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The Interwebs
You haven't moved in hours. You're riveted by something... and nothing. It doesn't matter what you search for, SOMEHOW you'll end up on a porn site or a Youtube video that will make you feel utterly violated. Your Skype is full of names of people that you met on Omegle and now you regret accepting. Yep. You're on the internet.
The internet is such an amazing place. There's a website for every twisted, sick mind. There are pictures and videos to sully any and all of your favourite childhood memories and characters. And when someone asks if they can get you a CD or a movie for your birthday, you look away and say "No... that won't be necessary." Yes, the allure of the internet is undeniable. Yet, it can't be all sunshine and terribly warped rainbows. The internet has a dark side, no, an even darker side.
Swearing, sexual behaviour, even crime and more are encouraged. There is rampant sexism and worst of all, double standards. If one man out there will step forward and tell me that he would be brave enough to make a "get back in the kitchen" joke in real life, I will abandon my cause right now. Do you, a lonely, pimple-face boy with a gaming addiction, expect me to believe that you would turn down a girl because she was a "gamergirl" and therefore a "poser"?
Opinions are banned unless they are perceived by the rest of the internet as "correct". Opinions are judgement. Opinions are poison. Discussion is almost illegal.
And yet, quite honestly, there is very little I would change about the internet. With anonymity comes a gift. The chance to be a massively terrible person or the chance to change who you are for the better.
Personal experience time. I spend a lot of time , possibly too much time, on Youtube. One of my favourite Youtubers is Jenna Marbles. She's a potty mouth, no one's denying it. And sure, you shouldn't let your delicate little daisy-petal, pre-teen kiddio watch her videos but does that mean that she should be flagged for it? Her videos disliked, her comments spammed with hatred, her millions of fans constantly stepping in to defend her honour just because of a few four letter words? Just Click away. It's that simple.
As far as I'm concerned, only one thing needs to change. If you don't like something, don't throw a huge fit about it in the comments, drop the F-bomb, send angry emails or resort to petty insults about gender, race or sexual orientation. Click Away. It's that simple. Don't engage with trolls, you know who they are, they won't listen. If you MUST engage one, do it calmly and maturely. Don't BE a troll. Get a hobby or something. The internet can be wonderful and terrible, but if we can learn to Click Away instead of slinging hate, we might just find a very happy medium.
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