When the Internet burst onto the scene for modern users in 1993, it was called the Information Superhighway.
Here, everyone could share news, viewpoints, social activities, family moments, and lots more at the touch of a button.
News was instantly transformed by the appearance of the World Wide Web. As soon as commercial traffic was allowed, businesses followed. Corporations and soon, small businesses, made their way into the internet. Soon, e-commerce was born, and new sites took advantage.
For sharing community and family events, pages like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Google, Gettr and others took advantage of the emerging social media marketplace.
As good people took to the internet, so did malevolent people. Worms became the first computer viruses, leading to hackers, malware and spyware and ransomware.
Then, with the proliferation of unrestricted information on the internet came the misinformation, so called.
As COVID-19 hit, governments around the world attempted to spin the crisis to their advantage. Suddenly, people were talking on the internet - a lot. They were checking for the latest information on variants, lock downs and other needs. This led to governments attempting to silence those who offered alternate methods of treatment and silencing those who claimed that the virus was not as deadly as people were being led to believe, and that the lock downs weren't necessary.
In 2024, the rise of podcasting and alternative news was blamed by the Democrats for the return of former - and current - President Donald Trump, who rode a wave of discontent and rebellion back to the White House, with legacy media crying foul all the way.
Groups of people have also used the internet to share news and viewpoints in the midst of government crackdowns, allowing others to respond to their misery and discontent and rally the troops to their aid.
Add comment
Comments