Internet Rights

It is currently 2038 and I am what you would call a New World Child. This simply means I was born after the catastrophes that plagued the planet. After facing climate change, wars, pandemics, and cyberattacks the world saw no other way to save itself than to implement drastic changes in every aspect of life. They teach us in school of how it used to be. There was always a looming fear of war, of natural disasters, of hackings, etc. When I think about how my parents grew up, I wonder, how did they survive? It seems like even in the safety of their own homes they faced dangers from possible home invasion to internet scams. I am thankful that I no longer live in a world plagued by issues of pollution and internet crimes. The internet specifically has seen many changes. In my parent’s time, it was not seen so much as a tool but rather, an essential component of day to day life that was open to anyone who had a means to access it. In school we learned about how kids as young as two or three would utilize tablets as a means of learning but were often not limited from stumbling upon other, less suitable, sites or applications. The world appeared to be obsessed with the internet and life seemed framed by the trends and changes that occurred in virtual worlds. My mind struggles to imagine a society where life is framed a digital world.

I have just turned eighteen two weeks ago and with this milestone, I was granted my internet rights. We no longer allow internet access to minors. This was part of the major changes established in the New World. People saw how children were limiting themselves from person to person interactions and from learning through different means. Our teachers still utilized the internet to help teach and provided introductory lessons into the internet, but we were no longer allowed to independently roam the internet. Our leaders believe this limits the levels of false information that circulates and also allows for a more mature and educated presence on the World Wide Web. I have never felt like I missed out by not having access to the internet when I was younger. I often hear stories of my parents living phone-obsessed childhoods where they were constantly on different internet based applications. They talk about cyber-bullying and losing friends through miscommunications on social media. I am not going to say my life has not had friendship problems but they were never characterized by virtual miswording. My entertainment was also not dependent on internet access. I had hobbies that expand past websites, unlike in my parent’s time when people entertained themselves almost exclusively through applications and websites.

On my eighteenth birthday, my parents presented me with my official internet license. I felt like an adult now. I now had the independence to explore a new world but, like we have always learned, there was a lot of responsibility that came with that. My actions could not only affect me but also someone on the other side of the world.

Social media was all the rage after receiving your license. Many of my friends who had received their licenses before me had immediately created accounts on so many platforms. They quickly posted pictures, cooking recipes, etc. I will be honest it scared me a little to jump straight in and create a profile. We had learned so many ways that you could get into trouble through social media and how it could be unhealthy if not used properly. I am planning to wait until after my first semester of college, where we all receive in depth courses on Internet ethics. Most colleges around the world required this sort course for all incoming freshmen and many also provided seminars in cool ways to utilize and navigate the Internet. For many of us, it was the first time we were getting a guided tour of the Internet, as we had only ever been previously allowed to utilize educational programs in class. Our first semesters tended not expect many of us to be able to navigate the Internet efficiently, so of the previously digitized activities, such as course selections, had been modified for the freshmen students still adjusting.

I can not wait to continue exploring the Internet and see all the facets it is composed of. It is truly a different world from what I have heard from my parents and older friends. I am going to attach one of the cool websites I have found recently below. Stay tuned for more Internet adventures!!!