by Ninna Alessandra Santiago
I’ve heard the “normal” people tell me countless times to get a
“life”. Now, I’ve had enough of it going back and forth in my ears. I
apologize, though, for being more active in the virtual world than in the real
world. But just so you know, the world wide web is my home, and the internet IS
my life. (And I suppose that that boy from Tumblr is my love. Ha-ha. Just
kidding.)
I am an active consumer of the internet and the social media,
and that is an acceptable reason for me to be considered as an internet addict.
But why is it such a bad thing, being a Netizen and all? First of all, we’re
high. We are obsessed with the internet because we benefit from it in one way
or another. The positive feedbacks that we receive in social networking sites
are one of the many things that maintain our lovey-dovey relationship with the
internet. Without these feedbacks, we would just be boringly scrolling our way
down on our news feeds to death. Again, we are high on the internet mainly
because these feedbacks are very satisfying. I don’t know why they’re so
satisfying, but they really just are. Perhaps online criticism differs so much
from real life criticism that it already gives a more pleasing effect? Anyway,
as the number of feedback increases, so does our interest in the internet and
its websites.
Now, let us jump to the reason to why we spend most of our time
surfing the net instead of lurking out of the shadows to see the outside world,
besides getting the satisfaction from feedbacks. Everything—yes, every single
thing—is far more accessible on the internet. With just one click, thousands
and thousands of results can pop out of a webpage, particularly in search
engines. Don’t know the answer to your Mathematics homework? The internet has
an answer. Are you tired of witnessing the worsening of your acne problem?
Well, fret not, because all search engines can help you look for an effective
remedy! Having some complications with your love life? Just freaking ask Google
for some helpful love advice! Trust me, the internet won’t fail you…well, I
guess.
Alright, let’s jump back to the negatives. The internet truly is
a wonderful thing—too wonderful, actually. Unfortunately, there is, of course,
an equal amount of negative effects that parallel the positive outcomes.
Although the glow of your computer screen and the sight of a webpage is a great
view—perhaps an even greater view than the rainbows and rays of sunshine of the
real world—keep in mind that this still leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. Well,
it’s already obvious, isn’t it? Since you are too attached to the net, you just
find yourself spending the majority of your life preoccupying yourself on the
oh-so-fascinating websites like Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr. They are all
to blame, no? Consequently, your social skills are weakened, and in some cases,
replaced with social shyness and anxiety. Because of the desire for an easier
means of communication with our peers, we merely rely on the internet and we
don’t even have to open our mouths and project our voices anymore. Just type
the words down on the chat box, send your message, and voila. Unlike the
traditional times, your message is sent instantly without having to wait for a
couple of weeks or months. Anyway, this habit of chatting decreases your social
skills little by little. Next thing you know, you’re already a mushroom-growing
indoor hobo who constantly fails to socialize with the normal people of the
bright outside world.
Yes, as I’ve mentioned from the very start of this article, the
internet is our life. But so is the real world. So, even with our addiction to
the internet, and while we are indeed mushroom-growing indoor hobos who
constantly fail to socialize with the people of the bright outside world,
surely we all still have a special place in our hearts where we store our
liking to the real-life rainbows and rays of sunshine. Remember, we are not
internet vampires. We’re not allergic to the real life. We’re not allergic to
sociability. So, try going out of the house sometime. If you think about it,
maybe the other side of life isn’t so bad after all.
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