DARK SIDE OF

THE INTERNET
GROUP 3
 DARK SIDE
OF THE INTERNET A. UTOPIAN AND
DYSTOPIAN VIEWS OF
THE INTERNET

B. MEDIA

TOPICS ACCELERATION
AND INFORMATION

C. INTERNET
ADDICTION D. SELECTIVE
AND ISOLATION EXPOSURE AND
POLITICAL
POLARIZATION
A. UTOPIAN VS
DYSTOPIAN
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 The word utopia comes from the Greek words ou, meaning
"no" or "not" and topos, meaning "place." Since its original
conception, utopia has come to mean a place that we can
only dream about. a true paradise. Dystopia, which is the
direct opposite of utopia, is a term used to describe a utopian
society in which things have gone wrong. Both utopias and
dystopias share charactenstics of science fiction and
fantasy, and both are usually set in a future in which
technology has been used to create perfect living conditions.
However, once the setting of a utopian or dystopian novel
has been established, the focus of the novel is usually not on
the technology itself but rather on the psychology and
emotions of the characters who live under such conditions.
 According to the Cambridge Dictionary, utopia is the idea of having a
perfect society in which everyone works: well with each other and is
happy. Describing an idea or thinking as utopian means that it is too
optimistic, unrealistic and sort of impossible. Utopian thinking is an
imagination of a perfect society mostly applicable in government,
politics, and economics.
The tem utopia was coined, from Greek word meaning no place' or
'nowhere", by Sir Thomas More used in his 1516 book Utopia, describing
a fictional place and an almost perfect society.
 IMPORTANCE OF HAVING
A UTOPIAN VIEW IN
TECHNOLOGY

Utopianism plays an important role in influencing change. One question to ask to get in a
Utopian thinking is - What should the future be like? What would we want life to be like one day?
A human's mind is more powerful than what we credit it for. Having a Utopian idea may seem
naïve for some, because of it being far from reality but aren't the latest technologies used to be
just a silly concept in the past years. Utopian thinking lets us to maneuver different possibility of
innovation, imagining and creating masterpiece inside our heads that could someday be a
possible output. Changes in technology seldom start with having an actual invention on the
spot, it is formed from our imagination with the thirst for innovation and inventing something that
does not yet exist. From the past years, who knew that someday we would have self-lacing
shoes, robots that can serve us coffee, driverless cars, and other technologies that were once
a crazy illusion but somehow it became a possibility. Utopian ideas may be a little ahead of our
time but it could help in shaping what can be our future.
NEGATIVE EFFECT OF HAVING
A UTOPIAN
VIEW IN TECHNOLOGY

Utopianism may be important for the

improvement of our way of life. It may
possess great effects but if it is not used
carefully, it may become dangerous. It can
be dangerous because it can lead to people
to do whatever it takes into attaining an
almost impossible goal..
 EXAMPLES OF UTOPIA
Though utopia has been a concept enveloping social ideas, it can be used in
other ways

Ecological utopia - a utopian society is one that works in harmony with nature.
• Economic utopia - utopian idealism took off after the 18th century. Those
seeking economic utopia are partially responsible for the development of
commercialism and capitalism, although they were combined with some socialist
characteristics in the early 19th century
• Religious utopia - religious utopias exist in concept, both as intra-religious
ideals as well as inter religious
Scientific utopia - scientific utopias pertain to the idea of perfection in terms of
living standards. Means of attempting to achieve utopia through science include
ideas that omit death and suffering from life or that make the human condition
one that is perfect
Technology utopia - technological utopian lifestyles would be those that replace
human needs or functions with technology in such a way that humans have a
higher quality of life.
 WHAT IS
DYSTOPIA?
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 According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, dystopia
is an imagined world or society in which people lead
wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. Dystopia is an
imperfect world, where everything goes the wrong
way. It shows the nightmare of having a doomed
future filled with rebellion, wars, oppression,
corruption, disasters - the exact opposite of Utopia.
 UTOPIAN AND DYSTOPIAN VIEWS OF THE INTERNET
AND TECHNOLOGY
Jobs that were once performed by humans are now being done by machines. Jobs are vanishing,
huge amount of people being unemployed because of this. As time goes by, these numbers will
undeniably increase. Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, universal basic income,
and blockchain, these are advances in our technology that developers promised to mold the future
and solve the problems the world has as of the present. However, through the development of
these, the world is at risk of possibly removing the sole purpose of humans. In the online world, our
need for easier communication before, resulted into today's successful mode of communications.
The utopian goal was to have a perfect mode of communication and it became triumphant. On the
other hand, with these utopian goals comes with a dystopian fear things going awry that it could
lead to a huge destruction. As of now, it may not yet reach to that extreme but if we continue to
take advantage of it, things could go out of our control. One of the bad effects internet has caused
today is the rampant spreading of fake news, and the use of different accounts to fool other people.
Today, the utopian justifies the dystopian effects and if we learn to control and properly use it, then
we could live in a world without the fear of the world's destruction.
 B. MEDIA
ACCELERATION AND
INFORMATION
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 WHAT IS DATA SMOG?
(INFORMATION OVERLOAD)
Data Smog points out the staggering amount of information and
data, these data are usually acquired through internet
searches. The term data smog is connected to the smog we
experience through nature. The mixing of fictitious and factual
information online is compared to the mixing of fog and smoke
pollution, both of which make it hard to distinguish one from the
other Overwhelming amount of data on almost every possible
topic can be favorable, but this continuous bombardment of
data can have negative effects without us even noticing it.

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 Here are several tips on how to avoid the negative
effect of data smog.

2. Try spending some

1. . Filter unwanted time away from
messages and/or communication devices,
emails. television, and the
internet.

4. Avoid sending or
3. Make use of forwarding chain
print media every messages, or any other
useless information
once in a while.
online.
Media Acceleration in Sports Culture

The use of blogging, vlogging and social

networking sites especially Twitter, by
professional athletes, sports leagues,
sports teams, and sports fans, has
increased quickly and has been rampant
over the past few years.

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TWITTER

Twitter has been one of the most used social media platform
by the sports community. Twitter is an arena where athletes
could make their fans day by replying to them from time to
time. Where leagues post updates about the latest games
for people who were not able to watch them. Through this,
we can see barriers being broken when athletes of different
teams or even of different sports "tweet" each other online.
This displays that the sports community can be united.
Twitter has been an avenue for athletes to promote their
brands, announce their recent activities, and to update us of
their own feelings which cannot be seen in ordinary news or
in print media.
 Before, through Instagram, we can see athletes posting photographs of their travels, games,
their family. It was already great because fans can see what they have been up to recently. But
ever since the introduction of Instagram stories where users can upload a series of 15 seconds
long videos that will expire and be gone after 24 hours. This feature made fans feel even closer
to the game. Athletes post their daily rituals, daily workout routines, foods, parties, and a lot of
behind- the-scenes that other types of media just cannot seem to get. Athletes posting
embarrassing moments of their co-athletes, that makes supporters realize that their human too,
they are not some type of gods that we can never be in the same level with. With these social
media platforms, print media would cease to exist. Because of the free access of twitter and
such, athletes, managements, and promoters would make full use of social media sites and
news writers, reporters, and more would lose its purpose. Also, since most athletes manage
their own accounts, controversies are unavoidable. With just one wrong click, or an impulsive
spurt of emotion, they can be bashed, banned, and other heavy repercussions for their actions.
 VLOGGING
Vlogging also known as video blogging requires commitment,
consistency to build a habit from audience and set a series of videos
that follow an individual's daily life. The vlog lasts for about 5 minutes
to 15 minutes and vlogger uses YouTube to consume longer form,
highly produced video content. The most progressive athletes
should look at investing in a video channel if they wish to sustain
relevance, stand out from the pack and build great opportunities off
the back to the channel's success. If an athlete is clear about his or
her positioning, the video medium is unquestionably the most
important medium to build that brand in 2018. The most popular
vlogs are full of cinematic footage, impressive editing, engaging
characters, all of which combine to tell interesting, enjoyable, and
addictive stories. It is important to note the difference between
vlogging and other social platform video content such as Instagram
or Snapchat Stories.
 C.
INTERNET
ADDICTION
AND
ISOLATION
What Is an Internet Addiction?

Internet Addiction is identified as an

impulse control disorder but without
the involvement of illegal drugs or
alcohol. It is slightly identical with
gambling. The users enjoy deifferent
things online, like playing games,
social media, and even binge
watching series and movies.
 5 TYPES OF
INTERNET
ADDICTION
Internet addiction is a broad term that covers a range of
behaviors and impulse-control problems involving internet,
personal computer, and mobile technology. While there is
yet no officially accepted criteria to diagnose an internet
addiction, researchers have identified 5 subcategories of
specific types of computer and internet addictions
Computer or Gaming Addictiom
Computer or Gaming Addiction Computer
addiction, sometimes referred to as
computer gaming addiction, involves on-
and offline activities that can be done with a
computer. As computers became more
widely available. games such as Solitaire,
Tetris, and Minesweeper were programed
into their software. Researchers quickly
found that obsessive computer game Your paragraph text
playing was become a problem in certain
settings. Office employees would spend
excessive amounts of time playing these
games causing a notable decrease in
All internet addiction can have many harmful effect s on
productivity. Today, not only are these
a person , both physically amd emotionally. Body
classic games still available, but so are
Aches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, insomnia, vision
thousands of new ones Computer addiction
problems, and weight gain/loss are just some of the
is the oldest type of internet/computer physical problems one may suffer as a result of an
addiction, and it is still prevalent and internet addiction. Emotional effects may include
harmful today. depression, dishonesty, anxiety, social isolation,
aggression, and mood swings.
 Compulsive Information Seeking The
internet provides users with a wealth of
data and knowledge. For some, the
opportunity to find information so easily
has turned into an uncontrollable urge to
Compulsive gather and organize data. In some cases,
information seeking is a manifestation of
Information pre-existing, obsessive-compulsive
tendencies Commonly, compulsive
information-seeking can also reduce work
Seeking productivity and potentially lead to job
termination. Depending on the severity of
the addiction, treatment options can
range from different therapy modalities -
which target changing compulsive
behavior and developing coping
strategies - to medication.
 CYBER (ONLINE)
Cyber (Online) Relationship Addiction
Cyber or online relationship addicts RELATIONSHIP ADDICTION
are deeply involved with finding and
maintaining relationships online, often
forgetting and neglecting real-life
family and friends. Typically, online
relationships are formed in chat
rooms or different social networking
sites but can occur anywhere you can
interact with people online. Often,
people who pursue online
relationships do so while concealing
After being consumed by an online social life and
their real identity and appearance - persona, a person may be left with limited social skills
this modem phenomena led to the and unrealistic expectations concerning in-person
creation of the term "catfish" interactions. Many times, this leads to an inability to
make real-world connections, in turn, making them more
dependent on their cyber relationships. Counseling or
therapy is typically required to treat this addiction and
ensure lasting behavioral changes.
 Cybersex addiction is one of the
more self-explanatory internet
addictions. It involves online
pornography, adult websites,
sexual fantasy/adult chat rooms,
and XXX web-cam services among
others. An obsession with any of
these services can be harmful to
one's ability to form real- world
sexual, romantic, or intimate
relationships. Treatment options
are available for those with
cybersex addictions, typically in
the form of intervention followed
by ongoing inpatient or outpatient
CYBERSEX
therapy
ADDICTION
Net compulsions concem interactive
activities online that can be
extremely harmful, such as online
gambling, trading stocks, online
auctions (such as E-bay), and
compulsive online shopping These
habits can have a detrimental impact
on one's financial stability and
disrupt job-related duties. Spending
or losing excessive amounts of
money can also cause stress in
one's relationships With instant and
easy access to online casinos and
stores, it is easy for those who are NET COMPULSIONS
already susceptible to a gambling or
spending addiction to get hooked
online.
Social Media Effects: It may be Encouraging Social Iso;ation
Social media has some of the most incredible potential; it can connect people
oceans away from each other. It can create support groups for those in need,
it can provide a platform for those without a voice to gain one-the possibilities
are endless. Yet there are some negative social media effects becoming more
apparent as its use increases in day to day life.
 What Causes an Internet Addiction to Computer or the Web?
Whenever internet addicts feel overwhelmed, stressed, depressed, lonely or anxious, they use the
internet to seek solace and escape. Studies from University of Iowa show that internet addiction is quite
common along 20-30 years old who are suffering from depression
Certain people are predisposed to having a computer or internet addiction, such as those who suffer
from anxiety and depression. Their lack of emotional support means they turn to the internet to fill this
need. There are also those who have history of other types of addiction , such as addictions to alcohol,
drugs, sex and gambling. Even being stressed and unhappy can contribute greatly to the development
of a computer internet addiction. People who are overlu shy and cannot easily relate to their peers are
also at a higher risk of developing a computer internet addiction.
emotional feelings or guilt

symptoms Anxiety

of Online Depression

addiction Dishonesty

Euphoric feelings when in front of the computer

Avoiding doing work

The following symptoms
are typical of online Defensiveness

addicts: Isolation
Physical Backache

symptoms Headaches

of online Weight gain or loss

addiction Disturbances in sleep

Carpal tunnel Syndrome

Blurred or strained vission

The following symptoms are

characteristics of someone
who uses the computer very
long period of time.
 Signs of Internet
Addiction
1. Gradual increase of time with the use of Internet just to feel satisfied. 6. The user chooses to spend most of
his/her time using the Internet over other
significant things in life like work, school,
2. The user uses Internet to cope with negative feelings and bad mood.
travel, relationships, and other more.

3. The user feels anxious, restless, irritable, or moody when they are not able
to go online.
7. The user is willing to sacrifice
or to lose job, relationship,
4. The user is unable to minimize the use of Internet after multiple attempts.
opportunities to be able to go
online.
5. The user loses track of time when online.
 1. Family problems- the user does not spend time
with his/her family which leads to disagreements.

Effects of
2. Mental health problems - creating another
Internet persona online may soon lead to depression and
anxiety if it is not used moderately.
Addiction

3. Academic difficulty-significant decrease in the

user's academic records.

4. Financial issues - internet addiction can be

costly especially with online gambling and online
games.
 5. Medical problems - spending too much time
using the computer can be the cause to
complications in our health like severe headaches,
body aches, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, and
Effects of eating irregularities.

Internet 6. Work complications - this leads the user to

neglect office works that may lead to losing the
Addiction user's job.

7. Unhealthy sleeping habits - internet addiction

makes the user lose track of time due to long
durations or over use of the internet.

8. Socially awkward - frequent use of the internet

takes away the time that can be used to socialize
and explore the world.
 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Market

D. Selective Exposure
Trends

and
Political Polarization
Feedback
Ads
Selective Exposure occurs in many different
forms. These are the following:
1. news or entertainment
2. messages about different issues
3. a certain medium (eg., the internet), and
4. like-minded messages.
 The last type is most classically connected with selective exposure. The other types, however,
also may be prompted by the cognitive and motivational mechanisms. For example, watching the
news if it is not of interest may arouse dissonance. To avoid dissonance, these individuals may
avoid the news. Further, sources covering issues seen as unimportant may be perceived as lower-
quality sources. This may lead people to spend more time with outlets covering issues perceived
as important.

The first type of selective exposure examines whether people will opt for news or for
entertainment when given the choice. When cable television diffused, the additional television
channel options gave unengaged citizens more opportunities to avoid watching presidential
speeches and debates (Baum and Kernell 1999). The increased choice provided by cable enabled
citizens to switch to entertainment if they so desired during these political moments. Prigr's (2007)
extensive research confirms that as media choice has increased owing to cable television and the
Internet, citizens have been empowered to avoid the news. Prior's measure of "relative
entertainment preference" shows that those preferring entertainment can and do opt out of news
exposure when they have access to more media options
 The second type of selective exposure looks at which issues motivate people to gather more
information. Some citizens are members of issue publics, or groups finding certain issues to be
particularly important (Converse, 1964). These citizens select information relevant to their issue
public membership more frequently than information about other issues. Health-care workers,
for example. are more likely than others to read health-care information (yengar et al., 2008).
Those finding an issue personally important tend to select more information on the issue versus
those who do not find the issue as important (Kim, 2009).
The third type of selective exposure places less emphasis on the content selected and
more emphasis on the chosen medium. In particular, some hypothesize that because the
Internet allows
more choice, people prefer to go online for information when they disagree with or do not trust
the reportage in more mainstream outlets (Best, Chmielewski, and Krueger, 2005: Hwang et al.
2006: Tsfati and Cappela, 2003)
The fourth type of selective exposure that has received attention is the degree to
which citizens choose like-minded political information. In interpersonal contexts,
people tend to discuss politics with those with whom they already agree (Mutz,
2006), although there has been some debate regarding how frequently people
encounter disagreement (Huckfeldt and Mendez, 2008; Mutz, 2006). In the
contemporary media environment, some outlets are recognized as left and right-
leaning. Partisans are more likely to select like-minded media outlets (Hollander.
2008 Iyengar and Hahn, 2009: Morris. 2005: Stroud, 2008, 2011). People also favor
information consistent with their views on political issues, such as abortion,
affirmative action, and gun ownership (Knobloch-Westerwick and Meng. 2009.
Taber and Lodge, 2006).
 What is Political Polarization?
Political Polarization According to DiMaggio et al. (1996). "Polarization is
both a state and a process. Polarization as a state refers to the extent
to which opinions on an issue are opposed in relation to some
theoretical maximum, Polarization as a process refers to the increase in
such opposition over time Polarization can be benign, natural, and
democratizing, or it can be pernicious, having longterm malignant
effects on society and congesting essential democratic functions.
Some political scientists argue that polarization requires divergence on
a broad range of issues while others argue that only a few issues are
required.
 Political scientists typically distinguish between two
levels of political polarization: elite and mass. "Elite
polarization" focuses on the polarization of the
political elites, like party organizers and elected
officials "Mass polarization" (or popular polarization)
focuses on the polarization of the masses, most often
the electorate or general public
 Conventionally, political polarization is viewed in terms of issue
positions or policy attitudes. including ideological distance
between elites (political parties, party manifestos, or legislative
voting) of the masses (voters self-sorting into increasingly
homogenous political parties or self-placement on ideological
scales). Some political scientists assert that contemporary
polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right
scale, but increasingly on other divisions such as religious against
secular, nationalist against globalist, traditional against modem;
rural against urban
 The Impact of Selective Exposure to Political Polarization

According to Yonghwan (2013), citizen's selective exposure to ideologically- slanted media

outlets will lead to polarized attitudes toward political candidates. Conservative
Republicans consuming more conservative media outlets were more likely to have
polarized attitudes toward presidential candidates.
An estimated 40% among the human population have access to social media and that
translates to a staggering number of over 3 billion users logging onto social media. That
number may not be equally divided into two oppositions but that still has divisions of
interest, and those who are like-minded are that ones that usually interact because of
selective exposure.
The internet has become a significant aspect when it comes to voting and other political
issues. But do the readers really seek for the better option or are they just selectively
looking for information that can strengthen their faith in the choices? This is how selective
exposure affects political polarization. People try to prove their views as blinded as they
can be, which creates two very contradicting oppositions that strongly reinforce political
polarization.
SUMMARY
This chapter tackles about the dark side of the internet which
comprises of firstly, the utopian and dystopian views of the internet,
the two extremes of ideologies of a view, in this case the future of
innovations and technological advancements. Secondly, media
acceleration and information, the fast progression or the rise of the
internet in terms of exchanging information and the growing number
of uses that users can do with it. Thirdly, internet addiction and
isolation, which talks about the bad effects that internet can possibly
cause to its users. A problem that may need to be cured long term.
Lastly, selective exposure and political polarization that discusses
the impact that the internet can cause even to the country's political
issues. This chapter focuses on the dark side or the negative aspects
of the internet.
THANK
YOU