Candidate name: Muhammad Asjad

Center Number: Pk201

Candidate Number: 0183
Global Topic: Digital World
Issue: Excessive use of the internet
Research question: To what extent excessive use of the Internet will affect human
behaviour?
Words: 1956

Introduction
Overuse of the Internet refers to the excessive use of the Internet, which could mean being
more involved in Internet activities such as social media, gaming, and even the expense of
studying (Internet Overuse and Addiction, n.d.). As part of our daily life, a little bit of our
daily hours is spent on the internet. It involves studies, entertainment, and the social sphere.
Excessive use of the internet can be defined as an extravagance in or lack of control over
one's preoccupation, urges or internet use results in harm or discomfort. e.g., playing more
online games which could result in poor grades and there will be educational distress. More
internet use also benefits as it provides modern learning and an easy way to get attached to
the whole world.
In my report, I will explain the topic by referring to different perspectives on all fronts
including Global perspective, National Perspective and Local perspectives. Moreover, while
using courses of action which are taken by different countries like China and the UK. In
conclusion, I will further develop my own opinion upon my claim

Why do we use the Internet?

The Internet is the network used globally for billions of electronic devices. With this
technology, it is easy to have access to several types of information and it can be used to
communicate with each other at any place around the world. All this can be done by
connecting any device to the Internet. (Internet Basics: What Is the Internet?, n.d.) .
Nowadays, the most significant use of the internet is on social media, which contains,
Instagram, YouTube and many more. We can use the internet for business purposes, such as
sending emails to apply for jobs, giving notices, and more. The Internet can also be used for
research, as it allows us to collect information about any topic. Another use is education and
self-improvement which includes online courses, books, teaching, articles etc. Moreover, the
Internet is also used by entrepreneurs in today’s world. They are those business people who
take risks to achieve their success. In established industries, they become disruptors in their
pursuits. Platforms such as Fiverr, Amazon, Shopify etc, help them to grow their businesses
online all around the world (What Is an Entrepreneur?, n.d.). A renowned use of the internet
is ‘Games’. Playing games is another source of entertainment nowadays, as new friends can
be made all over the globe. By talking we relish the diversity of languages, and cultures and
get to know about their lifestyles.
(Myers, n.d.). As time goes on and more and more facilities develop, the use of the internet is
further increased with the ability to use AI in many fields allowing for more time to be spent
on the web.
However, by far the largest reason behind the usage of the internet in such a drastic amount is
the ability to access a vast amount of information all in one place only a click or two away. A
person could access information about any specific topic and the results will be placed before
him. Not only so, but the information could be regarding any specific region whether or not
the person belongs from there or not. This allows for the internet to be a much better
alternative to books providing concise relevant and instant answers.

Consequences
There could be many consequences of using the internet. First and most importantly, social
media significantly impacts our mental & social health. Studies have shown that excessive
use of social media can lead to increased depression, anxiety, and several mental health
problems. This is because the users seek to present a glamorous version of themselves on
these platforms, and social media often leads to a distorted view of reality (Disadvantages of
Social Media, 2023). Excessive use of the internet can change human behaviour very fast. As
the cause of the internet is electronic mail (email), it has several types of consequences.
Email can be unmanageable, which means going through every email can be troublemaking
to work, as it requires a lot of time (Vdovin & Duncan, n.d.). This disruption could be
overcome through the utilisation of an email alert system. Another consequence would be
that if the students instead of using the internet for informational gain would be misled and
use their vital time in other areas like games or social media which at first can be just a
diversion but soon become addicting and extremely shortens attention spans and
concentration levels.
The most significant cause that follows the excessive use of the internet is the damage that
can be dealt to the mental or social health of people. The standards that are set for common
people are unrealistic and cause the person to spiral into a state of self-consciousness and
may cause an inferiority complex which could further lead to more health issues like
depression or anxiety. “The idealized view of other people's lives often appears in social
media, leading teenagers to develop unrealistic views about their lives and bodies. A distorted
perception of reality can be created by constant exposure to carefully selected images or
posts, which can lead to feelings of low self-esteem. Teenagers may feel pressured and
compare themselves to peers to fit in or achieve a certain standard of lifestyle, contributing to
anxiety and depression.”(WOHUM, 2023)
Courses of Action
An amalgamation of proactive manipulation, legalized rules and technical controls of online
debates is the basis of the Chinese government's restrictive online regime. The online
environment has tightened considerably under President Xi Jinping, with heavy investment in
the ‘Golden Shield Project’. The Golden Shield Project also known as the Great Firewall of
China is one of the most popular and vital information security and censorship technology
projects that has been used very strictly and extensively in the country since 2008. Such
initiatives are a key element in a government vision of ‘cyber sovereignty’ that allows it to
strengthen state surveillance and control. However, regulations and restrictions governing
online content have proliferated under Xi Jinping’s tenure. Since 2015, the spread of false
information seriously disturbing public order constitutes a crime punishable by up to seven
years in prison. (Fang, 2021).” The development of the Great Firewall for over ten years from
the technology to the government policy behind it. We have also analyzed some of the
significant loopholes of the Great Firewall that other published papers on this topic have not
mentioned. We have also connected the Great Firewall and its effects to its countermeasure,
known as VPN” (The Golden Shield Project of China: A Decade Later—An In-Depth Study
of the Great Firewall, n.d.)
On March 17, the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sports of the United Kingdom,
submitted its revised Online Safety Bill to Parliament. Approximately three years since the
initial Harms White Paper began the debate about digital regulation in the UK. The Bill sets
out a regulatory framework from which internet service providers will be held accountable
for how they react to reduce the risk of harm to their services. High risk of failing to protect
human rights; The bill contains provisions to protect rights, but these are both narrow in
focus, privileging rights to non-interference with freedom of expression, and too vague. It
fails to engage with the numerous human rights threats that arise from how online spaces
operate and are regulated. Fundamentally, without a serious commitment to protecting human
rights across the Government’s agenda, this Bill will also fail to do so. (JUDSON, 2022)

Perspectives
Global perspectives

The Internet is not a new technology: its ancestor, the Arpanet, was first deployed in 1969
(Abbate 1999). However, after being privatized and freed from the U.S. Department of
Commerce's jurisdiction in the 1990s, it expanded remarkably quickly throughout the world;
in 1996, the first survey of Internet users counted about 40 million, and by 2013, there were
over 2.5 billion, with China thought to have the greatest number of users. Academic research
has established that the Internet does not isolate people, nor does it reduce their sociability; it
increases sociability, as shown by myself in my studies, Rainie and Wellman in the United
States (Chesbrough et al., n.d.). According to Nielsen, consumers in households earning an
average annual income of $66,000 account for more than 70 per cent of spending on
entertainment things like books, video-on-demand and music easily. Paradoxically, virtual
life is more social than physical life, now individualized by the organization of work and
urban living. People do not live practically, indeed it is a real vitality, since social practices,
sharing, and living in society are smooth in the virtuality, as I said, a time ago the “space of
flows” (U.S. Entertainment Consumer Report, n.d.).

National Perspective
To oversee internet regulation, Pakistan introduced the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act
(PECA) in 2016. The statute imposes harsh penalties for many offences, such as
cyberterrorism, cyberstalking, and hacking. On the other hand, issues including abuse,
restrictions on the right to free speech, and invasions of privacy have drawn criticism. PECA
gives organizations like the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority (PTA) the power to conduct digital inspections and
prosecutions.
 The PTA has extensive powers to block and remove content, often justifying these actions
based on promoting vulgarity or corrupting the youth. Social media companies are also
required to obey certain orders. (Ahmed, 2023)

Evaluation of sources

The data was gathered from a variety of credible sources. One such source is WOHUM,
which is mentioned above. Although it is a non-governmental organisation, it is regarded as
credible since it is a worldwide movement to address humanitarian issues, and its claims are
regarded as credible because they address a wide range of humanitarian issues and are
approved by the United Nations. Though this specific section/statement has no directly
labelled author which may cause a shadow of doubt regarding its extent of righteousness,
without the writer’s known, it cannot be confirmed. Populism studies have been used to
identify the perspectives in Pakistan, they can be considered a semi-credible source as it has
given credible information however in past times have made some controversial and false
information based on a mismatch of intel. Nielsen and deskalerts are also referred to which
are unreliable sources of information but in such a generic sense can be used as an adequate
reference as no statistics were cited and may not impact to such a great extent.

Personal Perspective/Conclusion
I have successfully achieved the present objectives of this paper, as I examined all
perspectives according to what extent excessive use of the internet will affect human
behaviour - as indicated by analysis of the consequences, and courses of action of China and
the UK.

Before this research, I only took the use of the internet for a short period of time as a major
problem. I did not understand what caused it as I too use the web in such a manner thus, it not
only enhanced my knowledge regarding the topic it also helped to understand how my habits
match the research I have done and how I have to act on my own and solve this issue at least
at my level.

As I now understand the causes and drawbacks of this usage of the internet over elongated
periods I too will reduce the time I spend on it and advocate to my circle to also prevent them
from ending up in the consequences that follow excessive internet usage

 .
Bibliography
Introduction:
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Causes:
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COA
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