Us & the Internet: What’s next?
What will life look like for us and the Internet? Have you ever thought about it? We never know what’s right around the corner, but a girl can dream; and that’s what I’m going to do. My dreams for ourselves and the internet are going to be answered through three important questions: What’s the future of the Internet? What’s it not doing that it should be? What can we do to make it better?
What does the future look like?
The future of internet is being even more connected and in the know about the usage of resources in your environment. Holographic images displaying information, automatic appliances that you can control via phone or voice, and all prioritizing sustainability. Think Jarvis by Tony Stark; it talks to you, lets you control your sustainable features, cracks a few jokes on the occasion, and helps keep you on track with climate action goals. How cool would that be?
What’s it not doing that it should be?
The internet is not protecting credible sources to the extent of what’s best for the world to know. Boosting “Real News” to the front of the line of websites would show a multitude of benefits to the media literacy and awareness of all users. This prioritizing method would also ensure that everyone is getting similar information rather than worrying about the influences of “Fake News”, conspiracy theories or other radical/ untrue thought spirals.
The internet should also be protecting people and helping us with our mental health rather than deteriorating it. In this constant state of being connected, there needs to be a time when we pause to check in to reality. I would like to see notifications for internet usage to remind viewers to take breaks, especially after staring at a screen, hunched over for too long and when finding oneself in a social media rabbit hole. The quick reminder of messages like: “You’ve been on the computer for 1 hour. Want to take a break?” and “Let’s breathe for 1 min.” will remind users to take a moment for themselves in order to regroup themselves, find their breathe, and instill some clarity. Does it feel hoakey? Maybe. Will it work? I truly think it would. Through a wider lens, I believe that improving overall internet health would benefit not only our mental health, but information awareness, and long term mental affects.
What can we do to make it better?
Balancing the positive and negative news intake would be the first step towards a bigger campaign towards mental health awareness. If mental health was a top priority, we could lower the rapid increase of internet addiction disorders, all while lowering the rate of media related depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia.
A June 2019 article from Science Daily says, “An international team of researchers from Western Sydney University, Harvard University, Kings College, Oxford University and University of Manchester have found the Internet can produce both acute and sustained alterations in specific areas of cognition, which may reflect changes in the brain, affecting our attentional capacities, memory processes, and social interactions.” This means our brains are changing because of the Internet, and not in a good way.
But fear not! Professor Jerome Sarris (Deputy Director and Director of Research at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University and senior author on the report) has the solutions to save our minds! He says, "To minimize the potential adverse effects of high-intensity multi-tasking Internet usage, I would suggest mindfulness and focus practice, along with use of 'Internet hygiene' techniques (e.g. reducing online multitasking, ritualistic 'checking' behaviors, and evening online activity, while engaging in more in-person interactions)."
To sum up, saving the earth through sustainability to stop climate change in its tracks along with the prioritization of mental health in internet usage are the two main goals that I hope to see in the future of the internet. Together, I think we could really make internet wellness happen!
Wanna learn more about the study I referenced? Follow the link to the article. here!
