Sex, Religion, and Race are three groups listed under Florida’s anti-bullying laws and regulation.
Credit: @Moziru
The internet community is one that continually evolves and changes as more people come online. Anonymity and freedom of speech have been a reoccurring societal problem and has been a very controversial topic over the years. These issues are now seen as necessary as the internet is discovered by more people daily and they find the need for anonymity in this society a necessity. There have been discussions as to whether or not anonymity should be eliminated. Some people feel as though people should have enough conviction in whatsoever they stand for and hence should be free to express themselves with their name associated with what is being discussed. On the other hand, others believe that anonymity is a necessity to protect freedom of expression. Whichever viewpoint one agrees with, technology for one to be anonymous on the internet is available as to whether it is “okay” or not is up for debate.
It is safe to describe the society in which we live as extremely conservative. As a result, certain statements and opinions cannot be made as well as a particular lifestyle cannot be lived. Anonymity has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Anonymity is advantageous in the sense that it aids in online discussions about “touchy” topics such as sexual abuse, sex lives, harassment, and politics to name a few. Being anonymous on the internet is also useful in reporting illegal activities without fearing being penalized among other things. Anonymity prevents one from being ridiculed as well as being harmed. Anonymity also makes one free to express themselves. It essentially gives people the freedom to express their opinions and feelings without insulting other of a particular race or culture. As a result, actions of other people cannot necessarily be controlled. It is vital to note also that being anonymous is a part of society and cannot be avoided. This is seen in real life through being able to block your number and make an anonymous call or even sending an unsigned letter.
Even though being anonymous on the internet can be extremely beneficial, it also comes with its disadvantages. The most talked about downside of anonymity on the internet is cyberbullying, illegal activity, and cyberbullying. According to “bullyonline,” a United Kingdom based website created by Tim Field, “Anonymity makes ease of provocation, and as a result, has a wide range of targets which in turn makes the internet full of predators from pedophiles targeting children to serial bullies targeting … anybody.” Cyberbullying has been an ongoing problem in today’s society and is often depicted in movies, tv shows, and even games. The difference between cyberbullying and regular crimes is more difficult to have control over the act of cyberbullying, reason being, the perpetrator is often anonymous, and hence, police will not be able to find the offender. Cyberbullying can then be said to be a form of harassment and can take many forms. As simple as circulating messages or a sexually suggestive picture about an individual can be seen as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying often takes the form of sending threats or mean messages via text or email and as of recently, pretending to be someone else to receive gratification out of either hurting another person or harassing them. According to statisticbrain.com, there has been 84.2% of reported cyberbullying on Facebook. Facebook has such a high rate of harassment and cyberbullying due to the ease of which information is released.
Both of these views have reasons for their existence. Anonymity aids in freedom of speech and discussions of sensitive topics. It also often results in the misuse of the internet. Specifically, it causes cyberbullying and harassment. Nonetheless, a safe ground between both is the way to go. The less information released on the internet, the fewer chances of an individual being catfished. It would be absurd to ban anonymity as it would then decrease the number of individuals calling in on hotlines, whether to disclose information about abuse or even to report a crime. Although anonymity creates a significant problem, the world is changing. Technology will change with it, which could result in better ways to decrease internet misuse.
