Should The Internet Be Censored - Research Proposal Example

First and and Number Due (DD/MM/YY) Should The Internet Be Censored? Problem ment The internet is one of the most advanced technology in today’s world. The Internet has given people across the globe the opportunity to express themselves freely without any hurdles. In this regard, it has been suggested “on-line systems give people far more genuinely free speech and free press than [has] ever [occurred] in human history" (Corn-Revere 71). An endless debate has been going on whether the internet should be censored. This is because the internet has been accused of harboring and a platform of ‘offensive material.’ It is claimed that children are capable of watching inappropriate material like pornography from the internet, hence the need to censor the internet. Censoring the internet means that it will be no longer accessible to communicate freely like before, which will be a breach of people’s freedom. Protecting minors is imperative since they are tomorrow’s generation that need to grow morally upright. However, as much as the internet should be censored it should be done in a manner that it remains a spectacle source of information while the vulnerable to the internet are exploited. Background and the way the problem is solvable Some countries have censored some of the content on the internet. The most prone website to be shut down is social media platform like Twitter. Censoring of internet has been viewed as a form of dictatorship if it is done by the government. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States explicitly protects freedom of expression. Since children are the most vulnerable to inappropriate content on the internet, the parents can be involved at a household level to censor the internet to the children. Filtering software and digital signatures should be used by the parents to protect the children other than considering censorship. Presentation of the proposal The internet should not be censored due to claims of inappropriate content since it is a useful source of information and a platform for expression. Seeking legislative measure to censor the internet contravene the constitution, and, on the contrary, there are other options that can be adopted to prevent misuse of the internet. There are various ways such as involving the parents in protecting their kids from inappropriate Internet content, use of filter software, and digital signatures that inform the viewer about the content of a particular site. Since the children are ones, that should be protected from inappropriate content the parents are in the best position to protect their children. This modern world is also very swift in innovation matters. It is due to this fact that filter software are available as well as a digital signature that can protect a particular group from viewing any material that may be deemed inappropriate. If these voluntary measures are used by people, there will be no need of censorship from any federal government across the globe. If the government passed internet censorship bill in the future, First Amendment would not be part of cyberspace (Hentoff 1). This will be very unfortunate and unacceptable since the internet is not only a network of computers, but sociologically, it is a network of people. Why the internet should not be censored The internet can be viewed as a political party, everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. There should be no absolute restriction as to who should acquire and view a particular information. The Internet has no authority and anybody can post anything, as well as read anything on the internet. It is, therefore, prudent to leave the internet it in the interest of the public to enjoy the freedom of expressing anything they want. The internet is the only place today that anyone, anywhere, may express his or her convictions, no matter how singular, without intimidation or fear of being coerced into conformity and silence (Barlow 2). Censoring the internet would not be just since the most significant property of the internet media is its capability to reach almost everywhere around the globe. The content on the internet is written by authors from big newsroom anchor like CNN, big corporations like IBM, Microsoft, and Google and even small children (Allison 3). Some people argue that freedom of speech should only entail information that is educational, religious, and should not do any harm to anyone, thus disqualifying pornography and other offensive material. On the other hand, others have described freedom of speech as the free flow of ideas. The latter seems to be the best description of free speech since it is in line with First Amendment of the Constitution that protects democracy. The amendment gives anybody the right to express himself whether others agree or disagree. According to corn-Revere, “it has been suggested that `on-line systems give people far more genuinely free speech and free press than ever before in human history" (71). Hence, censorship of the internet will kill the spirit of information sharing, which is the greatest value of the Internet. The Internet has given people the opportunity to be more active in the subject of the information than before. There is enhanced sharing of information, participation, and usage of a more technical term. These technical terms are sometimes used daily, and the internet can facilitate learning of such terms. A person can feel resentful if his common language is taken away. The only way that one can understand what people are talking about or what is trending, it will be important to check the internet technology. Communication has been enhanced further through the use of the internet by use Electronic mail (E-mail). E-mail is no doubt one of the cheapest form of communication in today’s world. It can be used to convey information among the people across the street, region, and even country. Censoring the internet implies that there will be the inaccessibility of information restricting global communications. The major bond of contention, why the internet should be censored, is the concerns of internet pornography. It is worth noting that pornographic material is present in the video and magazines, and it is legal in this platforms. The internet can be described as public display, which makes children vulnerable to offensive content. However, children are still exposed to offensive and inappropriate material in other media platforms such as radio, TV, magazines, and so on. Censoring the internet on these grounds won’t be fair and just, and it will be not consistent since children will also be exposed to such material. The parents are in best position to control the type of information that flows in their homes in regards to what they don’t want their children to view. Some parents might feel that censorship of the internet is patronizing their parenthood since they have the sole right to dictate what content their children will view on the internet. Therefore, if the main aim of internet censorship is to protect minors from the indecorous material, then other platforms should also be censored. Summary and refutation of opposing views The internet should not thus be censored because it might be a platform of where people can cast their opinions freely, and children are vulnerable to offensive material. The Internet is also prone to be censored in countries that are not democratic. This will make political authority censor the internet since they don’t subscribe to the idea of free speech. Pornographic is also another reason the internet is likely to be censored. Pornography has been said to be a bad social norm if it gets to kids, hence justifying censorship of the internet. It is therefore not a valid reason since other media platforms such as video and magazines are platforms of the same offensive material. All these grounds as to why internet should be censored don’t hold water since they can be mitigated in one form of the other. The Internet is a very strong tool as far as the conveyance of information is concerned. The manner in which people express themselves on the internet is amazing. Information is conveyed in a fast and cheap manner, and giving people an opportunity of learning new technical terms. Conclusion The children are prone to access offensive and inappropriate material on the internet that is regarded as public. On the other hand, the internet is very important source of information and the only platform that is easily assessable in terms of freedom of expression. As much as we want the world to be a moral place, the democracy and fundamental rights of the people should not be violated. The problem that the internet poses is, however, manageable without censoring it. One of the solutions is for the parents to make sure that their children view only the content they perceive is right. It is also possible to use another form of technology voluntary to receive and view the content that one might feel is ‘moral.’ It includes filter software and the use of the digital software. Work cited Allison, L., and R. Baxter. Protecting Our Innocents. Web. April 9, 2015. Barlow, John P. “One Mans Declaration of the In-dependence of Cyberspace." Web. April 9, 2015. Corn-Revere. “New Age Cornstockery: Exon vs The Internet Policy Analysis No. 232." Diss. Howgan & Hartson Law Firm, 1995. Print. Hentoff, Frances. “Indecent proposal." Entertainment Weekly. March 31, 1995. Print. Read More