This letter is a response to Mary's post. Let me preface this post by saying this is not at all how I actually feel about the Internet. I agree with Mary that the Internet's impact on my life has been positive. But, I don't often get the chance to be this cynical, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Dear Internet,
You and I both know a lot of people don’t like you. I’m one of them. You’re reckless, distracting and cruel, and you exhibit absolutely no control. You’re an instigator, and you take too much; much more than we want to give.
Some might say you gave them a chance at a new life, or even gave them a shot at being famous. But the trade-off isn’t fair. We offered our undivided attention and you offered us Justin Bieber; you made people like Perez Hilton and Kim Kardashian famous. According to you, they rank higher than people like Tim Berners-Lee (and because of you, this important name is buried along with others in the depths of your great abyss).
Subtweet, cyberbully, astroturfing. These are all words that have serious implications, and they were all coined because of YOU. Maybe you don’t understand, so let me be clear. People have died because of you. You allowed others to play with their emotions to the point they just couldn’t take it anymore. You are an instigator in every sense of the world; you facilitate unnecessary drama and allow hurtful exchanges to occur. Perhaps what angers me most about this is the fact you won’t do anything about it. Your anonymous platforms stay open for anyone to attack other people, and anonymous words hurt the most. You allow people to lie about who they really are. This damages relationships with others and these actions have repercussions, but you refuse to take responsibility for them.
Because of you, Internet, we’ve become creatures that prefer to be alone than with other human beings. I mean c’mon, you have us talking to walls (here’s looking at you, Facebook)! Kids beg to stay inside to play with you instead of their friends. You’ve made children dependent on you for answers, instead of their parents. You are a comfort to the little ones, but in the most negative way; your idea of comfort is mindlessly streaming TV shows. Because you don’t maintain control, children are often subjected to violence or cruelty. Their innocence is stripped of them and they grow up too fast.
When they do grow up, they grow up as beings dependent on you. You are their drug, their addiction; they crave you. I know this because I crave you. When faced with the choice of going to see friends or streaming a TV show by myself, you win me over every time. You’ve led me to believe I can multitask, but that’s just a façade. When I try to get away, you pull me right back in, breaking my focus. None of my greatest accomplishments have happened through you, and I’m almost positive you hinder my ability to learn and prosper. You don’t want me to go, and you know I can’t break you. Internet, you’re the bad habit I can’t kick.
We put good in, but sometimes we receive the bad in return. You’ve stolen from me and many others. When I was in St. Louis, my credit card was declined in the Starbucks outside our hotel. That’s because you let someone take my information, and all the money in my bank account. Because of you, someone else in this world was pretending to be me. You prey on those who are not as knowledgeable or protected, and you look for the easy targets. People may work their whole lives for an identity or a life that you let others take away in an instant.
In his TED talk, David Kelley remembers a childhood friend who was judged when he used his creativity to make a clay horse. Another child insulted his project, thereby hindering his creative confidence. But I’m sure you’re very familiar with this story, Internet, because you’re a pro at stifling creativity. We put forth our thoughts, dreams and aspirations, and like a machine in a factory, you break them down until we’re only left with a pessimistic reality. You destroy creative confidence by allowing human beings to be judged in a public arena.
Now, don’t get me wrong. You’ve made some very meaningful contributions. Remember hot dog legs? You know, photos of people on social media sites that make them look like they have hot dogs for legs? What about celebrities without eyebrows? That was a good one. And how could we ever forget the fact that you so kindly gave us “reply all?” Without it, how would we ever be able to make snarky comments about our boss and have them sent to everyone in the office?!
Please, get your shit together.
Mary, a student in JOMC 240, happens to be one of your biggest fans. She writes on the lyrics from Lorde, one of my favorite music artists. Lorde sings “Maybe the internet raised us,” and, “We’re dancing in this world alone.” But Lorde also sings, “All the double-edged people and schemes. They make a mess then go home and get clean.”
That’s you, Internet. You are the ultimate double-edged scheme, and it scares me to think I'm a willing participant.
Regards,
Ashley