The rise of the internet had a great impact on the life of human beings. This is for instance, people have been able to offer zoom meetings in the entire world, buy and sell gods and services online without the need of travelling far away to search for the needs. The internet has also improved the education sector where by the youth in the society have studied online and graduated online without the need of travelling to the schools. This is for example the Cambridge school in the UK which offers the best virtual classes . This has greatly influenced the community. However, despite the many advantages, the internet has also had some negative impacts on the community.
Firstly, the rise of the internet has led to the Erosion of Face-to-Face Interaction. In this present age, laptops and phones have cut off the face to face interactions. But the question at hand is, despite the erosion of face to face interactions saving time , has it had negative impact on the society? Yes it has made it easier for people to retreat into their own online communities, potentially leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. This has also led to depression among the youths in the community. Furthermore, the absence of physical touch in virtual communication can also contribute to the loss of personal connection. Hugs, handshakes, and other forms of physical touch can help to establish trust and build a deeper connection between individuals. Without these physical interactions, it can be challenging to develop a meaningful relationship.
The rise of the internet has greatly led to lack of morals amongst the community. For example the youths in the community have become inhuman to their fellows from the influence of the internet. This is because of the loss of their culture for example the teachings in the Kamba community which does not allow a young person to be exposed to some stuffs. However, the internet has made the information available to anyone at anytime. This has led to even loss of sympathy making even the community to be full of people who do not care anymore. This is for example the saying “kwani iko nini” when someone does wrong.
The increased Loss of Privacy and Authenticity. There have been erosion of the lines between public and private life. Social media platforms such as the Facebook, Tiktok amongst other platforms encourage one to share their private life such as their houses, account balances amongst others making them to expose all their private life and lack privacy and authenticity. Users share personal information, photos, and updates about their lives on social media platforms, often without realizing the potential consequences. This information can be used by employers, insurers, and even law enforcement agencies to make decisions about individuals.
The increased use of internet has led to cyber bullying as well as some form of crime. People in the community have turned inhumane and started posting defaming things on other peoples media platforms. This is evident by that some people have found their Facebook and Whatsapp accounts been hacked and people posting destructing substances such as nudity among others. Other forms of cyberbullying which are at high rates is flaming, harassment, denigration, impersonation, outing, trickery, exclusion, cyberstalking and cyber threats.
While the internet has undoubtedly brought people together, it has also raised concerns about the erosion of face-to-face interactions, empathy, and authentic communication. Recognizing the potential pitfalls of excessive internet use can empower us to make intentional choices that ensure technology enhances, rather than diminishes our humanity.
