Internet Censorship - The Way We Can Protect Ourselves Today

Technology has become a part of daily life. Technology has made it possible to have an unlimited supply of information, good and bad. There are billions of websites to explore ideas, recipes, and even medical questions. It has become a natural way to research anything you want or need to know, unlike the traditional method of using books. Nevertheless, there is no denying the negative effects that come with it. We have gotten so careless with technology and I believe that it has a huge impact on our society. Most people in society would deny that technology can have a negative effect on their life. Many people don’t realize how dependent they are on technology or the consequences. What good is technology when we use it as a hindrance rather than a tool. Our lives are revolving around technology. Technology was made to support us but now society has developed an overdependence on technology. We have faith in technology even when we don’t need it. The over dependence of technology is just as harmful as smoking and leads to a higher presence of health problems, increased social divide, and causes people to no longer must think for themselves. Therefore, Internet censorship should be legal.

Internet censorship is the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. There are four types of censorship:

1. Military censorship, which means that the government heavily censored information that came out of war zones; 
2. Religious censorship, which means any material objectionable to a certain faith is removed; 
3. Moral/Ethical censorship, which means the removal of materials that is considered to be obscene or otherwise questionable;  
4. Political censorship, which means governments hold back information from their citizens. 

Withholding information is a common form of censorship used throughout history. Censorship has occurred in several countries like China, France, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, etc. Child pornography is the only content that the United States censors.

Censorship is not about dictatorship, its more about safety. Censorship can and will teach self-discipline. In China the government has made censorship legal and they even have gone as far as giving out awards. The awards are for the websites that promote internet censorship development. There are some people that don’t believe that internet censorship is fair in China. In France, internet censorship includes child pornography, racist or/and religious hate speeches and the advocacy of illegal drugs. In Iran internet censorship is legal because it limits the viewing of inappropriate information. In Pakistan internet censorship is legal because it restricts high levels of violence, it protects armed forces, and religious topics. In Russia internet censorship includes drug abuse, drug production, suicide methods and child pornography. These countries set censorship in place to protect their society and to increase their platforms. Financially the countries that support censorship it proved that the society’s web market platform flourished. Countries that support censorship are happy with the in-house increase of finances. Their government has set fines in place for the people that break the law. 

A digital detox is something that society needs today. Censorship means your health will be protected but without it there are many consequences. Rebecca Hiscott stated, “Technology has altered human physiology. It makes us think differently, feel differently, even dream differently. It affects our memory, attention spans and sleep cycles. This is attributed to a scientific phenomenon known as neuroplasticity.” Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change throughout an individual’s life. The neuron system is what helps us as humans perform certain human functions certain functions like the sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons. The basic functions of a neuron are to receive signals (or information), integrate incoming signals (to determine whether or not the information should be passed along), and communicate signals to target cells (other neurons or muscles or glands). When being technology dependent the neurons and the functions will be damaged.

Censorship will help to decrease the damage that technology has caused to our brains. Censorship of the internet will help us to create a balance on how we view technology. there is a chemical in the brain called Dopamine and it is released by neurons, Dopamine has multiple pathways one of which plays a huge role in the motivational component of reward-motivated behavior. Technology gives us that amazing feeling releasing dopamine which in other words means it’s addictive. We know when dopamine is activated because it’s exactly like the great feeling we get when we smoke, drink or gamble. In other words, when we get the sound of notifications, text messages or someone likes our picture or status on social media we get that good feeling which makes it addictive.

Addiction is characterized by an inability to abstain from something that may cause, impairment in behavioral control or cravings. Becoming technology dependent, it has decreased our attention spans, we are easily distracted, and it is killing human touch. The traditional way to end a relationship no longer exist because we can just simply unfriend a person. With a press of a button you can make major changes but, with consequences. There are certain life lessons as a child that you will need as an adult and communication is the foundation. Technology, like food, has become an essential part of. daily life and interactions with others are negatively changed.

We tend to give our devices more attention than our significant others, family, and friends. It can cause people emotional and mental stress when these relationships are lost or damaged, but we choose to continue to rely on our devices in an opposing way. When you are having a conversation in a world full of technology you are going to be confronted with this behavior and this problem seems to be unavoidable. We organize our entire lives with technology in 2019 which means we have smartphones, watches, cars, keys, and even tv. which means we have many things at our disposal which causes us to become less aware and even considerate of others and only more aware of our technology.

When people are dependent on technology there are some consequences that are inevitable. Our addiction to technology not only damages relationships, but it can create anxiety, mental, and emotional distress. For example, nomophobia which is the irrational fear of being without your mobile phone or being unable to use your phone for some reason, such as the absence or signal or running out of minutes or battery power. A phobia is an irrational fear. Nomophobia expresses the feeling of anxiety or distress which is not normal.

They have now diagnosed people with this issue and many others like iPhone separation anxiety which is anxiety when a person is separated from the iPhone, Phantom ringing syndrome which is when you brain tricks you into thinking your phone is vibrating, Cybersickness which is the disorientation and dizziness some people feel when interacting with certain digital environments, Facebook Depression which is depression caused by social interactions, or lack thereof, on Facebook, Internet Addiction Disorder which is a constant and unhealthy urge to access the internet, Online Gaming Addiction which is an unhealthy need to access online multiplayer games, Cyberchondria which is the tendency to believe you have diseases you read about online, and finally The Google Effect which is the tendency of the human mind to retain less information because it knows that all answers are only a few clicks away. This is really concerning because not only has it caused psychological consequences but health problems as well.

The health effects of technology are strained vision, which means many computer and phone users assume poor posture position for better performance and their eyes suffer the consequences. Hearing loss which happens when people are increasing the volume on their ear buds or just high volume over long periods of time, Muscle and joint pain which happens when a person has bad posture or if you are a “thumb-typer” or it can happen with the results of repetitive movements, and Neck strain which happens when you bend your head down, your head is no longer supported by the whole vertebrae system. Which puts unwanted strain on the neck muscles. Many of us have suffered from eye strains, back pain, neck pain, and over time even trouble with hearing. Health problems has become a huge factor in the over dependence of technology.

We have made more time for technology and less time for the important things we need in life, like exercise. Over time some of us in society have become lazy. Physical inactivity when we are using technology is very common. Although, there are many fitness apps they are not has popular as video games or gaming apps. When there is an over use in technology in this way there will be poor results. Then in turn there will be many health problems such as obesity. Sleep disorders are also a common consequence artificial light exposure suppresses release of the sleep-promoting hormone called melatonin which in turn increases sleep disorders, and the proper diet a person that is dependent on technology often has a very poor diet.

Junk food and processed food is the common “go to” for people because its fast and full of sugar, salt, and fat. Not to mention the cost and the time with buying and making a traditional meal. The consequences of the poor diet will be diseases caused by a lack of protein and nutrients. Also, the long-term damage of the poor diet. Parents have also created their children’s bad technology habits. Techoference (Tech-inference) is the interruptions to our in-person communication and interaction that comes from our attention being directed at our digital devices. With the constant disruptions from technology it is affecting children. With this behavior children are watching. children are imitators and it is affecting their development.

Emotional and behavioral development issues will be a consequence of technology dependence. Some behavioral problems will include anger aggression, hyperactivity, anxiety, sadness, and frustration. The more parents spend more time with technology and less time with their children these symptoms will increase. That will only increase the stress levels of poor parent and child interaction. Communication between parents their kids will forever change if techoference doesn’t stop. The risks to child development are so high because a parents and child’s relationship is essential for mental growth. Not to mention cognitive learning. We are social beings we learn how to express emotion, think, manage behavior and form relationships from our face to face in person interactions.

When parents give their children attention and they are fully present they provide their children with social, emotional, and behavioral cues. Parents need to do this on purpose to help them learn and grow. It is common to see a lot of children with more and more devices at all ages. This is a major concern because it can impact the child’s interpersonal functionality or other development. Children are not alone but, teens and young adults are also at risk for social, emotional and behavior issues. Many teens today don’t exercise face to face socialization. Many parents have noticed an increase in bulling, sexting, and lack of attention to school work. Most teens today are glued to their devices and a basic conversation is a thing of the past. Not to mention conflict teens today don’t know how to handle conflict in person. Most conflict is happing through technology this is called “Facebook Beef or Facebook Thugging.”

This can be very dangerous, there are many moments in history when “Facebook Beef or Facebook Thugging” goes terribly wrong. Not having censorship of technology has shown to be deadly, history speaks for its self. Adults have shown to have similar issues with technology. Most adults that are dependent on technology have shown that they lack social skills also. Most adults that are dependent on technology lack eye contact they can look at a screen for hours but when it come to appropriate eye contact, they need help, their conversation skills are very poor when it comes to face to face conversation, and the number one thing their attention spans. Many adults struggle with paying attention for more than a few seconds unless it’s a device. This is very concerning because some adults find it difficult not to text and drive which has proven to be deadly time and time again.

We have age limits for many things like driving, alcohol, smoking, and night clubs. All these things can cause harm and technology can cause just as much harm. The internet should be censored for safety, social issues, and health reasons. We don’t offer cigarettes and vodka to underaged individuals because as a society we know that it will do so much harm to them. But, Technology can and will do the same amount of harm to them! So, internet restrictions are very important. Technology also increased financial difficulties. Technology has not made people more responsible but, actually the opposite. Technology has not motivated society to get up and get to work. Procrastination is at the top of the list which caused more people to become lazy and depressed. Although this may be true, there’s nothing wrong with using technology as a tool. Technology was created to be a supportive tool but it’s the imbalance that’s the problem. Society has not established a balance between supportive and being over dependent. Censorship is that balance that we need for society. We need to invest more in society and less in what others think of us on the internet or social media. We need to stop making technology our primary way of communication and limit social media access for adults and children. We use the internet and social media to communicate which makes us more unsocial. Put all devices away, turn off your notifications, plan breaks away from your technology, and stop web searching everything but, pick up a book. This kind of over dependence will cost you your health, relationships, time, money, and sometimes your life. It looks that we are looking more to upgrade rather than to improve and it should be the opposite.

On the contrary, we know what it’s like to like as a society without censorship other than child pornography. Since it is illegal for all other censorship why not practice self-censorship. When you are over dependent with technology it is impossible to have deep meaningful relationships, good health and safety. As a society we cannot be satisfied with that kind of life. Three days out of the week turn off your devices and spend time with family and friends. Parents should censor what their children can watch and say on the internet. Make time to communicate face to face develop a much healthier and stable connection. In the final analysis, our over dependence of technology has given us an unhealthy, unmoral and unethical way to live. Why suffer the consequences when you could just simply say yes to censorship.

Works Cited

• The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. “How Internet Censorship Works.” YouTube, YouTube, 4 Dec. 2012
• Dashevsky, Evan. “Eight New Mental Illnesses Brought to You by the Internet.” PCWorld, TechHive, 16 Oct 2013
• Hiscott, Rebecca, “8 Ways Tech Has Completely Rewired Our Brains.” Mashable, 14 Mar. 2014
• “Overview of Neuron Structure and Function.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy