Internet Users Should Practice Self Restraint

Internet Users Should Practice Self Restraint

The generation of the 90s, the information generation, or better yet the generation-X, has been plunged into a world of computers. To survive, each individual must have knowledge of and feel comfortable with the computer; a scary word and a frightful system to those not acquainted with it. The Internet is the essential application that needs to be grasped. It is the information network of the future. However, the variety of people using it is as vast as the world around. Hence, this is a community that is truly the world's largest melting pot, bringing people together from all ends of the world. The Internet becomes a social structure and with any social structure, it has its problems.

Today, one of the rising problems with the Internet is that most people have their entire lives on the system; hence they are potentially exposed to all types of criminals. All addresses, phone numbers, credit histories, and sometimes even photographs can be found through the net. As in the real world, even in the Internet, women seem to be in a vulnerable position because they are the least protected by stalkers, kidnappers, murderers and psychopaths in general. A point, in fact clearly demonstrated in the movie "The Net", starring Sandra Bullock who was chased down by the government through the Internet. Although, many times the individual can remain anonymous and separate from all biases and prejudices, they still have all their information stored for it to be pried into by any clever hacker.

Another vulnerable group constitutes children; lawmakers and concerned citizens worry about them being exposed to "adult material" on the Internet. At times it is as if their first priority becomes protecting these children from pornography, offensive material and often times just extreme view points. A downside to focusing so much attention on pornography is that often people are just fueling the curiosity of those they are aiming to protect.

Although regulating the Internet for children is beneficial, often the regulations also encompass college students, who need a free hand to travel through this medium. This protection from "adult material" often restricts the learning process and prevents them from fully experiencing the Internet.

Recently, lawmakers have attempted to set guidelines for the Internet. This poses a problem in itself because the Internet is a worldwide system. The rules that are placed must be agreed upon across the globe.