The Benefits and Risks of Consuming Content Online

by camille joy atencio

There is no doubt that the internet is taking over the world right now and almost already replacing all the traditional technologies because of its accessibility and convenience for the users. It has tremendously changed the way we live and as a person. The advancement of the internet has also changed the way the users utilize this giant platform for their own benefits and for others.

The internet has given the oppressed the voice they’ve been longing to have. They’ve created a space for these people and for the world to hear them out and extend help wherever corner of the world they may be. We are all connected through the internet and this allows the users to have easier access to current news and trends. Also, since it’s the internet and anonymity is guaranteed, we are able to gain access to products such as music, movies and books for free without fear of getting arrested for it. It has already become a ‘norm’ in the binary world. But not only is the Internet used for entertainment purposes, it is also widely used for academic purposes in access books, academic journal articles and published research studies.

Along with its benefits are the risks of online content consumption. Its risks are greatly evident recently due to the proliferation of fake news. People can choose to be anonymous online and they can choose to spread misleading posts, giving the users a flawed information of a timely issue which creates a massive effect on the people involved. Using the internet immediately makes an individual vulnerable to phishing. This vulnerability is heightened with the heedlessness to the threats brought by the internet.

No matter how credible you think one is on the internet, we should always be wary of the information we take from the internet. We should always remember that we have the choice to use the internet effectively without it affecting us negatively or allowing the internet to mislead us on the current issues and deflecting our sympathy to the wrong people who don’t really deserve it. There are always risks and benefits in everything in the world and it is up to us how we would let it be for us – the beneficial or the detrimental.