In today’s society, there is no doubt that the Internet is at the forefront of social development, it is playing an increasingly important role in people’s daily life. In the magical world of the Internet, everything is interesting to people. With games, movies, and friends who have not met before, the Internet has become an indispensable part of life. People can get all kinds of information quickly with the help of smart devices and wireless networks. Nevertheless, everything has its two sides, the network is no exception. Since more and more people contact the Internet and social platforms, they are controlled by the network, unknowingly being invaded by incorrect sexual and violent information. In general, the regulation and mediation of the Internet require the participation of the whole society, not only the regulation of government policies and the control of social platforms over content but also individuals should improve their discrimination ability to get rid of being captured by the Internet.
“File: Anima Sarah Lavoy – Connect Party – South By Southwest Interactive – Connect.com #SXSWi” by Kris Krug is licensed under CC BY -NC -ND 2.0.
Better governance of the online world begins with a clear definition of what is in the gray zone. The two-way interaction of information dissemination is the essential feature of network dissemination and the concentration of social significance. Newspaper, radio, and television have become the past form of communication, now more emphasis on information interactivity. Two-way interactive communication has two important characteristics: the information transmitter no longer enjoys the information privilege but becomes an equal communication partner with the audience; Secondly, network users can publish information equally and carry out discussions and debates equally. Therefore, because of the equal convenience and accessibility brought by this feature, interactive communication constitutes a fatal impact on traditional media and also brings about a flood of information. (Gillespie，2018)
Convenience and equality are also drawbacks. The information on the Internet is uneven, and often access to the Internet those scattered and not systematic knowledge imperceptibly becomes the mainstream phenomenon of society. At this time, some vulgar information was spread wantonly. The liberalization brought about by the Internet was the trigger. The second is concealment. Network communication is different from the previous media, it has great concealment, the communicator is in an extremely hidden position, only rely on personal means, and can not find malicious communication in the whole huge network world, which undoubtedly stimulates people’s desire to spread false information on the Internet to a large extent. (Mueller, 2017) From this point of view, it is not surprising that there are pornography and violence on the Internet these days. In many places, the Internet is completely open to minors, without the slightest sense of protection, so it has formed a lot of parents against the situation of children’s Internet access. Instant communication tools, namely social platforms, are an important way of network communication. There are small groups formed by people with the same topic or like-minded people. Here, people discuss a common topic, which undoubtedly provides a good platform for spreading information. It can be said that social platforms themselves are not harmful. The information publishers spread bad information, causing bullying, pornography, violence, and other problematic content to spread on digital platforms. Extreme is not conducive to the healthy development of network communication, and ultimately deteriorates the image of network communication in people’s minds to a great extent.
“File: abusive words & bullying IS domestic violence #dvawareness #stopdv #dv” by Run Jane Fox is licensed under CC BY -ND 2.0.
Internet companies are undoubtedly the core institution for regulation. In response to extreme speech and cyberbullying, companies have developed ways to deal with cyberbullying. The Internet is a relatively fragile public structure. It is run by hardware, software, and databases, driven by a growing number of private and public actors.（O’Hara & Hall, 2018) As these users are bound only by voluntary agreements, they can easily get away with distributing subtle but unobvious illegal content, such as soft porn. In response to such borderline behaviour, Internet companies have launched reporting and complaint procedures to encourage users to monitor, to remove some of the bad information. For instance, the Instagram have unimped channels for public complaints and tip-offs. Use the platform’s reporting channels to block bad disseminators in order to better protect users. Each social platform provides terms of use for users to reference and use. Users can limit who can comment or view their posts, and who can be added as friends. It also tells users how to report it. With a few simple steps, users can block, mute or report and complain. These Internet companies encourage users to actively learn about and use these tools. However, there are still some obstacles to concrete implementation. Not all complaints can be dealt with in the first place, users can still speak up and continue to wreak havoc under different identities. Teenagers are undoubtedly victims of cyberbullying. Due to the lack of discernment and mature thinking, it is difficult for them to ignore or not participate in these extreme statements. A large number of teenagers experience online bullying and extreme verbal arguments on a daily basis. Severely, some have serious mental health problems and have even taken their own lives as a result of prolonged negative emotions. Internet technology companies have a responsibility to protect their users, especially children and teenagers. When they fail to meet these responsibilities, every other user on the Internet has a right to hold them accountable.
“File: Collage of Digital (Social) Networks “ by Frau Hölle is licensed under CC BY – SA 2.0.
Moreover, government policy is also a key component of the governance of a harmonious network world. Victims of any form of violence, including cyberbullying and inappropriate speech, have the right to complain to judicial authorities and hold their abusers accountable. In recent years, most countries have introduced similar laws to deal with the increasing number of negative content related to bullying and violence on the Internet. In particular, laws on cyberbullying are relatively new, particularly anti-harassment laws to punish cyberbullies. In countries with specific laws against cyberbullying, online acts that deliberately cause severe emotional pain are considered criminal activity. In some countries, such as South Korea, victims of cyberbullying can seek protection by banning contact with the bully and temporarily or permanently restricting the bully’s access to the device. Famous K-pop stars like Choi Sulli have committed suicide because of the criticism. It is an inescapable fact that this kind of cyberbullying has become a phenomenal social problem. Furthermore, aiming at protecting users’ privacy, some countries have specially set up a series of privacy protection laws to regulate online platforms. The ideal option would be to put more pressure on these companies to censor content, which would towards a self-regulatory model for Internet companies. Under this model, the publication of extremist content would be restricted and, along with accountability, would become a reporting model to government departments. Such an approach would require Internet companies to provide statistical data about their users to better prevent the emergence of negative news that disrupts society. It is fair to say that the government is cooperating with technology companies in this field. Ultimately, the cooperative model could foster more comprehensive innovation in eliminating extremist and hateful content. (Malik, 2018)
As Gillespie (2018) wrote, the success of social media platforms is built on the chaotic world of the Internet. On the one hand, there is a hope that the platform is a free space for people to express their opinions; on the other hand, excessive freedom brings a lot of negative effects. Maintaining the peaceful space of the Internet requires both the joint efforts of the government and media platforms, and the self-supervision consciousness of every citizen who uses the Internet. Every individual should take the corresponding responsibility for any behavior on the Internet.
Reference List:
Citizens Information. (2020). Complain about phone, internet and TV. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/how_to_complain/complain_about_phone_internet_and_tv.html
Gillespie, T. (2018a). All Platforms Moderate. In Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions that Shape Social Media (pp. 1–23). Yale University Press. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.sydney.edu.au/10.12987/9780300235029
Haeryun K. (2019). How a K-pop star’s death reveals the truth about our society. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/15/how-k-pop-stars-death-reveals-truth-about-our-society/
Malik, N. (2018). The Internet: To Regulate Or Not To Regulate? Forbes. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikitamalik/2018/09/07/the-internet-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate/?sh=640521831d16
McCurry, J. (2022). South Korea under pressure to crack down on cyberbullying after high-profile deaths. The Guardian. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/09/south-korea-under-pressure-to-crack-down-on-cyberbullying-after-high-profile-deaths
Mueller, M. (2017). Will the internet fragment? : Sovereignty, globalization and cyberspace. (pp. 50-56). Polity Press.
O’Hara, K., & Hall, W. (2018). Four Internets: The Geopolitics of Digital Governance. Centre for International Governance Innovation. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.cigionline.org/publications/four-internets-geopolitics-digital-governance/