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1-Page Summary of The Dark Net
Overview
The internet has revolutionized our lives and is one of the greatest inventions in human history. It’s also brought along some negative aspects, such as a hidden side called the Dark Net that is sheltered from prying eyes.
Most of the time, the dark side of the internet is invisible to most people. However, when it does appear in plain sight, like when there are nasty comments or insults from one person to another, it can be seen easily.
The internet has two sides. One side is good and the other is bad. A few years ago, a terrorist attack inspired by the dark side of the internet occurred in Norway. One-third of teenagers have visited potentially harmful websites on their computers or smartphones, and one out of ten teens are on their way to becoming porn stars because they’re watching too much online pornography.
Big Idea #1: The internet enables online threats to public figures and an insidious game called trolling.
It’s a common occurrence to be insulted by someone you don’t know. This can be especially troubling for people who are fighting for controversial causes, as they tend to receive more insults than others.
For example, the success of a campaign to feature Jane Austen on the new ten-pound note in the UK was due in part to feminist journalist Caroline Criado-Perez. However, not everyone agreed with her message. She got thousands of threatening tweets that included rape and murder threats.
Criado-Perez was forced into hiding, and two people were arrested for the most egregious threats. She’s not alone in suffering anonymous online abuse; it’s called trolling, and it’s only getting worse.
Trolling is the act of making comments on the internet to upset other users and provoke a reaction. The word stems from “troll,” which means to slowly drag a baited fishing line through water.
There are many people who post offensive things online. They’re not only threatening others, but also stirring up trouble and creating a hostile environment for other users to enjoy. There’s even a group of trolls that look for opportunities to create trouble by posting poorly written messages on well-known sites like Fox News. They get replies from the community, which they respond with pictures of their genitals and insults in order to keep the argument going.
He was only motivated by entertainment.
Big Idea #2: Political extremists and lone terrorists use the internet to share their unsavory beliefs.
You probably haven’t had the opportunity to hear someone say something racist and insulting like, “The world is a mess because black people are taking over.” But it’s easy to find these views online.
Social media has become a great way to meet other people with similar views. People who don’t agree with mainstream culture use social media websites and platforms to share their ideas.
For example, the British National Party’s site is more popular than any other political party in the UK. It receives more visits than Labour or Conservative sites. On Twitter, neo-Nazi groups are particularly active and they use usernames like 1488 (14 for “the fourteen words” which they believe in and 88 for “Heil Hitler”).
The Internet is a popular place for white supremacists to connect with each other. However, it’s also the platform of choice for people who want to commit acts of terror. One example is Anders Behring Breivik, who acted alone and only used the Internet to communicate with others in his hate group.
Breivik was a young computer programmer who felt that the white race was being threatened by cultural Marxism. He wrote a manifesto titled 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, which contained over 1,500 pages. Then he traveled to Utøya Island and killed 69 youth members of the Norwegian Labour party with his gun on July 22nd. Breivik is now in prison for his crimes but supporters still circulate his manifesto online.
