Overwhelming power of the internet

We are living in an age where being online has become a very common norm and even a habit. However, what we don’t realize these days, is the excessive time, importance and attention that we give to the little life of our own that we’ve created in these different platforms on the cyberspace, be it in the form of virtual avatars, a social media profile or something as simple as a profile picture. Each of these things says something to the viewer, it conveys about the user, an idea and perception.

But let’s take this idea back to the era of the 2000’s, where the idea of the internet and our engagement on it was not that complicated. The Internet simply looked like a space of curiosity and engagement, where we tend to use the internet at our own ease and time attribution. But when we look at the internet, in the current status quo, it has interestingly become a space of more activity and interactive engagement. The usage of internet is very diverse these days, and its purpose of use varies quite a lot, some prevalent aspects namely being, socializing, connecting, sharing information, consuming knowledge, creating content and list goes on.

But an intriguing aspect to note today is that the individuals are not just viewers and consumers to the content and information available in the cyberspace, but also active participants in creating content too. They can actively contribute on the cyberspace, and this feature of the internet today, is what holds the difference between the space internet used to be in the 2000s to what it has advanced to today.

When we talk about how complicated the internet has become today, we need to acknowledge the overwhelmingness that comes along with the usage of it. Individuals think about one another in ways, that are unfathomable because every user has a perception which is subjective, unique yet unifying. Individuals experience meta emotions, in essence, meaning having feelings about feelings. There are stances where people think about what others are thinking about them and vice versa. Gradually, with patterns like these, overwhelmingness, overthinking, overanalysing and FOMO (Fear of missing out) becomes a common norm.

Possibly because initially, we were just getting acquainted with the technologically new interest i.e. the Internet, it was something new, something yet to be explored and developed further. But with time, the internet has become a scarier and more uncertain place. While earlier it was not that strenuous, and it was less harmful mentally, even though cyberfraud existed, but less than today’s time, wherein the current status quo, the cyberspace has become riskier where individuals of all age groups are susceptible to cybercrimes and online deception that can happen anytime and at any place. Further a lot of aspects are branching out from the online interactions and consumption of different kinds of content, like online comparison, the dilemma of the online self and the offline self, the highlight reel effect etc.

It is also a contemplative zone, where a surge of different things is happening at the same time, simultaneously which can make one feel bewildered and overwhelmed. The attention never takes rest; it is always captivated by different things happening on the internet. But this overwhelming nature isn’t accidental, but rather a design of intriguing and holding our attention, which makes us stay long in front of our screens. And these little screens, are the small mirrors of the reflection of our thoughts, choices, interests and opinions.