What does the virtual world give us and what does it take away?

It is very difficult to imagine life today without the Internet. It has become part of our lives. Many young people ask how their parents or grandparents could have functioned without Internet-enabled phones, lots of apps, GGBet apk and social media. Today, they are used by almost everyone and a lack of access to the web would make life difficult for most of us.

However, not only does the virtual world have advantages, but frequent exposure to it, especially for young people and children, has its disadvantages. It is therefore very important that parents have control over what their children watch online and how long they spend in virtual reality.

Virtual education

One of the advantages is virtual education. There are many different online courses on the Internet, where you can learn from anywhere, just by accessing the Internet, without spending time and money commuting, and you can learn directly from home.

In recent years, the number of people working remotely has increased, which is better for many. Employers are also satisfied with this solution. They can hire a good employee who lives far away from the company's headquarters, offering them the possibility to work comfortably from home. The virtual world gives us the opportunity to promote our skills and abilities, and posting advertisements and information about our business on social networks helps to attract potential customers.

Access to information

The Internet allows us to learn about any subject at a rapid pace. All you have to do is type what you are interested in into a search engine and you will know the answer in no time. We do not have to wait for information services on television to know what is going on in the world, and for most people this is a better way of acquiring knowledge than searching through encyclopaedias or books on a given topic. On various portals or forums we have the opportunity to share knowledge and opinions.

Contact with relatives

When there was no Internet, letters were the only way to communicate, and later on landlines. Nowadays, it is not only possible to hear a loved one on the phone, but also to see them. With the help of applications such as:

• Skype;
• Messenger;
• WhatsAppMessenger;
• GoogleDuo;
• FaceTime;
• GoogleMeet;
• ZOOMCloud Meeting.

Social networks and various types of instant messaging are a good way to make new friends or acquaintances.

Shopping

The online world offers us the opportunity to browse the range of products in a shop without going into it. We can look at things, choose colours, sizes, fashions, flavours or quantities and safely have them delivered to our door. This is a good solution for the elderly or those who want to save time in the shops.

Entertainment

As you may have guessed, the internet is also a way to kill boredom: when we can't leave the house for some reason, virtual reality provides us with entertainment. A good film, an online game or music are all examples of leisure activities offered by the Internet.

Many people, especially young people, enjoy being in the virtual world. Describing their experiences and emotions on Internet blogs or portals calms them down. People are more courageous to share opinions and discuss issues on the Internet than in real life. Virtual reality allows us to develop our passions and skills. It allows us to get away from the problems of everyday life, at least for a while. However, like everything else, this online world also has its drawbacks.

Addiction

It is very easy to become addicted to the virtual world, especially for children and young people. It is becoming more and more common to see young people who practically never part with their phones or computers at home. Playing computer games for hours on end is not a good way to spend your free time.

Watching people on social media, we get the impression that they are beautiful, rich, smart and our self-esteem suddenly drops. So often this is an illusion caused by creating one's own image, altering photos and publishing what the world finds interesting.

In the online world, it is also not difficult to encounter hegemony. People post negative comments on the Internet, especially anonymously, insulting and making fun of others. Victims of such hate speech often become depressed, anxious and avoid the real world.

Harmful content

There is a lot of harmful content on the Internet that evokes negative emotions. This includes pornographic content, which is practically accessible to everyone, including the young. It also includes sites depicting violence, discrimination or incitement to self-harm or harm to health.

Misinformation

People tend to believe everything they read or see on the Internet. Not everything in virtual reality is true, and often it is content that is used to manipulate people. Therefore, it is very important to use the Internet sensibly.Alongside true and verified information, there is also so-called "fake news".

Viruses

This is a serious and increasingly frequent problem in the virtual world: browsing and clicking on anything that appears carries the risk of hackers breaking into your device. In doing so, we can lose our data and often even our account savings. On the Internet, everyone can be anonymous, which is an advantage, but also a great disadvantage: we cannot be sure who is on the other side and what their intentions are, so online safety is very important, especially for children and young people.