The Internet and the Dark Side of Technology

(Baonghean.vn) –Over the years in Nghe An, the Internet has become a widely accessible service, an indispensable need in social life. Alongside positive aspects such as abundant and diverse information on culture, education, society, and economics, there are still shortcomings in both management and user behavior.

From 2008 to the present, the number of Internet service providers in Vietnam has increased fivefold, international bandwidth has increased ninefold, and domestic bandwidth has increased eightfold. Vietnam is one of the top 20 countries in the world with the highest number of Internet users.

Over the past three years, Nghe An, the largest province in the country by area with many remote and mountainous districts, has seen significant development in the internet sector. By August 2011, 20.59% of the population had broadband internet subscriptions, and 31.7% of households had computers connected to the internet. In 2009, Nghe An ranked 9th out of 63 provinces and cities in terms of technical infrastructure readiness, rising to 4th place nationwide in 2011. Internet access, once considered an expensive service, has become affordable, with a continuously increasing number of users. In mountainous districts such as Ky Son, Tuong Duong, and Con Cuong, telecommunications and internet infrastructure basically meets the needs of the people.

The internet is a vast repository of human knowledge; we can search for almost any information in all fields, both domestic and international, including news, both new and old. Email offers the advantages of speed, cost-effectiveness, and ensuring the confidentiality of information from sender to recipient. In the field of education, distance learning, online learning, and even studying programs from abroad via the internet have become quite common. The advantage is that students can study at their leisure and interact directly with teachers. This method saves both cost and time.

In terms of the operation of state agencies, through the electronic portals of localities, departments, and the government, citizens and businesses can access public services at various levels such as: business registration, notarization, population registration, vehicle ownership transfer, etc., without having to go to the offices of these agencies as before. The relationship between state agencies and citizens ensures transparency, openness, and convenience. Furthermore, this method of communication increases mutual control and supervision between citizens, businesses, and state agencies.

Despite its important benefits, the Internet still has negative aspects, such as:

In remote areas, internet cafes are developing rapidly, mostly frequented by children playing games, adults chatting to make friends, and a few using them for research, entertainment, and work. Some students have dropped out of school or stayed up late due to addiction to games like "Age of Empires" and "Legend of the Martial Arts"... Some internet cafes in cities have seen fights and scams... This is a pressing issue for schools, parents, and society. The concept of "Internet addiction" has emerged, a habit that is difficult to control. Many gamers are overly passionate, wasting too much time, health, mental energy, and money on online games – this is a form of "Internet addiction."

Recently, many internet users in Vietnam have expressed outrage over the misuse of some online social media platforms to disseminate information containing propaganda against the Vietnamese state, slandering the regime, violating laws, and threatening national security. Many websites post obscene news, images, and video clips, even using personal images to find targets, negatively impacting the morals and lifestyles of young people and students today.

With internet access, users can easily register and participate in foreign social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Yahoo, etc. We can also easily find friends and interesting information. However, information that distorts cultural norms, customs, and violates Vietnamese law is not uncommon, even on well-known foreign social networks that constantly publish information that misrepresents Vietnamese customs and violates Vietnamese law. On the other hand, value-added activities are difficult to control, leading to tax revenue losses. Recently, many members of social networks and some online news sites with servers located abroad have become communication channels for individuals plotting to incite others to participate in activities that disrupt security and order. With the link-sharing feature on social networks, information spreads very quickly, in seconds, along with the increasingly rapid and inexpensive development of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets with 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. The speed of updating and spreading information is faster and more mobile than traditional end devices. This is also a negative aspect of technology that domestic authorities are still struggling to address.

Regarding personal blogs, thousands of new blogs are created every day.millions of people access it,In addition to the benefits that blogs offer, such asA forum where its owner can express their thoughts and opinions on certain issues. In reality, there are blogs that serve as tools for propagating reactionary culture and erroneous political ideas and perceptions that contradict the policies and guidelines of our Party and State...There are blogs that resemble sex websites, with profile pictures featuring nudity and sex images. There are also fake blogs, where anyone can create a blog to defame others. Like most other internet utilities, blogs have clearly demonstrated their dual nature, but it's difficult to pinpoint the boundary between freedom of expression and abuse. Actions such as creating and spreading viruses through computer networks, causing damage to computer infrastructure and operating systems, stealing data, and leaking information resulting in losses for users, as well as data and documents belonging to citizens, government agencies, and businesses, are also pressing issues.

There are also downsides such as...Fraud, defamation of individuals and organizations, theft of credit card numbers. The virtual environment also includes:A place for dating, seduction, and deception of teenagers and even children into depraved games.unauthorized access to IT systems, mImpersonating others using stolen insurance card numbers found online, as well as fake identity cards and birth certificates, to purchase high-value goods...

For the Internet to have a positive impact on social life, proactive solutions are needed to minimize its negative aspects. We are pleased that Vietnam has made rapid progress in Internet development, and we have several important legal documents regulating the management, provision, and use of Internet services and websites. These legal documents have had a clear impact on Vietnamese businesses operating in Internet-related fields; however, shortcomings remain. The Internet is a global environment, a "virtual world" that reflects almost the entire real world we live in. However, state management of the Internet by only the Ministry of Information and Communications is insufficient. In the coming period, it is necessary to strengthen the coordinating role of departments at all levels, down to the grassroots and local levels, in implementing and enforcing the law to mobilize the strength of the whole society so that the Internet can develop and be used effectively, serving socio-economic growth and people's lives. This should be based on the principle that state management must keep pace with the development of the Internet in social life; management is to serve and promote development, not to prohibit.

Phan Nguyen Hao