Influencer-wannabes and sexual predators are ruining the internet

Advertisers, influencer-wannabes, sexual predators, and scammers, of course, are ruining the internet for the vast majority of us.

Some are just annoying and trying to find their place (and some money) under the Sun, while others are physically and emotionally scaring netizens.

When I started using the internet, it felt like a very private experience. You’d go to an internet cafe and pay a few bucks for the opportunity to chat with a stranger. I wasn’t even a teenager yet, and those strangers might have been sexual predators grooming me – but little did we know about it back then.

Not that we cared – as soon as your hour was up, you were safely back in the real world. Well, as safe as Lithuania felt in the 90s, after declaring independence from the USSR, anyway.

On a scale from one to ten, how safe do you feel these days when interacting with technology? Are you eager to try out everything that comes your way without hesitation, or does uncharted cyber territory spook you?

Last week, two members of an online child abuse cult were arrested. The gang would show kids violent and extreme content, trick them into producing sexual abuse material, and later blackmail them into more extreme activities by threatening to send the compromising images to their friends and family.Don't

The arrest is good news, isn’t it? Yet, it doesn’t quite feel that way. Jesse’s stories about hunting pedophiles remind us that this is an ongoing, uphill battle.

Another adult-only story is way more uplifting. Everything these days seems to be powered by AI, and so we have AI-powered vaginas, too. The creator of such a device says the innovation is about to help cure male loneliness. But what do mental health specialists think?

Bots can indeed help someone going through a rough patch but, ideally, should only complement and not replace genuine human connection.

However, being 'human' doesn't always mean being kind or comforting. While it's good to turn to friends for support, be cautious of strangers, especially online, where anonymity can embolden some individuals to behave poorly.

Online safety requires creativity. A compelling example is how women on RedNote use innovative tactics to avoid unwanted interactions. By hijacking seemingly mundane topics, such as using hashtags like 'Baby Supplemental Food' or 'BSF', they effectively deter male users from viewing their posts.

You’re on your own online, despite what the big tech companies claim. Visit Cybernews to learn more about how to protect yourself and decode tech without overheating your brain.