ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY- INTERNET
The internet is an influencing aspect of modern society, given that it’s everywhere. In almost every aspect of human life, we do use the internet as an intermediary to facilitate daily activities. The internet has a lot of information and acts as a tool of communication, which is used by the young population, especially concerning drugs and substance abuse. Indeed the internet plays a significant role in the process of promoting drug and alcohol abuse. The internet tends to be used in many places, even in public areas like in the libraries. It’s used for positive purposes like a reconnection, finding trending news, playing games as well as working from a remote connection. However, for every advantage, there is a related disadvantage. Addiction is an impact that has been on the limelight, especially for the younger population. Many bloggers, YouTubers, and songs do influence the viewers. Among them is the youth. Then if they post being addicted to alcohol and various abused substances, definitely the public will think it’s prudent to engage in the activities hence not wrong. Due to the high use of the internet and romanticizing of substance abuse, then most individuals around the globe do become substance addicts.
The social networks are a popular application among the internet that do influence substance abuse. Online social networking is evident, and recently, it has grown over the teenage population in the society. The social network has applications, tools as well as functions that enable people to listen, view, interact and engage with each other via the internet and teenagers use social media to connect with friends who tend to share a lot of information, and interest’s like movies and music that reflect one’s lifestyle. It happens that some of the shared information relates to substance abuse, and individual substance use may be associated with being linked to the abuse by their close friend through the use of the internet. Social networks make it easier for people to share information and experiences of their daily activities and adventures that tend to be adopted by fellow friends. Through research on the Addiction and Substance abuse its evident that many teenagers who spend more time on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter tend to be more likely to drink alcohol and smoke as compared to teens who rarely spend time on social media. The information posted on social media will not scare teens from abusing substances. Still, it makes them o desire to have more knowledge about it and hence attempt to discover that increasing the chances of abusing drugs.
The negative effect of celebrity influence is a factor that encourages substance abuse. The media like tv, Newspapers, and radio are essential channels that portray information, and it’s available on internet Celebrities, and the internet cannot be separated. Teens often want to be aware of the trending information of their favorite celebrities through social media platforms like Facebook and blogs. Each day more stories and pictures are posted in the media and widely shared due to new information. As well teenagers are exposed to entertainment like movies and music, which have content that exhibits unhealthy behavior as it involves scenes of drugs and substance abuse. They tend to get the visual information and feel it’s okay for the individuals to take drugs since, at the end of the tunnel, they will get back to their senses. The data tend to mislead as people who are not aware of the impact of substance abuse always think its prudent to try. As a result, they get used to, which leads to addiction. Media portray information of individuals partying, drinking alcohol, and youngsters perceive the activities to be for the fun of which they implement by engaging in alcohol drinking. Substance use is predominant undertaken by celebrities, and they have used media as a strategy for advertising and selling drugs due to the invention of a hashtag that tends to connect buyers to sellers. As a result, social media has created a platform through which industries market the substances to people even when marketing to people under the age of eighteen is against the instituted laws and regulations of the state. It is thus a link to stay in touch which the drug dealers. Before the use of the internet, people had to acquire drugs from friends, which was a hard task, but given that the internet is everywhere, then it’s possible and practical to make an order of the drugs in the online platform. For instance, the younger generation use intermediaries to get a link with the drug dealers making it difficult for the relevant authorities like the police as well as parents to discover the misconduct.
Many internet platforms do offer to buy and sell pages, and many people use the services daily. With the desire to search for more information, an individual gets access to report on the prescription and illegal drugs. Rules exist that ban the sorts of transactions, but it tends to be a challenge to control them as it is not easy to notice unless the severe investigation is done. The easy access of the information can easily attract teenage groups who want to purchase the substances but do not want to use the backstreet dealer; hence prefers to make an online order to get a delivered package at the doorstep. As well, there is a unique challenge of tracking the drugs online as the word codes are changed frequently. A plan sight is always conducted by the dealers when parents block specific sites, and the adults also tend to understand the codes as they contain various emojis related to drugs which include description and cost of the drugs something some illiterate fellows cannot understand even some parents are not aware of the emojis
The internet and peer pressure are intertwined as it is an issue that is detrimental to people in society. The media have influenced peer pressure that encourages the use of drugs and alcohol as people see their friends through online platforms engaging in the activities and hence follow suit.
Direct Alcohol advertising;
Alcohol companies are creators of meaningful content on social media concerning the substances. In the recent budget has been shifted advertising to a significant focus on internet platforms like Facebook as well as twitter. Alcohol brands are competing on digital marketing; more creativity must be ensured towards convincing buyers towards choosing a particular brand. The brands thus have decided to use videos, games as well as giveaways to attract more followers, which in turn increases the level of selling of alcohol substances.
The internet makes social media to be more interactive as it is diverse, yet sharing of similar characteristics arises. Site people decide to create an account that links other individuals as well as groups, and the site is used to share ideas, thoughts, videos, and stories hence the provision of information that is shared widely. Through the interaction, people share information about their lifestyle, businesses which some circumstances involve selling of drugs to promote the products as many people can reach them out through the social media platform.
User-generated content is a factor that has promoted substance abuse. Social media users, especially those who are addicted, do advertise the alcohol themselves. It’s dominant that friends do hold parties and hours on Facebook and post their partying activities on Instagram by showing off the videos of the events. As well alcohol oriented communities are in social media platforms where people freely interact as they encourage others by acting as a support mechanism rather than helping one to quit out. Hence the communities are linked minded, and the internet is a way that will continue encouraging substance usage through the connection process.
However, a counterargument arises whereby the internet is a mechanism that is used to prevent substance abuse. For instance, public health professionals are relying on the mass media as a primary medium through which message is portrayed against substance abuse. The internet interactive platforms like Facebook are sources of information and identified as powerful tools upon which accurate information on alcohol and addictive substances can be conveyed to people around the world. By the provision of a platform for communicating relevant information on health-related issues, then social media platforms ensure screening and treatment of addiction to various individuals in the society. Thus social media is viewed as an essential tool that can be used to improve the overall efficacy of substance abuse interventions.
The internet has a more significant impact on the world population due to changing ways of communication and interactions in daily activities. In some ways, the internet has improved many things positively, allowing people to get in touch with families and friends quickly. However, a negative impact arises that is the dark side of the internet as it makes it easier for people to get involved in drug abuse. There are various ways in which the internet promote substance abuse which include: social networking and peer pressure, the negative influence of celebrities, user-generated content on the internet platforms, direct advertising of alcohol, social media interactions as well as the connection of communities with like mind. Due to the addiction of many teenagers, parents need to monitor the time the children spend on the internet as well as the content they view and give direction on the irrelevant material that should be avoided. As well, adults should mind how they use the internet by assessing whether its detrimental or beneficial.