Troubles in Society

Troubles in society

Undoubtedly, one of the recent advancements in technology that has had the greatest impacts on society is the Internet. It is an advantage in every way possible, connecting people world wide to each other, and vastly increasing the amount of knowledge obtainable by the average person (and with extra ease as well.) The internet allows people to talk to their loved ones across continents (even see their faces!), get their work done faster, buy many items from the comfort of their homes, and many, many more services. However, despite the many good services that the Internet provides, the sheer amount of things to do on the Internet can also cause certain people to use it so much that in affects their social lives directly.

One person who believes in this effect is Clifford Stoll, who makes the bold claim that the Internet not only isolates, but also dehumanizes those who use it. He believes that heavy Internet use can cause users to become addicted, in turn inducing shyness, and loss of social skills. On one hand Stoll is right, the over use of the Internet can lead to isolation, loss of social skills, and can be addictive for some. On the other hand, he fails to acknowledge that heavy users are not heavy users because of biological reason, like he strongly believes so, such as alcoholism addiction, but instead it is caused by social problems they face in society. People turn into heavy users when they encounter judgments, disappointment and troubles in their lives. They escape from their lives on the Internet, where they are accepted and not judged because of the anonymity of it all. They forget about reality and as a result, they often further isolate themselves from society.

One reason why someone would turn to the Internet is when he or she is not accepted in his or her society. One group of people ho are still not widely accepted by society are Trans-Gendered people (men or women who feel they are the opposite gender then they were born as), and because they are not accepted in society, they are at an increased likelihood to become addicted to the internet. Turkel, author of “Who Am We”, addressed the threat posed by society to the Trans-Gendered. She argued, “for a man to play a women on the streets of an American city… He would have some anxiety about passing, and there might be even more anxiety about not passing, which would pose a risk of violence and possibly arrest” (682). With the fear of not being accepted and fear of getting attacked, one is unable to fully express his or herself in public, where over the Internet they would have the freedom to be anybody they wanted to be. Others, unable to see someone’s face, and unafraid of the consequences of their choice, one is able to be who ever he or she wants to be. Different chat rooms give one the freedom of being different characters without being judged. With such freedom, people would often