IT’S no secret many of us rely on the internet and social media to get our hands on the latest information. In fact, the average screen time of every internet user increases more so during this coronavirus pandemic, where it has been proven to be vital to keep human lives connected.

Over the past 20 years, the internet has evolved. Back then the internet was all about anonymity, and because of that, many had the chance to open their minds to new things, talk to random strangers who shared something in common, or even try new things without the fear of being judged.

Those were the simpler times. We logged on to the internet, lived a second life with our online pseudonyms, and then returned to our regular lives. We have long passed the era of detached nature of the internet. 

When social media started to storm the internet, albeit not by surprise, people started to call for using real names on the internet so you can connect to your real friends, and also to stop shady and malicious dealings on the internet. 

Since then, the internet has become an extension of your real life, putting an end to the detached nature it once was. 

Things started to shift rapidly when people learned they could harness the power of the internet and social media to build a following for themselves or their causes.

It’s a double-edged sword if you ask me. 

The nature of social media enables any average user to create and spread ideas and thoughts to infinite numbers of people. 

This kind of empowerment is given to every average person because it can be regarded as democratisation of the internet. But the problem we’re facing now is anyone can become an opinion leader of sorts if you know your way through the internet.  

Traditionally, how democracy thrives for the people making informed decisions is highly dependent on them getting good, credible information and then making decisions that guide the society we live in.

When we add the internet to the mix, there’s too much information, to the point social media giants and tech companies tweak their algorithm so people with similar ideologies or preferences can band together easily, granting more user engagement time on their platform, so they can then effectively monetise it. 

On a side note, notice that most social media platforms provide a small button, usually over an annoying advertisement, asking you if you like to see more, or less of that particular kind of ad? Well, the truth is the tech companies are giving you a false sense of control over what you see, in exchange, you are giving them more information about yourself other than what they already gathered from your browsing history.

The saying “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” couldn’t be truer in this modern internet era as we have so little control over ourselves.  

That being said, the internet is engineered to make you continuously feel comfortable to keep engaging with their service, and it is becoming an issue nowadays. 

It is making finding people who share something in common near effortless, and since anonymity is a thing of the past, information on the internet comes with a certain credibility approval. One, if not literate enough, will easily succumb to misinformation, especially when the information is relayed to you from one of your peers. 

An obvious example is former United States president Donald Trump and his Twitter empire. Trump built his presidency and following around Twitter, towards the end of his tenure. 

When the election results didn’t favour him, he started to spread allegations the election was rigged and stolen from him. He was so consistent in spreading that message until Twitter decided to fact-check his every tweet. Normally that would be how you combat misinformation, with facts, but look at how well that turned out. 

In the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Twitter, followed by all the major key players of Silicon Valley, decided to de-platform the then president Trump. 

Opinions have been diverse. Even Facebook is letting its own oversight board to rule on the company’s decision to ban Trump, whether it was the right move. (At the time of writing, Facebook is still allowing feedback submissions.) 

I believe this issue will long be debated in the foreseeable future, because when the idea of freedom of speech emerged, the internet was not within the context, and nobody at that moment thought the internet would play such a powerful role we practically live on it nowadays. 

Silencing Trump was an easy target, but banning him does not stop the notion of a rigged election to spread. 

Although it has mostly calmed down, many still share the same views, and believe me, it’s easy for them to find each other again, and continue to live in an echo chamber of peers, and it’s also true if you’re on the other side of the spectrum. 

The idea still lives on even if you silence “authoritative” figures such as Trump. The platform’s move, to me, was too little too late. The discussion of how should the internet and social media play their role in society should’ve started way earlier, but here we are. 

This will be the ongoing challenge of the internet because there is no simple answer to the growing polarisation amplified by the internet. Moving forward in an uncharted territory.  

I remember the times when my mother told me to not trust the things I see on the internet. Now the tide is turned: she is believing in everything her friend sent to her. 

It’s getting harder and harder to debunk misinformation on the internet these days since a real person is spreading it. 

We are racing against time because false information tends to spread faster than true facts. 

It’s a worrisome future for the internet world as literally everyone can be the “opinion leader” and content creator. Even if you only have one friend in your contact book, you have the ability to influence them. 

To win this race, we need to educate the average users on handling the internet and be responsible for their actions in it.

On the other hand, equipping more people with media literacy so that they won’t easily fall prey to false information is especially crucial when we’re fighting the pandemic, where facts and science matter. 

After all, we are fighting with humanity itself, and looking at where we’re heading, it is plainly impractical to unplug the internet because it has become essential to everyone’s lives. 

We can’t rely on tech companies, whose existence and interests are not usually guided by pure moral or ethical reasons, or any one single party to do the right thing.

We are collectively responsible for shaping the future, that’s how democracy should and will work. – February 1, 2021.

* Kelvin Lee is a member of Agora Society. Both a dreamer and realist, he is constantly figuring out ways to balance the two. He believes that by defying the norm, one can pave the way for a better future.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.