The Dark Web
What is the dark web used for and how does it affect us today?
The meme that I ended up creating was representative of our reading from Chapter 2 of Superconnected. It talks mostly about the creation of the internet and its uses as a new and favorable product for families and other people alike to make life’s chores easier. In the beginning of ‘The Dark Web’ it was mostly used for illegal file sharing as well as gambling which of course was not allowed on the mainstream internet. As time went on though, it started to develop even worse tendencies for what it is known for today. The drug trade, selling of organs, and many other malicious transactions go through on the dark web all the time. Data hacking is also a popular item on the dark web as everything in today's digital media society is based on user data and the profitability that comes with it. The dark web is a very powerful tool that in the wrong hands sadly could become catastrophic for many. Referring back to the original meme though, the internet was made to be a place of freedom where many could come and visit to enjoy themselves, maybe ask a question that had been nagging at them all day, but as in society, where there is good there is more than likely bad. As you are reading this there could have been multiple attempts of hackers trying to gain your information or IP address to copy and sell on The Dark Web to others. There are many dangers to using the internet that do not first come to mind whenever we open our laptops or even when we open a new tab, we are so used to the fact that the information that we are gaining from it comes from a reputable source and that it is safe to read without any repercussions. Yet, as consumers of the internet, we must take countermeasures such as VPNs and other forms of protection from the malicious users of The Dark Web.
Citations
Chayko, Mary. “A Deep, ‘Dark’ Web Is Also Born .” Superconnected: The Internet, Digital Media, and Techno-Social Life, Sage, Los Angeles ; London ; New Delhi ; Singapore ; Washington DC ; Melbourne, 2021, pp. 30–31.
Hey William,
I agree with most of what you said because it highlights the good and bad things on the internet. I think that while the internet is huge convince to citizens it could also incite violence and illegal activities. I think that everything you said was quite relatable just the formatting needs some touchup work.
I liked your meme depicting the dark web, not only does it make a good analogy with the trains but it brings up the dark web which is a very important issue. Many of the internets problems come from the dark web. The dark web is one of the reasons we have virus protection in this modern age. I remember I gave my computer a virus trying to go to a sketchy website without realizing. People need to understand the internet and its consequences.