The Internet — it’s both good and bad for us. It started with the right intentions, making information more accessible and make remote communications easier. Now, we use the Internet for various purposes, with social media being the most common.
But while social media is enjoyable, it’s also the reason for the increasing cases of low self-esteem. Our peers and the celebrities who flaunt their successes online became the sources of our insecurities. Instead of feeling connected with the world and our communities, we felt even more disconnected. And the sense of being left out and not being good enough can lead to unhealthy habits.
But we shouldn’t let the Internet be a scary place. It may never be perfect, but we can make it a safer space for users if we use it with good intentions.
Besides, it will never stop evolving. We will become more dependent on it in the future. So it’s about time we see it as a positive presence in our lives, as it should be. Below are the ways it contributes to our happiness and health:
The Internet Makes Our Lives Better
From being a source of information, the Internet has also become a critical tool for many systems today, such as Smart Home systems, self-driving cars, healthcare software, and more. It can also automate some human jobs, like mining and administrative office tasks. As such, miners can work in safer conditions, and office employees can focus on more analytical tasks. Automation can help them boost their confidence in their careers.
It also opens our minds to social connections outside the norm. We can now adopt AI pets instead of real pets if you lack confidence in your real-pet-care capabilities. If we don’t have a strong physical support system, we can find them on it. Having online friends or therapists isn’t unheard of, and they can make us happy and content in ways our physical environments can’t.
Entertainment reached a new level because of the Internet as well. AI technology made online games much more immersive. Smart technology brought movie theaters to our smartphones and smart TVs. Thanks to that, we could enjoy great movies (and re-watch them as many times as we wanted) during the pandemic.
Engaging Websites Provide Useful and Entertaining Content
Websites like BuzzFeed, ThoughtCatalog, and the like, give us engaging and relatable content. They feel like a friend who gives us a pick-me-up when we feel down. The humorous content they post also eases our boredom and distracts us from reality.
Brand and e-commerce websites can do the same. If they post content other than their shop or catalog, they can engage with their customers better. Their customers, in turn, can rely on those content to seek information about a brand’s products. They can look at before-and-after comparison photos, videos demonstrating using a certain product, and even disclaimers.
An appealing website design alone can already entertain a user. It can make them anticipate good content from the website. Colors, for example, draw certain emotions, so if a website has the right color palette, the user can be motivated to stay. Of course, that’s if the website won’t disappoint them.
The Internet Allows Us to Monitor Our Health
Today, we no longer have to go to the gym to get fit unless we need a personal trainer and have particular goals. Instead, we can sign up for an online program or watch exercise videos on YouTube. If we need to track our progress, fitness and health apps are available.
We also can monitor our diets through the Internet. Health and fitness websites offer tips and recipes for the specific diet we’re on. If we have our personal health information, we can also use the Internet to know our risk levels for depression, diabetes, and other diseases.
The Internet Spreads Positivity
We can’t always control what we see on the Internet. But we can control how we feel about them. If social media is becoming a toxic place for you, make it the opposite by sharing positivity. Even posting a picture of your pets will help. Avoid partaking in trends that affect other people negatively, like the “cancel culture.” If you see behaviors you dislike or an opinion or idea different from yours, it’s not your job to change them. Block them if they really bother you, and it will give your mind a cleansing you didn’t know you needed.
The Internet will continue to make our lives better. If we can focus on the amazing things it provides us, we can use it to forge good connections, which it is supposed to be for.
