." All in all it will be interesting to see what changes, if any, are made in regards to the internet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html
This is a good point Annie. There was a Greys Anatomy episode that brought up this same issue involving a young boy who played hockey. He broke his finger and wanted to still play but the doctors said that would not be possible. The boy then went on the internet and found a method to cut off his own finger so that he could still play. He claimed that a professional football player had done the same method and after the doctors were able to reattach the finger. The boy proceeded with what he found online and ended up playing in the game. His finger got infected and faced possibly losing hand function. Although this is only a fiction television show, it shows the topic of children having access to so much and that is not necessarily a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWe must not forget the educational value that is associated with exposure. The internet acts as a forum that allows for the exchange of information. I do not think we should stifle its ability to act as an educational tool by imposing overly vast restrictions and regulations.
ReplyDeleteDoing away with sickos who try to sexually entice under aged users through the internet is an absolute must. However, we should not put restrictions on the great amount of information that can be obtained by surfing the web.
This is a very difficult issue, which will probably gain more and more (political) attention over the next few years if technology keeps moving forward and spreading out at a similar pace as it is now. I think a general, relatively easy rule would be to ban anything that is illegal. Then, however, the question arises, what laws to go by? Do internet restrictions have to be different from country to country? Should I then not be able to access foreign websites? What if I want to access my e-mail account based in Germany, when I am at college in Boston? This is just one of the issues that comes to my mind when thinking about regulating the internet. I do think it is important to save children from certain websites and other people who are easily influenced. The internet just seems too open and too global for an easy way to restrict access in the right way for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the points everyone made here. I think that the internet does allow too much freedom in many cases. However, it also allows for people to research things that otherwise they wouldn't be able to. I think that we need to find balance between supervising internet usage, while also allowing people to use it for things like research and everything else that really doesn't harm anyone.
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