The Fear of the Internet

What the contemporary world currently offers us is a life with an environment surrounded by the Internet and a life which is necessarily part of the media and social networks. In addition to the positive effects of this phenomenon, there are a number of problems and risks that threaten every user, especially those who are not well informed! Everyone has access to the Internet by having an account on any social network, be it Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, or many other networks that currently have millions of users.

Some of the dangers that threaten users of social networks are:

• Cyberbullying
• Social anxiety
• Depression
• Exposure to content that is not age appropriate
• Identity theft, and more.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harm, threaten, intimidate and put a person in a bad state. Cyberbullying is a widespread phenomenon and really dangerous for every user.

But how does this social bullying happen?

Being part of social networks you are automatically in contact with different people. With your posts you are easily accessible to any person who wants to contact you, find you but also harm you. Digital bullying like this happens in a dangerous and threatening way. This phenomenon usually occurs in teenagers, it can be manifested with hate speech, threatening posts, posts of personal information and usually posts from fake accounts only to harm the target.

According to the statistics in 2024, around 93% of young people are part of social networks, the average of time spent per day on social media

is 1 hour and 40 minutes per person. Making the usual bullying (physical and verbal) turn into a social and to some extent anonymous bullying which can be more dangerous.

This online bullying is also addressed by the laws of some countries because it can send an individual to a mental state, it can be done with criminal purposes, having concrete examples of individuals for whom this path leads to the thought of suicide.

The problems that this risk can bring to us are depression, stress, anxiety and also the most dangerous thoughts about suicide. That is why we say and testify that this type of attack is very dangerous. In order to be protected, we must know that stress and panic cannot save us, so we must always take these attacks calmly and always tell people around who can help us. And especially knowing that there are institutions competent for our security, such as the police, we can also refer there for our security!

Identity theft

Identity theft or identity piracy happens when someone uses someone else’s personal information, damaging them financially. This term, “Identity theft”,  was coined in 1964, since then this term has become very well-known. Identity information includes a person’s name, date of birth, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, social security number, driver’s licence number, bank account or credit card numbers, or any other information that can be used to access a person’s financial resources .

Warning signs of identity theft:

• Bills for items you did not buy.
• Information on your credit report for accounts you did not open.
• Debt collection calls for accounts you did not open.

Identity theft targets everyone, not just the rich, taking advantage of everyone. The age, location, and circumstances of the victim make no difference because these individuals look to profit indiscriminately. Identity theft occupies not only financial rights, but with personal information they can benefit even more. A person’s personal information can remain forever on the Dark Web, making it easily accessible! To protect ourselves from this dangerous phenomenon, we must educate ourselves on the use of these personal data and on their protection so that we do not fall prey to such problems.

Knowing that these things surround us since we are all part of the Internet, have you ever thought about how you would react in such situations? Or if it happened to you, how did you overcome these situations and how much damage did they cause to you? But above all, try not to give your personal information to anyone who can use it and also don’t be influenced by individuals who want to harm you, because the Internet is an endless world with universal and infinite possibilities and dangers!