Member topic: Negative side-effects of the virtual world?

I can think of a few:

1. For one, the aggression that is openly displayed in the virtual world, where it is easier to play out our shadow sides without repercussions

2.Notice how our propensities to compare ourselves with others, to feel envy, and to seek status through attention have increased

3.Mob intimidation, where a group comes together to demonize any outsiders

I am sure the benefits outweigh the cons, but still, sometimes I wish co back to the 90's when I was growing up.

I can't imagine life without the Internet, but sometimes, it's s scary place. 

do uou guys agree?

I do not agree. Internet is what you make of it. If you are intentional about staying away from the negativity, it cannot even touch you. If you focus on yourself instead of comparing your journey to someone else's, you will be fine but if you do not, then, yes you will be miserable. 

Golden words

Recommending Netflix Documentary - Social Dilemma. 

Not internet, but I’d say SM has become more of a demon than a service provider. Difficult to break the loop now. 

I'm going to answer for your question you asked in the title.

Negative side effects of virtual world and  internet:

In my case.. Yes.

Before unlimited internet and mobile phone came into my life I was more into studies and nature.. I was much much more productive. I was a topper of the class. I was more peaceful cuz my relationship with nature was the main source of my mental peace. I always liked to stay long time in nature . It used to give me lot of happiness like I used to sit on terrace of  my house and used to enjoy sunrise, sunsets, wind, rain. My most favourite activity in my childhood was to sit on my terrace looking at trees, thinking about physics while reading my physics text book.

But after unlimited internet and mobile phone came into my life my relationship with studies and nature has been degraded. I started drifting away from studies and nature and started developing interest in entertainment. There has been cheap entertainment available 24*7 like you can go and watch any song on YouTube at any time. Like you can go to Twitter and get lost for hours without realizing you spent so many hours there checking random tweets or news. Did I get any benefit by scrolling through Twitter?  Nothing. Not even single benefit.. But why I do that? Cuz it is addictive. Addictions are always non-productive.

Other example... Since August everyday I think I should stay away from India forum and focus 100% on my studies but everyday I come here looking at the topics cuz I always have something to say about some topics like yesterday night I thought I will go gayab from India forum for a month or two and focus 100% on my studies but you see I came here today by looking at your topic title cuz I really had something to say which I'm blabbering now in this post. What I get by blabbering all this? Nothing. I only wasted my 5 mins while I would have benefitted if I went and study some topic in my text book.

So yeah you see i have been drifting away from my long term goals but addicted more to instant gratification. Instant gratifications will never give you real happiness in the long term. So yeah there are definitely negitive side effects from internet or virtual world. Virtual world can distract you to the point that you start living more in virtual world than in reality atleast it happens in considerable amount of the cases. . Drifting away from reality is never a good thing in my opinion.

Whom I'm blaming in all this? I blame only myself for being not able to control my addictions. 

Cancelling culture.. I was hearing a lecture about it on yt.. How the power is now in the hand of nonentity and how power is being abused.. 

Please read the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

I'm sure it will help you.

It helped me a lot too

I think, both opinions (Minty's initial post and Supari's comment) go together: one being a description of negative effects, the other being about the personal choice.

I really love Newbird's post because it combines both: description and her involvement in the (for her) negative outcome.

Minty's book recommendation is about the focus we put on what we are doing/thinking/feeling...the subtitle is "Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World".

There are times when I spend considerable time here but I enjoy it (it's like a "me-time", a kind of vacation from real life)...I don't think that I waste my time, I'm simply focussed on doing that during the time I do it.

When somebody or something else wants/needs my attention, I drop this and shift my focus.

I like the virtual world but I still prefer the real world...it's same as I like books and movies but it's the real world that gets my main interest and is my main pass-time.