There has been a lot said about how the internet is ruining modern civilisation. It's been accused of being responsible for a breakdown of morals and an erosion of good values. People now have more capabilities to produce and distribute incendiary and provocative material. There is almost unlimited access to all manner of perverse and deviant pornography. Fraud has been given a new lease of life. Bullying is rife, whether it be petty commercial spamming or vitriolic personal attacks. It has become much easier to gain access to and groom vulnerable people.
But as concerning as these are the single unifying thread that runs through them all is that they are all the acts of people. It would appear that after the many years of religion and civilisation human beings have not really evolved into better people. The truth though is that while the internet may be one of the means by which modern civilisation has been brought low, it's actually people who are the real cause of its downfall. After all, it's just as possible to visualise words as it is to view pornography and pictures. It takes no less effort to browse for the news or an enlightening article than it does to log on to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
The things we do on the internet are all a matter of choice. The availability of diverse and perverse material doesn't automatically equate to universal desire to access it. But unfortunately it's people who both enjoy making and looking at disturbing material. It's also people who can't resist the urge to attack others while hiding under the anonymity of aliases and usernames. There are things that internet services can do to improve safety and security but primarily it's the human beings with access to the internet who need to be less predatory and more compassionate. Building up individual self esteem will give people less need to make themselves feel better by tearing others down.
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