The Cyber effect

We are living in the Cyber age, no doubt about that. But what exactly are the effects of this upon us as a society? That is the subject of Dr. Mary Aiken's book "The Cyber effect", just recently published. The author does an outstanding job of addressing the harms and threats posed by living in the Cyber age. Specifically, the author addresses cyber-bullying, cyberchondria (i.e. healthcare Sherlocks), child porn, the Dark net and the online disinhibition effect (i.e. people are more inclined to say and do things online than they would in real life).

The web has been referred to as "the largest unregulated social experiment of all time". This has very serious implications for our future. Although the web has brought a staggering number of positive things to the world, it has also brought a number of harms. The principal problem is that it is largely unregulated. There is no authority figure on the internet. Nobody owns it. Altough this is not necessarily a bad thing, there is definitely a need for greater regulation. The author calls for a Magna Carter for the web, to make our society a safer one, especially for our children. The author also makes a very salient point. The internet was largely designed and developed by men. This is one particular reason why things like porn and dangerous weapons are so easily accessible online. If the internet had been designed by women it would probably look very different. As great as the web is, there is certainly a need for more restrictions and regulations for what people can search for. This is particularly true for young children. We must as a society stand firm and ensure that the web does not endanger children above all else. The author gives a brief but informative introduction to Cyberpsychology below.