Alyssa Aquino

English 114B
Jennifer Rodrick
February 21, 2016
Technology has turned our world upside down, literally. It has given us the extent to use
shortcuts to do our tasks. From ordering a pizza online rather than calling, to finding out daily
news on an app instead of grabbing a newspaper, technology has been changing our way of life
every day. We depend on the Internet so much that it becomes a constant need, like an
attachment. We use it as a way to get to our needs faster like for educational purposes. In
addition, society also uses the internet as a source of finding their personal interests like a
significant other. Also, technology is also being used as a voice today for many people.
Obviously, all things have a bad side. With all these advantages we have towards the Internet,
there are also cases where people wish the Internet can be reconsidered. Catfishing and
cyberbullying have been the key issues of the Internet. We have so many advantages toward the
Internet, however, we dont know how its benefiting us in a good and bad way.
During the late 1940s, the Cold War occurred. Many scientists and militarists were
completely paranoid if a Soviet attack would happen. So they decided to create a network that
would enable government leaders to communicate before the Soviets destroyed the system. The
rise of the Internet started to spark so much, it becomes a daily need today. The Internet starts to
get better and better each day, alternating our brains to brainstorm ideas of what to do, where to
do this, how to do this, etc. For example, many students have been using the Internet as a source
for their education. According to an article written by Zaryn Dentzel, he discusses the ways how
the Internet changes our everyday life, People can use the Internet to create and share

knowledge and develop new ways of teaching and learning that captivate and stimulate students
imagination at any time, anywhere, using any device (Dentzel 2). In many cases, students find it
so easy to use the Internet as a shortcut. Students get really lazy to read a whole textbook and
turns to their device for a summary. In addition, if a student is stuck on a question, they have the
ability to search it up on the web. Many people rely on it, yet they dont know what its doing to
them. Using the Internet for educational purposes should have a limit. For example, many
students that I know struggle in math. They found a website called mathway.com to solve all
their equations; however, the website only offers the answers, they dont offer the work shown to
get the answer unless the user becomes a member. Aside all of this, the main point of this is that
students wont learn the proper way to educate themselves if they continue to use the Internet as
their teacher.
Another advantage of the Internet can be seen as source of finding ones significant other.
In-store apps such as Tinder or Hot or Not have been known for their simplistic ways of finding
that person just by swiping a persons profile photo either right or left. Other websites such as
match.com, farmersonly.com, or even christianmingle.com belong to finding a more specific
significant other. Theres so many websites that you could find that special someone, but there
are many cases where they might not even be themselves. Known as catfishing, people online try
to be someone they are not and trouble strikes if they decide to see each other face-to-face.
According to an article written by Raychelle Lohmann, she discusses how catfishing can destroy
relationships. Catfishing is an emotional and humiliating experience for those affected
(Lohmann 4). Realizing that one was being catfished is really saddening and tension starts to
rise. It could affect other people who might want to try online dating. Overall, it just has to be the
persons responsibility to choose their right identity to post online.

Back in the day, we used to hear peoples opinions on a certain issue through television
debates, protests, newspapers, magazines, or even the radio. Now, theres social media apps that
start to do the same. From Facebook, Instagram, and especially Twitter, they have become the
voice for public opinion. It also sparks the way we look at things politically. For example, an
article written by JE Burgess discusses how Twitter develops its own insider known as a hashtag
(#). As the use of Twitter has become more commonplace throughout many nations, its role in
political discussion has also increased (Burgess 5). Twitter has become the main source for
letting your voice be heard. Typing in ones opinion under 140 characters gives the ability to
express their thoughts in a limited way. Using hashtags could lure people to join in to support or
oppose the argument. Social media apps arent all about showing off publicly, its also a way to
express an opinion.
The way we can express our opinion could lead to drastic effects if a person overpowers
themselves. Having opinions should always have their limits. Many people dont care and start to
go over the top, that possibly, it will start ruining someones feelings and itll affect them
horribly. Cyberbullying has been a key issue that has circled around the globe. Cyberbullying is
when a person is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted
by another person using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. Not
all people think that cyberbullying is as serious as any other serious issue today. Cyberbullying
can affect the person mentally and physically. One might not be able to function well such as
eating, sleeping, etc. Suicide has been a result in some cases when someone is being
cyberbullied. According to statistics created around February 2015 by the Cyberbullying
Research Center, about 35% of people get bullied online for a lifetime (Hinduja). Cyberbullying
has been such a worldwide issue that ABC Family decides to produce a movie about it. Known

as Cyberbullying, it stars Emily Osment as the student who gets cyberbullied. In the movie, she
tries to fit
into her high
school,
however,
someone
decides to pin
her down by
posting many
lies and tries
to even hack
Figure 1: Statistics of
Cyberbullying

into her
personal

social media accounts. Drastically affected, she lost her friends, she couldnt eat nor sleep. She
was even close to committing suicide. On the other hand, being that bully to commit such a
terrible crime like that just shows how the he or she is. Its turning their identity into a horrible
one. It just shows how immature and cruel that person can be and how society is letting the
internet is empowering them uncontrollably.
In conclusion, technology has given us the ability to do the inevitable. We use it as a
source for a shortcut for educational purposes such as reading a short summary instead of using a
textbook or searching up answers for the questions that remain difficult for the student to figure
out. Using the internet as a reliable source for public opinion and online dating just shows us
how we are over the internet real or fake. Some people take advantage of it by catfishing or

even cyberbullying. We express how we are over the Internet using either the appropriate or
profane words. The way the internet gives us so many advantages basically shapes our minds and
even ourselves that we use today. Our world must learn to embrace technology without allowing
it to take over our identities and impact the creation of functional adults in society.

Works Cited
Burgess, JE. "The Use of Twitter Hashtags in the Formation of Ad Hoc Publics."
Eprints.edu. N.p., 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Cyberbully. Dir. Charles Binam. Perf. Emily Osment. 2011.
Dentzel, Zaryn. "How the Internet Has Changed Everyday Life." Bbvaopenmind.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Hindijua, Sameer, and Justin Patchin. Cyberbullying Victimization. 2015. N.p.
Lohmann, Raychelle. "Catfishing: Hook, Line, and Sinker." Psychologytoday.com. N.p.,
10 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.