The Internet as a Safe Haven

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Nowadays, every news story involving the Internet is related to it being used as a medium for harm. The media shows a story about a teen rising above cyberbullying, but not about a teen who finds the courage to reveal his or her sexuality because of a welcoming online community. In an era where so many possibilities are open for Internet use, it is inevitable that people will use it harmfully. Stalkers, sexual predators, and identity theft are what define the Internet these days because of the degrading coverage of it by the media. People are warned to avoid becoming dependent on the Internet because of the bad reputation it has acquired. Conversely, reliance on the Internet is beneficial because Internet use provides opportunities for people who otherwise cannot function properly in society, promotes self-expression, allows the building of self-esteem, and provides a sense of security.
First of all, many people suffer from disorders that hinder them from properly being involved in society. Many people are nervous around others; the severity could range from shyness to social anxiety disorder. The Internet provides a medium through which people can interact with others without the fear of facing judgment in person. Damon Fizzy, a Youtube user, explained in one of his videos that he found an escape on the Internet, and saw it as a place where he felt people listened to him and cared about what he said (Fizzy). The Internet allows a person to overcome their shyness by building self-confidence and find a group of people they can relate to. The Internet is beneficial for people who find it hard to be confident in face to face situations.
Similarly, the Internet also provides benefits to people with disorders aside from socia...

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...he Internet that is malicious, the malicious one is the person who uses it wrongly.

Works Cited

Burgstahler, Sheryl. “Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology.” University of Washington. N.p., 2012. Web. 01 May 2014
Fizzy, Damon. “THE REAL ME.” Youtube. Youtube, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 01 May 2014.
“How is Your Teen Using the Internet to Find Information?” Innovative Public Health. Center for Innovative Public Health, 2014. Web. 01 May 2014.
Mota, Bethany. “Inner beauty TAG.” Youtube. Youtube, 9 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 May 2014.
Schouten, Alexander. “Adolescents’ Motives for Internet Based Identity Experiments.” Academia. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014
Sivan, Troye. “Coming Out.” Youtube. Youtube, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 01 May 2014
"Teen bloggers show little risky behavior online, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 March 2010. Web. 01 May 2014.

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