The world is always looking for a better, quicker, and easier way to do things. Cars have replaced walking, debit and credit cards replaced cash, and TVs replaced going out to a play or cinema. The internet was created to provide easier access to various things, such as medical records, goods, medical treatment, bill payments, and even provides protection as users are less likely to step outside and experience harm. Reports even show many Americans benefiting from the use of the net because of these advantages. However, along with providing easier access to essential activities, the internet also caused society to lose access to even more important essentials needed for everyday life when it is used incorrectly. Issues including identity theft, depression, and even suicide have developed quickly as the internet is becoming more advanced and widely misused. For instance, the development of social media was meant to catch up with old friends and connect populations all over the world, but instead backfired as people approached others’ personal lives with disrespect by mocking and taking advantage of them. All the issues that emerged from increased use of the internet were caused by the mistreatment of others. Companies would rip off consumers, social media users are ridiculed for personal characteristics and preferences, and individuals are lured into situations where they are often murdered or assaulted. These occurrences lead others to keep to themselves and be slow to trust and connect with others. Soon, Americans could run the risk of not communicating with each other at all, which makes it almost impossible for the system to function. American interpersonal relationships are affected by the misuse of the internet which leads to issues including mental and physical illnesses, addictions, inappropriate behaviors, and legal disputes causing communication barriers between one another. 

The internet has been the blame for many mental illnesses in those who use the internet regularly. Majority of mental illnesses are claimed to be predisposed, usually coming from a family member that has knowingly suffered from the disease. However, many psychological issues are learned, or developed over time. This can be due to trauma experienced, usually at an early age, but can also occur in adulthood, chemical imbalances, and self-consciousness. “People increase the risk of developing suicidality symptoms following exposure to stressful life events and maltreatment”, states Capsi on the causes of mental illness (United). The internet is grounds to providing these stressful life events. Since the internet encourages its users to put anything online, including their personal business, this also allows for other users to be susceptible to criticism. Often times when a user puts personal information or views on site they will receive some sort of backlash. For instance, someone who does not follow a widely known and popular belief, like evolution, and speaks their opinion, that person could receive hateful comments or be ridiculed about their appearance, this is known as cyberbullying. “Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles”( stopbullying.gov). Others usually join in on the mocking, in order for them themselves not to be mocked, leaving the victim to feel weak and self-conscious. 

Various mental diseases can develop from cyberbullying and inability to fit in. These issues include depression, anxiety, OCD, and even eating disorders. Depression is most likely the most common disease linked to cyberbullying. “Cyberbullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression”, explains O’Keefe on how cyberbullying occurs often and leads to depression (O’Keeffe).  Depression occurs because the victim loses energy and even ability to do hobbies and activities that are necessary or interesting to them due to lack of confidence. The victim often times believe that they are not good enough to perform well during these activities, like interacting, and can drop out of them completely. Someone with depression might even stay completely clear of people, even those close to them, because they feel like they cannot live up to the title they hold, whether that be a friend, son, or sister, since others online have told them they are not good enough. Anxiety disorders, most commonly social anxiety, is caused by a fear of being ridiculed in a social setting. If someone has been ridiculed, and not been able to recover from it or considers it to be a traumatic experience, they will fear of being put in that situation again and could end all social relationships all together. After being criticized, the victim will do any and everything to make sure that instance does not take place again, including striving to be perfect. The body will eventually get used to feeling these anxious symptoms, it will become a normality to it. The body then trains itself to become anxious for any reason at all, including minor instances like a grocery run, catching up with a family member, or even when nothing is happening at all. This can affect the heart and muscles leading to other physical issues and can be very draining to victim in the long run. Obsession-Compulsive Disorder, known as OCD, is also an anxiety disorder where a person obsesses over ideas that drives them to change, or be compulsive. Jacob Amide states that “Social media causes anxiety from the stressed produced from constantly trying to project a perfect unrealistic lifestyle”, and these people loose themselves why trying to create a perfect life, which proves to be stressful in itself (Amide). Those with OCD are so concerned with having everything perfect, and the disorder can quickly develop into a larger issue, making that person so obsessed with perfections it interferes with daily activities and relationships. Physical complications also emerge from the internet. If someone has been criticized for their body, or their appearance, it will make them began to feel ugly and disgusted with themselves, which leads to eating disorders. “Perfectionism is a common personality trait in people with an eating disorder, who may feel the need to maintain complete control over their weight” sufferers will take extreme measures to maintain the body shape that they believe is “perfect” (eatingdisorders). Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa, occur when a person takes on abnormal eating habits, like throwing up or binge-eating, to alter their appearance. Many times, those with the disorder end up looking unhealthily skinny and it leads to more judgement, interfering with how the person interacts with others. One may even began to ridicule others due to hate in their own appearance.  

Mental and physical illnesses are both detrimental effects of the internet. Although counseling for psychological issues and following a healthy diet and exercise track can relieve these symptoms, if the problem is not taken care of, more unwanted conditions can result. For the most part, the presence of some types of illness, especially those under the psychological category, forces the sufferer into isolation. The internet can be used to fill this void and also as a form of self medication, usually allowing for the victim to be distracted from the isolation and suffering. “Adolescents who have a AFNE, or apprehension and fear of negative evaluation, tend to use the internet to overcome this fear. In fact, they find the virtual world a safe place to get rid of their concerns and fears” meaning those that are affected by the illness use the internet as means to escape from reality (Esfandiari). After a while web usage will take over that person’s life, developing an addiction. Just like any addiction, Internet addiction can give way to a multitude of issues down the road. As discussed before, excessive internet usage can lead to issues with physical health, if it was not caused by it, increased spending and shopping online that could lead to bankruptcy, gambling and gaming addictions, and even porn and masturbation addictions, which could also cause the issue. Besides being on the internet, shopping and spending money is known for a source of temporary happiness for those who are suffering. If shopping is available online, that only makes it easier for the user, allowing them to be online, go shopping, and save time and energy while doing it. Since this process is so quick and easy, it can be quite easy to get carried away, especially if both of these alternatives gives the person a relief from the disease causing them distress. However, if used frequently, it can become a money issue, forcing the person into bankruptcy, leading to more stress. Gambling and gaming, also both known relievers for illness suffering, can also be issues. “Nonetheless, mental health experts believe that Internet addiction can have the same troubling effects as substance abuse or gambling addiction” (Carson-Dewitt). Gambling gives the gambler power, which would feel great to someone who is experiencing an internet addiction and feeling isolated, or as if they do not hold control over their life. Also, just like shopping addictions, gambling can lead to bankruptcy. When a gambler experiences a winning streak, one win is never enough. The more they win, the more power they feel, giving the gambler false confidence that they will continue to win the next bet, until they reach a point of no return and loose all of their winnings and savings. The gambler will then continue to gamble, in order to experience the power of winning, and the cycle continues. Internet gaming addictions works almost in the same way as internet gambling addictions. “41% of self-selected online gamers play video games to escape and 7% are classified as being at risk of developing a psychological and behavioral dependence on online computer games” (Conrad). Gaming does not normally require a person to spend money, although this can be the case, but it can lead to violence and increased internet usage on top of the addiction. Gaming has a history of leading to violence in real life. Gamers can use gaming as an outlet to release the anger they feel towards others, for being isolated and different, on games that include theft and murder, like Grand Theft Auto. This behavior can be carried outside of the game, as the gamer might want a more realistic solution to their issues, and cause harm to themselves or others. “The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) find that exposure to violent media (including video games) can contribute to real-life violent behavior and harm” (Publications).

Besides accumulating large amounts of gambling debt and forming gaming and shopping addictions, ample amounts of  time spent on the internet also limits the time to spend with others. This means no time for meeting others, forming connections, and possibly leading to intimacy. This lack of affection can often build up sexual tension and the need to be intimate with someone, forcing those who are not having regular sexual encounters to look elsewhere for this satisfaction, including porn and masturbation. Often, when one is exposed to an act that brings them from their misery, they will continue this practice leading to an addiction. For example, if someone has been exposed to a drug, especially during a time of hurt and suffering, and the drug brings them relief, they are likely to continue to use the drug. Masturbation works in the same way. Those who masturbate often do so to the point of orgasm, a very addictive feeling. Orgasms release the hormone Oxytocin, which releases stress, allowing for the person to experience a euphoric feeling and be distracted from their disease. Just like the gaming, gambling, and shopping, this feeling of euphoria can cause a person to continue to use this as a means of escaping the disease, leading to addiction. Orgasms from masturbation are often times increased with porn, because a video gives a more realistic approach, making it seem as though the viewer is actual experiencing an actual sexual encounter. This is why both of these addictions are usually seen together. 

As spoke on above, addictions give way to certain behaviors that are found to be inappropriate. Constant gaming on the internet, especially if the game includes violence and the use of weapons of some sort, it is shown to lead to violent behaviors. Gambling addictions formed on the internet can also be carried out into real life. Not only will the person experience bankruptcy because of a constant sense of false confidence that lead way to a point of no return, as discussed earlier, but in most cases the debt owed by the gambler is so high that it interferes with their safety. To avoid being killed or harmed, or in order to support their addiction, the gambler may also go to extreme measures to do so, including robbing and killing others for money or even trading one’s life for their own. “Over two thirds of pathological gamblers who committed crimes did so as a direct result of gambling (Gambling and Crime). Those addicted to specific types of porn, especially the videos that feature underage girls and include rape can lead the viewer to participate in inappropriate behaviors. These behaviors include rape and taking part in underage sex. “A Michigan state police study found that pornography was viewed just before or during 41 percent of 38,000 sexual crimes committed over twenty years “(Goldsmith). When a person is so addicted to the thought of being pleased by what they’re watching, they will eventually want more. These people then try to form fake accounts and websites posing as younger more appealing people to lure prey into their traps. Whether this be promising them a better life with them or even lying to them about who they are. The victims are then brought to a secure location where predators can rape them, acting out the porn addiction, and even kill them, conforming to game violence, or even both. 

Bullying, raping, and killing are all matters that can be handled in a court of law. Cyber Bullying has gotten so bad that there are multiple laws that against it. The charges can even be worse when the person that has been bullied commits suicide or death or serious harm has been done to them. “90% of kids cyberbullied think about suicide, and 1 in 10 attempt it” (Cyberbullyhotline). Rape has been an issue since the beginning of time, but since the internet was created the rate of rape crimes has skyrocketed. Rapists have easier access to their victims online, and as discussed before it is easy for them to hide behind a disguise and lie about who they are. Even though technology has made it easier to track a person down for a crime, there are always slip-ups and instances where the rapist cannot be found or detectives are not able to link a person to the crime at all. “In the nation in 2012, 46.8 percent of violent crimes and 19.0 percent of property crimes were cleared by arrest or exceptional means” meaning the case was not formulated on enough evidence or the predator was not found(FBI:UCR). Murder is frequently accompanied with rape, as it can be a way for the rapist to cover up their crime, making the charge more serious and can cause someone to live their life in jail. Online predators often continue to rape and kill after the first occurrence, leading to a series of murders. “Prentky, Lee, Knight, & Cerce (1997) reported a 39% sexual reoffending rate over a 25 year follow-up among rapist who had undergone sex offender treatment” (Lisak and Miller).  Serial killers are hard to convict because it can be hard for police to link the person to all the bodies that have been found, allowing for these predators to continue to commit crimes.  

Although the points discussed earlier explain the harsh effects the internet can have on some of its users, the internet is not all bad and can be used for good, but all of its users must work together to treat each other respectfully. With that being said, there are numerous available features that aim to make the internet a better platform and release it from the negative stigma that it carries currently. Extensions, one of the solutions to internet madness, allows for users to block certain content from being seen by them. For example, a news feed extension on Facebook could kill all of your news feed, or all of the clutter that gets posted on your timeline, and only allows the account holder to see their interactions with others, like comments on pictures or replies to your posts. If more internet users were exposed to extensions, they can filter out any unwanted and triggering content. “While this extension could help weed some of the haters out of your Instagram, the real win is when you don't like their negatively get you down” (Mazzo). 

Also, if websites would put stronger restrictions on their sites users that have experienced an unwanted encounter would be able to make sure that it does not occur again. These enhanced features could include, being blocked to the point where the user has not way to view the users account, even if they make a fake account, taking legal action if it is a regular occurrence, and also filter out harsh words and racial slurs. If all users of the internet aimed to work together and use the necessary tools to stop the harsh effects of the internet, it could be done. “the Internet is a powerful and useful tool if it is used correctly.” (Borelli). 

To be successful today, many people believe that it is not what one knows, but who they know. This meaning that knowledge, degrees, and education will only get someone so far, but it’s really the networking and connections that gets them to where they need to be. Creating and maintaining relationships are harder now more than ever, being that people are more self conscious and not so willing to put themselves out there to make these relations. The web creates numerous communication barriers making it harder for those to connect. Self-consciousness along with predators roaming about make it harder for people to trust one another, often holding themselves back from forming relationships. Fears of being ridiculed and not fitting in with the crowd causes people to isolate themselves, making them lonely. These people then turn to the internet to avoid this feeling, and will eventually not feel the need to connect with people at all.  This could eventually lead to an anti-social society, making it very hard for a country’s system to succeed. If everyone could learn to use the internet to the best of their ability and not take advantage of it and be mindful of others, then it would allow for businesses to flourish, individuals to become closer, and even be grounds for making peace. The misuse of the internet causes mental and physical illnesses, inappropriate behaviors, legal disputes, addictions, and circulation for incorrect information making it harder to form and maintain interpersonal relationships. 
