The Internet's A Scary Place.

I’ve been on Twitter for over two years now, but only started getting really involved in the past three or four months.  In this time I have unfollowed a lot of ‘celebrities’ and started following ‘real’ people.  In this time I have ‘met’ some lovely people who hopefully enjoy seeing what I have to say from time to time.  I’m not the funniest, the most outrageous or anything, I’m just me, writing about my uneventful life as it happens.

Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked already.  What I want to talk about is how scary I actually find the Internet.  I trust most people.  Recently, however, a lot of us witnessed how someone was outed as a fake.  I was already aware that this person was a fake, but it still saddened me to see that some people did not.  It just made me question why we all do it?? 

I think for most people it becomes either and escape or an extension of their daily lives.  For me I like to vent on Twitter.  If you expand your gaze to message boards then it gets even scarier.  I guess the anonymity the Internet gives to its users is its greatest asset, but also its scariest.  It allows the shy to find love, and the bored to stay entertained.  It also allows people to bully.  I don’t understand why anyone would want to do that.  I’ll admit that I am a more confident person online, but I’m still most definitely me, and I like to think I’m a nice person and try to put that across on all the sites I express myself on online.

I don’t understand why some people just take to these sites to put others down.  Is it to make them feel better about themselves?? Is it to try and hurt someone else?? I guess the former is slightly more desirable!! I’ve been the victim of it myself, but I’m strong enough to get over it.  The weirdest thing is when people I know personally from real life who have accounts online try to be something they’re not.  There are some lovely people who when Tweeting become bullies, making me feel humiliated and small.  I guess you have to expect it in a way as you are putting it out there in the public domain, but why do they think it necessary, or even feel like it’s the thing they should be doing??

I’m not going to answer those questions here tonight, but I wanted to get my thoughts out there.  It’s been covered a million times before, but I think it needs addressing because for all the positive sides the Internet has, it has a very dark side as well.