In the third part of the article series titled "The Virtual World Threat" that we started as Milli Gazete, we discussed the dangers of the virtual world with Expert Pedagogue İnci Aydın and Sociologist Türkan Çiğdem. Explaining how social media and viewing habits target human nature and the general dynamics of society, experts made important statements.
With the development of technology, threats in the virtual world are also growing. Social media, where we spend our whole day, and digital platforms that we keep our eyes on, target the dynamics of society, especially children and youth. Technological developments that have increased globalization for 20 years have brought along many problems.
We discussed the issue with Expert Pedagogue İnci Aydın and Sociologist Türkan Çiğdem against the threats of the digital world that cause social and mental problems such as depression, asociality, addiction, bad example and suicide. Experts, who made important statements to the Milli Gazete, warned against the virtual world threats in the 21st century.
“IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT IS SAFE”
Specialist Pedagog İnci Aydın stated that the dangers that children may encounter in the virtual world negatively affect the psychology of the child, "If the child is exposed to cyberbullying, being mocked or insulted by his friends on social media, we may encounter psychological wear and tear in children. Depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive thoughts, behavioral disorders, or other mental disorders may occur. It is very important that the virtual environment is secure. If the child has been exposed to a negative image such as sexual and physical abuse from the virtual environment, this may cause false schemas to settle in the subconscious of children in the developmental period," she said.
“FAMILY MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THIS”
Continuing her explanations by giving an example, İnci Aydın said, "For example, let's say that at the age of 4, the child's family opens a cartoon on the phone, while the child is watching that cartoon, a 10-second advertisement may intervene and encounter a violent image or video. The family may not even realize it. For this reason, it is important for families to closely monitor what our children are doing online. During adolescence, we may encounter situations such as war games, videos, exposure to videos with sexual content, and friends negatively affecting each other from conversation groups, due to children's interests and curiosity."
“THE SUICIDE TENDENCIES CAN ALSO RISE”
Inci Aydin warning parents against negative consequences, "If a child in adolescence has been exposed to cyberbullying by his friends, we can see the psychologically negative effects, and there may even be an increase in suicidal tendencies. For example, a 15-year-old teenager starts to have problems while having a great time with his friends. His friends also start a mocking speech against him in all groups, and everyone continues to mock him. The child who is ostracized by his friends may begin to become lonely, withdrawn or angry. The adolescent child may behave differently than usual and his unhappiness, which increases with loneliness, may lead him to suicide," she added.
“WE STOPPED CONTACTING OURSELVES”
Sociologist Türkan Çiğdem explained the bad consequences of technological developments in society, "The digital world is a new market established by world giants for the exploitation of people. Exploitation is as old as human history. With each developmental age, people are put under a new exploitation, and with the excitement of development, we do not realize the heavy bills that this development pays us. Each of us has expensive toys. We never drop expensive toys such as phones and tablets, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Smartphones that blow our minds. So-called communication, we have jumped in time, we have opened to the world, but we have finished communicating with ourselves. We are so full of virtual communication that we can't stand the people around us," she said.
“THE VIRTUAL WORLD HAS HYPNOTIZED US ALL”
Turkan Cigdem, "Warm and close relationships have been replaced by artificial and fake ones. It is no longer 'neighborhood needing the ashes of its neighbor'. Now it has become 'neighbour's neighbour's internet password'. The brain, which gets used to instant and rapid virtual dopamine like a drug addiction, cuts off its connection with the soul and forgets about spiritual pleasures. People who become living corpses performing only bodily activities turn into soulless, sentient, emotionless zombies. Our soul is not dependent on anything and is free. We killed our souls in the virtual world and made our bodies slaves of the digital world, which consists of needs and addictions to the outside world, because the virtual world has hypnotized us all," she added.