What do you think about Internet Censorship?
By sharksfin
@sharksfin (1091)
Philippines
July 21, 2012 1:55pm CST
Yesterday, I unintentionally watched a video that contains a crime act. It's horrible and I can't seem to block it off my head after. It, actually, made me very paranoid and I started thinking if it will have any psychological effect on me. Then, I heard a man shouting from another unit as if he's arguing with someone. Then, the next thing I heard was noises of hard objects being thrown around hitting the walls, floors and whatevers. Made me sooo scared. Then, I started imagining things and I figured that am starting to become paranoid. I even thought of closing all my windows thinking the person might have killed the other and will try to escape by passing by the ledge and through any of my open window. But, then, I tried to calm myself and re-assure myself that it's all my mental image.
I think there should already be a regulatory board for Internet since it's one influential body of media. It is in fact the only media that's INTERACTIVE. Anyone can simply express their ideas...Anyone can do whatever they want with it at no expense! People are marring another's reputation, posting nasty comments about someone they don't like, damaging relationships, and posting all kinds of pranks and hoax. Imagine, I was almost made to believe that Mariah Carey already died from a freak accident! Good thing, I always have the initiative to make a quick research before believing just anything. After googling the name of Mariah and found nothing related to that hoax, I stopped searching. She's too popular to have no long strings of searches if the news was even true!
My take is, not everything is for everyone. These days, everyone has access to the Internet. Anyone can just post whatever without being censored. I believe it's about time that there'd be set of rules and regulations to follow. All bloggers will be responsible with their posts and many will be careful not to use the internet to disparage or belittle anyone anymore. It is a very powerful tool and I strongly believe that it can't just be granted to anyone. It's like, you don't give a murderer a knife or any deadly weapon they can use to victimize more.
What's your take?
6 responses
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
21 Jul 12
i am against any central regulation in the internet. if there is a place where we should feel free, it is the internet. laws must be there to protect the privacy, dignity and rights of individuals and groups. but laws must not prevent people from expressing themselves without harming other's rights and privacy. only in his freedom that we can cultivate true creativity and achieve new heights.
@tocquevil (157)
• China
4 Sep 12
But the vedio did cause physical and psychological harms to Sharksfin.She was scared and even have hallucinations. This kind of horrifying vedios should be banned on the internet.
@YinYang1st (55)
• San Leandro, California
21 Jul 12
Well, most websites do have a standard for what can be posted so technically what your take on the situation is already in place. But in the large sense you can indeed post literally anything on the internet. For a set of rules to be put in motion for the entirety of the internet, it would take an enormous amount of effort and collaboration between all ISPs that I don't think can really be enacted. Maybe if there were to be some sort of "internet police" but such thing would be frowned upon by a majority of internet users and some would possibly sue as a result.
Personally, if everyone would just grow up collectively and stop being over sensitive and worrying only about themselves on the internet then censorship problems wouldn't even exist. It's a ridiculous notion, yes, but over sensitivity is a large problem.
@tocquevil (157)
• China
4 Sep 12
I don't think Sharksfin is over sensitive.She must saw somrthing awful.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
22 Jul 12
I think that there should be at least a little bit of censorship so that people don't get hurt while they're using the internet, however all of the talk about censoring people's emails and things like that are completely out of hand. Nobody would like it if people started to read their letters, and this would be pretty much the same thing if it happened on the internet. Just because it is on a screen doesn't mean that it should be any less private. But something does have to happen because things are going to get out of hand if we continue to let them post anything they want without being sorted out when something's wrong.
@KcLKcL (180)
• Indonesia
22 Jul 12
I'm against the idea of censoring the Internet.
First of all, it will never be possible, there must always be a way to bypass them. Also, the Internet will never be the same again with censorship. Sites getting banned / blocked, your freedom is limited, you cannot express your opinion, and such.
Internet has always been full of hoax since 12+ years ago. Now you know that you have to research before believing fake news, then like I said, it doesn't need to be censored.
You should also limit yourself by not watching video you don't want to watch, so this thing shouldn't happen again. I wish you can get it out of your head!
@elsino91 (440)
• Poland
20 Oct 12
If you ask me, internet censorship is a very personal subject to a lot of people. We live in an age now where teenagers and people in their twenties, so basically the youth of the world, have grown up on the internet. The internet has become part of our lives. I actually consider myself one among these people. People don't want to see people messing around with something so close to them. All you have to do is look at all the protests people organise around the world when threats of restricting freedom are appearing.
If you see something you don't like on the internet, then just avoid it, but you should support the denial of the other people's feedom, thats wrong both when it comes to online and ofline freedom.
@tocquevil (157)
• China
4 Sep 12
Sharksfin,i can't agree more with you opinion.As a chinese,everyday I am bombarded with all sorts of rumors,slanders,fabrications and defamations on the internet. The authorities concerned neglect their duty and do not take effective measures to filter harmful infornmation.Those involved in rumor -making and rumor-spreading do not receive punishment of any kind,or the punishment is so linght that only severs a stimulus for their future offending.
