Internet Addiction and its Negative Impacts on Communities

Running head: OP-ED 1
Internet Addiction and its Negative Impacts on Communities
Name
Institution

OP-ED 2
Internet Addiction and its Negative Impacts on Communities
Introduction
Human dignity is important. Decisions should also be made for the common good of
everyone in the society. The innovation and advancements in the field of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) has greatly-transformed the society. The benefits of ICT have
become quite impactful thanks to the invention of the internet. Today, in Australia, nearly all
households have access to the internet. However, despite the significant contributions, internet
has brought negative impacts in the society. In this editorial piece, I would like to explain how
damaging the internet has been to the Australian communities’ health.
Negative Effects of Internet Addiction on Social Health
The first way through which the internet addiction has negatively-impacted on the
Australians dignity is that it has caused moral decadence. Although internet is a useful platform
that can be rich in education content, it has been faulted for the dissemination of harmful
messages especially to the young generations. In the internet, there are so many websites and
blogs each of which is focusing on a particular niche (Kuss & Lopez-Fernandez, 2016). Apart
from the good platforms that focus on beneficial content on education, health care, governance,
agriculture, and family life, there are other sites which are just destructive. Such sites contain
information on pornography, sex exploitation, violence, vulgar language, indecent dressing,
domestic violence, prostitution, and crime. Exposure to such sites can not only be addictive, but
also distort human mind (Shek, Yu & Sun, 2016). They can make people to misbehave and
become immoral in their utterances, thought, and actions. For example, addiction to porn hubs
can make people to be sexually-active and addicted regardless of their age. Also, exposure to