essay on social networking sites blessing or curse

The Pros and Cons of Social Media: A Blessing or A Curse

The pros and cons of social media: a blessing or a curse.

In the current digital era, social media has ingrained itself deeply into our daily lives. It has transformed how we connect, share information, and consume content. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have taken the world by storm, offering exciting opportunities and challenges. 

This article delves into the pros and cons of social media, exploring whether it is a blessing or a curse for society. Let’s dive in and explore the impact of social media on our lives.

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1. The Power of Connection 

Social media has revolutionized communication, allowing us to connect with people worldwide. Social media platforms help us in two ways. 

• First, they help us reconnect with old friends. 
• Second, they assist us in making new friends. 

These platforms make social bonding easier and give a sense of a smaller and more connected world. According to a survey, over 4.5 billion people use social media daily, illustrating its widespread influence on global communication.

2. Information at Your Fingertips 

One of the greatest advantages of social media is instant access to information. News, updates, and trends spread like wildfire on platforms like Twitter. Social media is very useful in times of crisis. For example, it allows information to spread quickly during emergencies or natural disasters. 

3. Opportunities for Businesses 

For businesses, social media has opened up a treasure trove of opportunities. With over 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, companies can tap into a massive audience for advertising and brand promotion. Social media analytics can give us important information about how consumers behave. It allows businesses to adjust their marketing tactics for improved outcomes.

4. Fostering Creativity and Expression  

Social media has empowered individuals to express their creativity and showcase their talents . Whether through photography on Instagram, short videos on TikTok, or thoughtful posts on personal blogs, users can share their passions with the world. This creative outlet has led to the discovery of numerous influencers and artists who might not have gained recognition otherwise.

5. Social Activism and Awareness 

Social media has catalyzed social change, enabling activists to raise awareness about various causes. Movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter gained momentum through online platforms, reaching millions of people worldwide. It has encouraged conversations on important social issues and allowed marginalized voices to be heard.

6. Negative Effects on Mental Health 

Despite its numerous advantages, social media has also been associated with several negative effects on mental health. Always comparing yourself to others’ seemingly flawless lives on social media can make you feel like you’re not good enough. Studies have linked excessive social media use to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, especially among teenagers.

7. Spread of Misinformation 

One of the significant challenges of social media is the rampant spread of misinformation. False news and rumors can go viral within minutes, leading to confusion and panic. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, just under half – about 48% – of American adults admit they frequently or occasionally get their news from social media. This is a 5% drop compared to 2020’s statistics. Making it crucial for platforms to address the issue of misinformation and fact-checking.

8. Privacy Concerns  

Privacy breaches and data leaks have raised concerns about the safety of personal information shared on social media. With cyberattacks and hacking becoming more sophisticated, protecting users’ privacy has become paramount. A study revealed that 68% of social media users are worried about their data being accessed without consent.

9. Addiction and Time Wastage 

The addictive nature of social media is a significant concern for many individuals. Always scrolling and getting many notifications can make you feel like you must always check these platforms. It can lower your productivity and impact your face-to-face relationships. Studies have shown that social media users spend an average of 2 .5 hours per day on these platforms.

10. Impact on Relationships 

While social media facilitates connections, it can also strain real-life relationships. Using social media too much could mean we’re talking less in person. It can lower the quality of our real-life relationships. Furthermore, misunderstandings and conflicts arising from misinterpreted posts or comments can damage relationships.

11. Cyberbullying and Online Harassment 

The anonymity provided by social media can sometimes lead to cyberbullying and online harassment. Teenagers in particular may find it difficult to avoid persistent cyberbullying. Serious emotional and mental health issues may result from it. According to a report, 7 in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying at least once before they hit the age of 18.

12. Influence on Political Discourse 

Social media plays a significant role in shaping political discourse and public opinion. Social media has created a place where different opinions can be shared. However, it also gets blamed for creating groups that only share similar views. Plus, it is often used to spread content that divides people. A Pew Research Center study found that 62% of American adults believe social media has a negative impact on political discussions.

Social media is a double-edged sword with benefits and drawbacks. Its power to connect people, disseminate information, and promote businesses is undeniable. At the same time, it poses risks to mental health, privacy, and interpersonal relationships. The key lies in responsible and mindful use of social media as individuals and as a society. We can make the most out of social media if we understand its risks. By working towards creating a safe and positive online space , we can reduce the negative aspects that can sometimes feel like a curse.

1. Can social media really impact mental health?

Several studies show a connection between heavy social media use and raised anxiety levels. Many also found that it can lead to more depression. On top of it all, there’s a link between using too much social media and feeling lonely. Social media often makes us compare ourselves with others. It also shows us unrealistic standards. Both of these factors can harm our mental health.

2. How can businesses benefit from social media?

Social media provides businesses with a vast audience for advertising and brand promotion. It also offers valuable analytics to understand consumer behavior and tailor marketing strategies accordingly.

3. What are some ways to protect personal privacy on social media?

Users should take steps to keep their personal information safe on social media. One way to do this is by regularly checking their privacy settings. It’s important not to share sensitive information so that everyone can see it. Also, be careful when someone you don’t know sends a friend request or asks you to follow them.

4. Can social media be a tool for social activism?

Absolutely. Social media holds a key role in increasing awareness about different social issues. It provides a platform for activists to share their views and rally for change. This leads to worldwide discussions that can trigger positive actions.

5. How can we combat misinformation on social media?

Combatting misinformation requires collective efforts from platforms, users, and fact-checking organizations. People should double-check information before they share it on social media. At the same time, social media platforms need to have strong systems in place to check facts. These systems should be able to flag any false content automatically.

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The Impact of Social Media: Blessing or Curse?

Introduction

Social media has fundamentally transformed the way we communicate, connect, and consume information. It’s an undeniable part of our lives, with billions of people worldwide participating in various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. However, the question of whether social media has had a net positive or negative impact on society is a subject of ongoing debate. In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into the arguments from both sides of this contentious issue and provide a summary table to help you better understand the main points.

Arguments in Favor of Social Media (The Blessing)

Arguments Against Social Media (The Curse)

The debate over the impact of social media is a multifaceted and continually evolving one. While it offers global connectivity, empowerment, and opportunities for businesses, it also raises legitimate concerns about mental health, privacy, and the spread of misinformation. The “blessing or curse” question is complex and depends largely on how social media is used and the balance individuals strike between their virtual and real-world lives.

As society continues to grapple with these issues, it’s crucial to approach social media use mindfully, acknowledging both its benefits and drawbacks. Striking that balance and using these platforms responsibly can help ensure that the blessings of social media outweigh its curses in our daily lives. In the end, the impact of social media is largely determined by the choices and actions of its users.

Social Media: A Curse or a Blessing?

Since 2005 the number of adults that use social media in the United States has risen from eight percent to 72 percent, according to Forbes.com. Social media use is on the rise, and though many may not realize it, frequent use can be seen as an addiction.

“I find myself clicking on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram icons over and over, as if my newsfeeds are going to change and show me something incredibly different within seconds,” said Kelly Brockett, senior communication major. “I find myself more worried about what’s going on in the social media world rather than taking in what is physically around me, a bad habit I am trying to break.”

Use of social media has become very common among people. People are found using cell phones while in supermarkets, hallways, dinners and even in classrooms. A cell phone can be found in a student’s hands, pocket and even on top of their desk.

“When I am walking I use it to play music, text or for social media. I always have my phone on me, also if I can get away with having it on my desk then it’s usually there,” said Marcus McKenzie, Penn State University senior. “I check Twitter and Instagram every moment I get.”

George Kapalka, Chair of the Department of Psychological Counseling said he thinks the phone is a tool. “I think what people are attached to and crave is more what the activity is and the phone simply provides them an easy way to be able to do that,” said Kapalka.

Kapalka continued, “People now seem to crave being connected with the social media and that really has replaced social groups to a large extent.”

Craving social media is what is seen as an issue. The use of social media is one thing, although once feelings of distress and unpleasantness occur because a person is unable to access their accounts as a serious issue may be at hand.

A psychological fear has been diagnosed called “nomophobia” or no-mobile-phone-phobia, it is the feeling that people experience when their phone was left at home, dies or they are unable to access it, according to nomophobia.com. The fear causes high levels of stress that is created when unable to communicate through the cell phone at any time of the day. Some of the reasons people experience this fear is due to losing or forgetting their phone, SIM card failure, battery failure, running out of minutes, traveling, or from poor reception.

“I am guilty of experiencing a complete sense of panic when I leave my phone at home. I just feel completely disconnected and almost vulnerable,” said Kayla Horvath, communication major.

A Fox Business report found that Americans spend on average of 16 minutes every hour on social networking sites. The report stated, “Your intention might be to hop online to quickly update your status or tweet your latest life revelation, but social media is addictive and a major time consumer.”

The need to check a cell phone has become so common and even natural to people that the Huffington Post name the reaction a mechanical movement. “…You can’t help yourself, because checking your smartphone is a mechanical movement for you, as involuntary as breathing or blinking or producing saliva in your mouth.”

Brocket explains that when she does not have her phone she feels “sheer panic.” “I feel like my life is on that phone, all my contacts, my calendar, my email, everything … I’d be too worried I was missing someone trying to get a hold of me if I didn’t have my phone.”

Many have found that if they don’t check their phone or go a period of time without scrolling through non-existent notifications, they begin to feel a vibration that never actually happened. This feeling has been named, “phantom vibration syndrome.” The syndrome is a perceived vibration from a device that is not actually vibrating, according to a study done by Indiana and Purdue University’s Department of Psychology.

The study found that 89 percent of the 290 undergraduate students experienced phantom vibrations. The students in the study explained that they experienced phantom vibration syndrome about once every two weeks on average. The study also found that the students who expressed a strong reaction to a vibration or phone notification, experienced phantom vibration syndrome more often.

Many wonder what is so appealing about social media. “I think people are becoming so addicted to social media because it fulfills a certain drive or need that we never before had the means to like we do now, nosiness,” said Horvath. “Almost everyone likes to feel connected and is curious about what the big news is in their friends or families life.”

Horvath adds that social media is a mindless activity that is very easy to look at. “I use social media multiple times a day. Most of the time it is simply because I am bored and curious as to what else is going on around me.”

“I use Instagram the most. It’s just so dumb. I sit there and refresh, refresh, refresh the page. I know I’m better than that. I can be doing things that are actually worth whole with my time but no,” Raven Brunson senior communication major said.

Social media is an activity that is used by people almost every day but what uses are considered as an addiction? “I think that addiction to social media is when you are constantly on it. If you pick it up while in the middle of conversation with someone you’re not listening,” said Brunson.

Horvath said, “I think a person could be considered addicted when they post multiple tweets, Facebook posts, or Instagram posts per day.”

Brockett explains that social media addiction is, “people who are sometimes far too interested in what their newsfeeds look like instead of being mentally present while they are spending quality time with friends and family.”

To some, exhaustive amount of social media use is not seen as an addiction. “Addiction is a pretty heavy word that shouldn’t be thrown around too lightly,” said Jen Pacheco, senior psychology major. “People get addicted to heroin. But it’s not crazy to think that our impulse to constantly check social media time after time and scroll, scroll, scroll is detrimental to us in some way.”

Franca Mancini, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services said, “Addiction isn’t normal, and I hesitate to use that term other than in extreme cases, but there is the possibility that for some individuals that habit of the cell can get out of hand.”

Pacheco adds, “It’s becoming a societal norm, you’re weird if you’re not connected.” Based on the amount of social media users it has become “the norm.”

“I do not think people are consciously aware of the addiction because it has just become a part of our life,” said Horvath. “We are over-saturated by it. It is the new norm.”

As a result of increased social media use, people are finding themselves searching for help. In September of 2013 the first inpatient Internet addiction treatment center in the country opened at Bradford Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Psychologist Dr. Kimberly Young decided to open the center after spending the past 18 years treating patients addicted to the Internet. She felt that the issue was rising and due to the amount of requesting treatment options, something needed to be done.

The center offers a 10-day inpatient program available to adults over 18-years-old. The center currently offers 16 available beds and uses the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principle, or “talk therapy” to help overcome their addiction through verbal communication.

The internet addictions vary from social media, eBay, pornography, and gambling addictions. The patients experience a 72-hour detox from the internet where they are slowly reintroduced to face-to-face communication.

“Is this a start of a new revelation?” said Andrea Gonzalez, political science major. “A revelation as in, do people really not know how to resist using social media? I am shocked to hear this but I fear that it will only lead to more addiction centers throughout the control.”

Many wonder how this continued use of social media may affect people and relationships in the future. Kapala explains that the relationships are not as personal as they were before. “I don’t want to be fatalistic, but I am not particularly optimistic of the effect that it is going to have,” he said.

Kapalka continued, “I am concerned that it’s going to turn us as human beings into more and more self-centered people that don’t know too much about empathy and how to express it, because you don’t develop as much close physical relationships … Because the interaction is through social media or over text rather than physically being there watching the person react to what you are doing.”

The first step to addressing the issue is first realizing that increased social media use is a problem and can create lasting effects. Checking a cell phone 10 minutes of every hour is seen as a societal norm, meanwhile others using social media excessively are checking in to internet rehabilitation centers.

“It should not affect your outside experiences. The screen is not your life and it should not be used constantly,” said Brunson. “I’m not Instagram famous, nor do I feel that way. I just think that I over use it.”

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Is Social Media a Blessing or a Curse?

High school student in New York City

The way I see it, it all depends on how these sites, like Facebook or Twitter, are being used. Social media itself can be abused, overused, and taken advantage of. However, the power of social media itself is probably greater than the power of any person, any novel, any ruler, or even any country. But, whether that incredible power is a blessing or a curse is also one matter to question.

The power of social media can be something extremely influential. This first took a huge toll in the beginning of 2011 with the political upheaval of Egypt. The Internet's far-reaching speed combined with social media websites to create something unforgettable. The voices of Egypt stood together to overthrow the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and they spread all throughout the world. The power of social media was also noted when Mexicans turned to it for survival, not too long ago.

At first, this served as a revolution. For the very first time, people's voices and opinions were coming together to form something larger than themselves. But we have to wonder, is that power too much? History has repeated itself in telling us that it becomes a problem when one voice has too much power. One only needs to look at people like Hitler, Idi Amin, and Mao Zong for proof that giving one voice too much power can sink an entire people or nation. And in Egypt, this corrupting nature of power turned itself over from the ruler to the subjects which resulted in the same horrific effect. From this, it is clear that social media has a way of lending itself to this attribute of power.

Another way social media can act as a curse is through its changing the behavior of our society. Some say social media sites can lend to shorter attentions and less efficient work. Not only that, but my generation, that is, teenagers, tends to abuse social media and use it for popularity. Despite social media being a term with the connotation of connecting us, that seems to be one thing it is doing least. People who abuse Facebook, for example, by requesting and accepting as many 'friends' as possible, up to thousands, are giving those relationships artificial traits. Those relationships are so scattered and insignificant that many people don't even know some of their 'friends.' These thinning relationships have no such value, and are illusions of genuine relationships. In this abuse of social media, values of building relationships and making new connections, as were the intentions of social media, are taken away and transformed wrongfully. Nevertheless, many people do use social media for positive purposes, which leads me to the side of social media that is a complete blessing to this modern world.

When used correctly, the benefits of social media can far outweigh some of its downfalls. Social media changes the world every day, in ways both small and large. For everyone who uses it, social media at least promotes and encourages communication and lends to more modern ways of learning and communicating. Not only do they lend to more efficiency in our rapidly evolving technologically advanced society, but social media sites are also some of the best ways to positively influence people by sharing your opinions. They act as platforms for your voice. If you have great ideas or want to be heard or found, websites like Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn can promote those good intentions. Through these sites, you can find millions of people who share the same interests as you, and start making a difference, step by step.

Social media websites can operate as both curses and blessings in our modern society. The difference between it as a curse and a blessing all hangs on the shoulders of its users. You may choose to abuse the potential of Facebook, or to change the world with Twitter. The difference in your actions may be small, but the end result varies greatly, and it is up to you to decide social media's role in your life.

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A Blessing or a Curse?

The Role of Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 21 July 2023
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Johannes Bhanye   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9658-7755 7 &
• Alouis Bhanye 8  

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5 Citations

In the face of global disasters, social media has become a primary source of information. Social media refers to websites and applications that allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real time such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This study examines the role of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. On the one hand, social media was a “blessing” during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa by facilitating information dissemination and raising awareness, providing updated and real-time health-related information, giving citizens a platform to give their opinions on the pandemic, perpetuating associational life, bringing positivity during scary times, allowing education to continue through virtual learning, facilitating the performance of work and business functions, and acting as misinformation watchdogs. While social media helped curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, it was also a “curse,” on the other hand. The dark side of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic ranged from social media being a driver of conspiracy theories and the “infodemic” – an over-abundance of information, social media, and the misnomer of the magic bullet effect, increasing mental health and stress, and causing panic response to the pandemic by the public. This chapter recommends that African governments and public media authorities craft policies that promote the sharing of factual and up-to-date information while also addressing the spread of misinformation during global disasters. The public should also play a role by avoiding spreading fake news and always crosschecking social media information.

• Social media
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Information sharing
• Conspiracy theories

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Bhanye, J., Bhanye, A. (2023). A Blessing or a Curse?. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_367-1

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The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse? Essay

Introduction, the internet, a blessing, the internet, a curse.

The invention of the computer and the subsequent birth of the internet has been seen as the most significant advance of the 20th century. Over the course of the past few decades, there has been a remarkable rise in the use of computers and the internet and these two have revolutionized the way in which we carry out our day to day activities. In addition to this, the unprecedented high adoption rate of the internet has resulted in it being a necessity in the running of our day to day lives. With this wide-scale penetration of the internet into many facets of our life, it has become apparent that the internet has both positive and negative effects on individuals and society at large.

In light of this reality of the two faces of the internet, there has risen the question of whether the internet is a blessing or a curse to mankind. This paper shall argue that while the internet does pose many real dangers, the internet is overall a blessing to humanity and its positive impacts far outweigh its ills. To reinforce this assertion, this paper shall highlight the significant merits of the internet and demonstrate how the ills can be mitigated for the good of all.

One of the most monumental effects of the internet is that it has led to the speeding up of globalization which is a process characterized by a major integration of economies and cultures. Globalization is characterized by a reduction in barriers between nations as the world strives to become a harmonic society. Sahay (2005, p.36) asserts that the ability of computing technologies to traverse geographical and social barriers has resulted in the creation of a closer-knit global community. The internet is to a large extent responsible for breaking down the barriers between different nations and therefore making the move towards making the world a global village feasible. This is because the internet exposes people to varying cultures and traditions therefore making us appreciate the differences.

Knowledge has always been seen to be critical to the advancement of any civilization. As such, man has always sought for ways to accumulate and disseminate information for the betterment of his kind. The internet has greatly aided this task by enabling the sharing of information among people at a previously unprecedented scale. This sharing of information has resulted in an increase in knowledge as people exchange ideas through the internet. With the help of the internet, are no longer confined to physical libraries as their only source of information. They can now tap into the vast resources that computers present through the internet. The internet’s connectivity has also led to more collaboration among students and scientists in their quest for knowledge thus further enhancing their educational experience.

The internet has afforded people the chance to get an education at their convenience. In the early years, one had to physically attend school facilities for educational purposes. This locked out multitudes of people who had the will to obtain an education but lacked the time to make it happen. Computers have changed this by enabling learning to be more dynamic by the use of online classes. This is in the form of the phenomenon known as “online education”. Students can take classes from wherever they may be and at any time by using virtual classrooms. The internet has therefore increased the number of people currently enrolled in higher learning institutes thus making education more universal than it was before the inception of computers.

The internet has led to a shift in the power bases by taking power from the political and economic elites, big businesses and governments and transferring the same to ordinary people. Ward (2003) suggests that through its distributive ability, the internet will decentralize traditional media channels, therefore, allowing for the interactive community which will result in citizen-based, participatory democracy. Therefore, as a result of the internet, people are no longer privy to government misinformation or even propaganda since they can report the news for themselves. This is a desirable change especially in countries whereby power is wielded by a few elites who control mainstream media and oppress their people.

As more people give information or perform activities online, the internet continues to cause a great infringement on individual privacy which is defined as “the right to be left alone” (Moran & Weinroth 2008, 46). This is especially through online shopping whereby one may be forced to enter personal details. When a person accesses the internet, their activities online may be monitored and information about them stored. User privacies have been violated by the use of tracking software and cookies which have enabled organizations to profile individuals. This information is normally collected without consent and sometimes without the knowledge of the user. Moran and Weinroth note that a more daunting reality is the possibility of this data being accessed and utilized for activities that may negatively impact the individual.

The internet has brought about the creation of a new class of people known as Hackers who are people who break into computer systems mostly for the fun of it. Hacking is one of the things which make the internet a very dangerous place. This is because hacking might lead to the exploitation of the vulnerabilities of a system resulting in harm or obtaining some illegal gains for the hacker.

While computer hacking is a criminal act under federal laws, this has not helped to deter the hackers and the fact that some countries do not have laws against hacking only makes dealing with hackers more difficult. While some hackers present themselves to the public and the hacking community as good or fighting for a good cause, this is not always the case as some hackers do use their skills for destruction or even blackmail (Jones & Valli 2008). As such, usage of the internet exposes one to dangers from hackers who may steal ones identity and use it to commit fraud.

One of the uglier effects of the internet is that it has made the world more dangerous for children. This is especially with regard to sexual exploitation since the internet has exposed children through its great connectivity power. The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (2000) states that pedophiles may and actually do use the internet to find potential victims and trade in child pornography. By use of chat rooms, children may be lured into meeting strangers who may then proceed to sexually abuse them.

While such acts were there before the internet era, the internet has made prying on children easier and more effective than was in the past. The internet is also used to facilitate the sex trade through websites that offer detailed information as to the counties where pedophiles may go to exploit children owing to the place’s lax child protection laws. The fact that the internet gives anonymity to people is one of the features which have led to the increase in child sexual exploitation through the internet.

The internet has brought about the possibility of cyber terrorism which is defined as “the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents.” (Bidgoli 2004, p.354). The most notable of these attacks was perpetrated against Georgia and Estonia following the dispute with Russia. Korns and Kastenver (2009) note that these attacks resulted in the disabling of communication means for the Georgian government. These realities are bleak considering the fact that a small terrorist group may make use of the internet to severe essential infrastructure of a country.

For all its good, the internet remains as a dangerous and unregulated highway whereby crimes are committed and accountability is low. From the discussions presented above, it is clear that there are a number of real dangers that exist as a result of the internet. Some of these dangers e.g. the risk of children falling prey to molesters may be resolved by the use of a police force that has the power to monitor the internet.

The creation of global and enforceable laws which will make people legally accountable for their actions will also result in making the internet safer for all. While this goes against the basic idea of the internet as a place without any restrictions, every day realities dictate that law enforcement is necessary online to contain crimes that are continually being instigated through the internet. By so doing, some form of order can be brought to the internet, therefore, making it safer for all.

The threat of hackers is very real and presents a big challenge especially to organizations handling critical data. To cope with this, there are tools in place to secure computer networks against attacks. These tools ensure that threats against a network are identified and neutralized and that vulnerabilities are identified and protection measures are adopted. By detecting and defeating the intruders, the advantages of the internet can be reaped without any real danger to the individual or the organization.

The threat of terrorist attacks is very real in today’s world. Wilson (2005) notes that many international terrorist groups are actively using the internet to communicate amongst themselves, spread propaganda and even recruit new members. This raises the possibility that the internet could be used to carry out a well coordinated cyberattack on the critical infrastructure of the country. Wilson (2005) declares that it is unlikely that cyberterrorism will pose the same threat that physical attacks such as Nuclear, Biological or chemical threats pose. As such, the internet does not greatly empower terrorists to carry out their actions and as such, the fear of terrorists causing significant harm through the internet is unfounded.

This paper set out to argue that the internet is mostly benevolent to man. To reinforce these claims, this paper has highlighted some of the positive impacts of the internet on man. The negative impacts have also been stated and a discussion on how real the dangers are undertaken. From the findings in this paper, it is clear that some of the dangers associated with the internet are exaggerated and the real once can be gracefully handled through available means. This paper has noted that by adopting these measures against the dangers inherent in the internet, the dangers can be mitigated or even extinguish all together. Once that is done, the positive attributes of the internet can be exploited therefore making the internet a blessing to mankind and his endeavors.

Bidgoli, H 2004, The Internet encyclopedia, Volume 1. John Wiley and Sons.

Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (2000), Child Sexually Exploitation and the Internet . Web.

Jones, A & Valli, C 2008, Building a Digital Forensic Laboratory, Butterworth-Heinemann.

Korns, WS & Kastenverg, EJ 2009, Georgia’s Cyber Left Hook . Web.

Moran, JT & Weinroth, J 2008 , Invasion Of Privacy On The Internet: Information Capturing Without Consent, Journal of Business & Economics Research, Volume 6, Number 7.

Sahay, R, 2005, The causes and Trends of the Digital Divide . Web.

Ward, D 2003, Impact of New Technology on the Traditional Media: A Special Issue of Trends in Communication, Routledge.

Wilson, C 2005, Computer Attack and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service.

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Social Media: Blessing or Curse for Society?

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and it has both positive and negative impacts on society. From staying connected with loved ones to influencing the way we think and act, social media has a profound impact on our lives. However, like every other technology, it also has its downsides. In this article, we will explore the blessing and curse of social media on society.

Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword

Social media is a double-edged sword that can either benefit or harm society. It is a platform that connects people from different parts of the world and enhances communication. However, it is also a tool that can spread fake news and misinformation, leading to chaos and confusion. Social media has the power to influence the masses and shape public opinion, making it a powerful weapon in the hands of those who know how to wield it.

The Good: How Social Media Positively Impacts Society

Social media has numerous benefits that positively impact society. It offers a platform for businesses to reach a wider audience, connects people of similar interests, and promotes social activism. Social media also plays a crucial role in mental health awareness campaigns, and provides support for victims of abuse and violence. Social media has enabled us to be more informed, empathetic, and connected with the world around us.

The Bad: How Social Media Negatively Impacts Society

The negative impact of social media on society is apparent in many aspects of our lives. It can lead to addiction, depression, and anxiety, making us feel isolated and disconnected. Social media also contributes to body image issues, cyberbullying, and online harassment. The anonymity that social media provides can lead to trolling and hateful comments that damage our mental health and self-esteem.

The Ugly: Social Media and the Dark Side of Technology

Social media has a dark side that has been linked to several issues such as cybercrime, hacking, propaganda, and political manipulation. Social media platforms have been accused of collecting data and breaching privacy rights. Social media algorithms can be used to create echo chambers that filter out opposing views, leading to polarization and radicalization. The dark side of social media has the potential to disrupt our lives and society as a whole.

Social media is a blessing and a curse for society. It has the power to connect us and empower us, but it can also isolate us and harm us. It is essential to understand the implications of social media and use it responsibly. As technology continues to evolve, we must be cautious of its impact on our lives and take measures to mitigate the negative effects. In a world where social media is ubiquitous, it is up to us to ensure that it remains a force for good.

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The Blessing and Curse of Social Media

One thing the pandemic made clear is the role that social media and the Internet play in daily life in twenty-first century America. Deprived of personal contact, we were suddenly reliant on technology for all manner of interactions. I found myself shopping for groceries online, thankful for delivery services, which I also found online. I relied on Amazon for goods I could no longer access from closed stores, from garden supplies to puzzles to help us occupy our time. I discovered an app that would allow me to make customized cards from photos, which kept me both in touch with distant friends and out of the post office. I used face time and Zoom to meet with colleagues and keep in touch with the distant friends and family. I heard Mass via livestream and traveled the world from my living room. Although my physical world was contracting, my electronic one expanded. As a result of my efforts to educate myself and stay abreast of what was happening, I developed connections on social media with folks I had not met before on. Some of these have become valued friends, and sometimes, expert resources I might never have otherwise had access to absent Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. In this regard, I found modern technology a blessing, introducing me to people, thoughts, ideas, experiences, and perspectives that I might not have otherwise encountered, and broadening my view of faith, medicine, and the world in general.

I wasn’t alone; most folks with a computer and an Internet connection did the same. Electronic communication held us together when everything else seemed determined to keep us apart. It was a poor substitute for chats over coffee and hugs, but it was something and it mattered and we were, by and large, glad for it. Had we any doubts, the pandemic proved that we will be fed, formed, and frustrated by electronic media for the foreseeable future.

There was a dark side that became all too evident, and I wonder whether our awareness of it has something to do with the coincidence of the pandemic and the upswing in social media usage by bored and anxious people stuck more at home than in years past. That dark side stems from the very nature of social media itself. We tend to think of social media and the Internet as tools, which they certainly can be. But it is increasingly evident that the tool is not serving us so much as it is manipulating us and that has profound implications for medicine and for society at large.

The Social Dilemma , a 2020 documentary/drama (Netflix) about how the Internet and social media are reshaping humans and human society, is an eye-opening must-see. Through interviews with former employees and executives of social media powerhouses and by weaving in a story that illustrates the very dangers they are discussing, The Social Dilemma brings to light a downright frightening reality: a world increasingly framed and controlled by the selling of attention of the user to corporations who manipulate it for profit through artificial intelligence (AI) and social media. In effect, the user of the medium is the product (his intimate information is analyzed, and he is manipulated to increase screen time, his attention is the product and the result is a shift in behavior) and addict (the systems are designed to work on deeply ingrained neural, emotional, and psychological pathways).

This is a critical issue for Catholic physicians for many reasons. The most immediate may be the astronomic increase in depression, anxiety, and suicide, especially among the young consumers of social media. Teens today are far more risk averse (thanks to the “like” button), more discontented with themselves, and, though more attached to and by technology, more isolated and less connected to the community than ever before. New categories of mental illness have even been coined (Internet addiction, social media dysmorphia), all as a result of the manipulative and reinforcing aspects of media that work by means of an algorithm designed to analyze and shift human behavior, not for the benefit of the person engaged but for the financial gain of a third party. It is, in a manner of speaking, a sort of brainwashing for profit, and the subject is, by and large, entirely unaware of what is happening. Even when he is, breaking away can be difficult, as Tim Kendall, a former Facebook and Pintrest executive, testified. He knew he was addicted to his phone and depriving his family of time and attention, and, even though he understood precisely how the system worked, he struggled to reduce his screen time.

Jaron Lainer, a computer scientist/philosopher, who likens those who use social media to computing nodes in a giant, intelligent supercomputer, put it this way: “We’ve created a world in which online connection has become primary. Especially for younger generations. And yet, in that world, anytime two people connect, the only way it’s financed is through a sneaky third person who’s paying to manipulate those two people. So we’ve created an entire global generation of people who were raised within a context with the very meaning of communication, the very meaning of culture, is manipulation.”

Being controlled—even manipulated—by technology is not limited to social media, nor is it foreign to medicine. The imposition of technology (including the electronic medical record) has fundamentally altered the relationship between doctor and patient. Dr. Danielle Orfi noted that there are three people in the exam room these days: doctor, patient, and EMT. I’d add fourth (the insurance company for which the record has become a billing document) and a fifth (a variety of well-intentioned folks that use the medical record to drive an ever-increasing burden of wellness initiatives, whether applicable or not; Ofri 2019 ). The focus on technology at the diagnostic level has forced change as well. It’s a rare month that I don’t have an “old-timer” physician regale me with a story of a diagnosis missed or delayed because of the reliance on tests and the failure to do a physical exam; these experiences are now making their way to the medical literature, online and otherwise ( Boodman 2014 ). As it is with the rest of the world, depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicide are significant problems among physicians and are on the rise ( Shaniuk 2020 ).

But the extent of the manipulation and the sheer power of it because of the reach of social media almost defy understanding. Stop for a moment and think about what Lainer has observed. The younger generation is being conditioned—is experiencing—communication as a means of manipulation.

Humans use communication for many purposes, but Christians understand that communication is meant to have two basic purposes, neither of them manipulation. We understand communication to be sacred, because it is from God. God uses speech—not manipulation, but speech—to bring order out of chaos and the world into being. In its primary use, communication is meant to be creative and to call forth the good.

Later, when our world has fallen into sin and dysfunction, God sends his Word—not using means of violence or coercion or manipulation but the Second Person of the Trinity in love—into the world as savior: speech is meant to be relational and redemptive. How do we function in a world where the primary purpose of communication is manipulation for economic gain, on a scale and with a breadth and depth we have never before experienced? Trust in a world without a shared experience of reality and some common agreement on truth is simply not possible. The lack of trust destroys relationships, from that of the physician to patient to that of person to the surrounding society.

The lack of trust and common agreement on goals, intentions, and even facts has been on full display throughout this pandemic, as has the pernicious effect of manipulation that serves largely to feed confirmation bias in order to increase revenues under the guise of being a provider of information. One of the most telling sequences in The Social Dilemma is the demonstration of how the same phrase entered into a search bar in different locales or on different computers (associated with different histories, and therefore different interests and biases) yields wildly different results. Again, Lainer has a telling example: imagine is Wikipedia, rather than giving the same information to all comers, tailored its responses to the questioner? How would that affect our ability to relate to each other?

The lack of trust about how to manage this pandemic, driven in part by reinforcement of misinformation about the novel Coronavirus and the vaccines developed to protect against it, has affected not only personal decisions about vaccination but personal relationships as well. Much of that can be traced back to social media and the “influencers” whose videos and posts, whether well-grounded in science and experience or not, went viral—but to different audiences.

Listening to various sides of the debate over management of the pandemic, mitigation, strategies, and the nature and worth of vaccines, often at high volume with little reflection and almost no real conversation, one could legitimately wonder how the two sides could come to such different conclusions on the same set of facts. The simple answer is—and The Social Dilemma says so plainly—they didn’t. They had different facts, pushed their way by an AI algorithm designed to increase engagement rather than provide objective information, saw a different reality, and acted accordingly. One need only reflect on the discord and confusion of the last year, on many levels, to understand how profoundly social media can compromise the common good by driving people apart and keeping them there.

All of this raises a number of questions, which I hope will stimulate discussion in the pages of this journal:

• How does social media inform and affect our own lives (and faith), and those of the people we are most likely to be able to influence?
• How can we as persons, as professionals, and as organizations use social media responsibly—starting with The Linacre Quarterly ?
• How do we recreate an environment of trust and community?
• How do we protect our children? Our profession? Our communities? Our social structures?
• How do we recognize our own addictions? How do we identify and treat addictions in our patients?
• Do we recognize how social media has distorted our own perceptions of truth and community? How do we overcome this obstacle?
• How do we foster a shared and realistic understanding of each other and a shared perception of what is true and what is not?
• Can we reshape social media—and if so, how?

Lest you think that The Social Dilemma is merely a recitation of bad news and a portent of doom, it ends on a note both realistic and positive, including a list of “right now” action steps. The very folks who were involved in creating the problem are deeply involved in trying to fix it. The Social Dilemma begins with a quote from Sophocles: Nothing vast enters the world without a curse. One might argue the finer points of that observation, but it certainly applies to social media. Let us join our efforts to theirs that we might enjoy the blessing that also comes.

• Boodman Sandra G.2014. Health Care IT News: Technology Displacing Physical Exams . https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/technology-displacing-physical-exams
• Ofri Danielle. 2019. “ The EMR Has Changed the Doctor-Patient Duet into a ménage-à-trois .” Stat News . https://www.statnews.com/2019/10/31/emr-changed-doctor-patient-duet-into-menage-a-trois/
• Shaniuk Paul M.2020. “ The Spiritual Works of Mercy as a Tool to Prevent Burnout in Medical Trainees .” The Linacre Quarterly 87 :399–406. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

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Daily Times

Your right to know Sunday, March 31, 2024

Social Media: Blessing or a Curse?

Dr Atique Ur Rehman

October 18, 2022

Social media is a revolution that has changed our lives in many ways-both positive and negative. It has eased connectivity in our lives but complicated many other social issues. The new media platforms, which include Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram, have turned into powerful enablers of vast disinformation campaigns. Fewer efforts are seen on the part of administrators of these platforms in building honest and straightforward content moderation to control hate speech and disinformation on their platform against states, institutions and individuals.

A couple of days ago, news propped up that a 35 years old woman, mother of three children, committed suicide when a culprit uploaded and shared her doctored images on social media.

This is one such news reported on media, there are hundreds of stories about social media abuse, online financial and academic frauds, hacking, cyber-attacks and propaganda.

The UK daily reported that social media-related crimes have increased up to 780 per cent in the last few years.

Social media and digital tools are an integral part of our lives and are very productive. During the pandemic, social media was a helping tool for maintaining social support and getting updates related to the pandemic. The new culture of working from home and online delivery of commodities is again the kind of pandemic.

A psychologist, who practices in twin cities stated that 25 per cent of female patients have experienced of online harassment, in one way or the other.

Digital World has empowered the common man without making him a responsible citizen.

Human life is exposed. There is nothing private or hidden. This data of human activity is being stored and analysed by big machines for use in boosting sales of their brands based upon preferences deducted from analysed data. Our political preferences, likes and dislikes indicate our behaviour, which is picked up by machines through algorithms. These preferences are great to help political parties secure a win in elections.

Due to these ill practices of social media, the whole fabric of society is in danger.

A need has been felt in big democracies and most organized societies to have a set of rules in the cyber world, which are now influencing individuals, governments, education, trade, telecommunication, foreign relations and all aspects of life.

If social media is not managed through laws, it will lose its utility and wreak havoc on the world of information.

In the recent past, we have witnessed more chaos because of the exponential growth of social media manipulation of information through an organized infrastructure (by even states against adversaries) to create unrest among the public. It is a globe-spanning information conflict, fought by hundreds of millions of people across dozens of social media platforms. It is not only political battles but insurgencies, conflicts, and human rights being managed through digital platforms.

In an era of post-truth, audiences tend to believe information that appeals to their emotions and their personal beliefs, as opposed to seeking and accepting information regarded as factual and objective. People’s information consumption is guided by the emotional, dimension, as opposed to the cognitive dimension. This post-truth reality is one of the reasons for the proliferation of disinformation.

Political news remains a dominant discourse in the country. Subsequently, public discussions are mostly focused on political issues. Social media influencers mould public opinion through arguments, graphics, doctored pictures and videos and proliferate the same content world over. In any intense situation, the information cloud becomes so dense in a flash of time that it is difficult to make sense of anything. This complex situation is an “information disorder.”

The deliberate use of “disinformation” through assertion by political leaders is creating chaos and imbalance in society. Disinformation is the most harmful way of achieving end objectives. Fabricated news is floated on any social media platform through unknown sources, which is proliferated by troll farms. Factious hashtags (#) are made to malign individuals, organisations and political opponents.

Local television reported a few weeks ago that during July and August, 4.86 million tweets originated for twenty-one hashtags against the military. It was a smear campaign to influence public opinion against security forces.

Indian Chronicles, a global conspiracy, was exposed by EU Disinfo Lab in Brussels in 2020. It was a state-sponsored propaganda network established across the globe by India against states not in conformation with Indian policies. The network of fake websites, NGOs, and news agencies had been operating since 2005 and it continues. Indian chronicles have been termed the biggest promoter of organised fake news in the world.

Digital World has empowered the common man without making him a responsible citizen. This is where the problem starts for society and the state.

Disinformation is always aimed to malign other individuals or institutions.

An Islamabad-based think tank analysed the top five hashtags on the Pakistan Twitter panel every four hours from December 1, 2021, to April 20, 2022. The sample comprised 3356 hashtags. Results show that trends related to partisan politics were more than 87 per cent of all politics-related trends, followed by Judiciary related trends at nine per cent and civ-mil-related trends at four per cent.

Data analysis revealed that both major political parties dominated the twitter space with more than 300 Hashtags comprising mostly partisan politics. Supreme Court was the second most recurring hashtag indicating how the politicization of the judiciary and its ensuing criticisms had taken centre stage amidst the ongoing political turmoil. Research also found that Twitter activity was supported by Indian trolls.

Another study revealed that Indian Info-Ops focusing on Pakistan has gone through a strategic shift in the last year and has adopted a multi-faceted strategy. This entails promoting a soft image of Indian Military operations in Indian-occupied Kashmir on the one hand while concertedly amplifying the BLA’s and TTP’s activities within Pakistan on the other. The varying, techniques, mediums and narratives point towards increasingly sophisticated and dedicated teams carrying out the above with very specific goals and expertise.

Another study carried out by the digital media wing of the government reveals that Indian and Afghanistan intelligence agencies have been collaborating to defame Pakistan to influence the FATF authorities which ultimately resulted in placing Pakistan in grey and it continue.

There is no bigger threat to a state than societal chaos. The complexity of the situation requires stringent measures at the government level to regulate the use of social media within given norms.

The writer is PhD in International Relations from QAU and can be reached at atiquesheikh2000 @gmail.com

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An Essay on Computer: Blessing or Curse

• Introduction
• Blessings of Computers
• Potential Downsides and Concerns
• Striking a Balance

In our fast-paced modern era, computers have seamlessly woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. They stand as powerful tools that have redefined how we communicate, learn, work, and find entertainment. From revolutionizing education to enhancing global connectivity, the impact of computers is undeniable. However, as with any powerful tool, there are also important considerations about privacy, security, and the potential for overreliance.

Computers have bestowed numerous blessings upon humanity. Firstly, they have revolutionized communication. Through emails, social media, and video conferencing, we can now connect with people from all corners of the globe in an instant. This has strengthened relationships and enabled collaborations on a global scale.

Secondly, computers have transformed education. They provide access to a vast repository of knowledge through the internet, making learning more interactive and engaging. Online courses and educational resources have made quality education accessible to a wider audience, breaking down geographical barriers.

In the realm of business and work, computers have greatly enhanced efficiency. Tasks that once took hours or even days to complete can now be accomplished in a fraction of the time. This has boosted productivity and allowed for more time to be devoted to creative and strategic endeavors.

You May Like: An Essay on My First Day at College

However, alongside the blessings, there are also potential downsides to consider. One significant concern is the overreliance on computers. Some individuals may become so engrossed in their screens that they neglect real-world interactions, leading to a sense of isolation and detachment.

Another concern is the threat to privacy and security. With the increasing amount of personal information stored online, there is a risk of unauthorized access and misuse. Cybersecurity breaches can lead to financial loss and compromise sensitive data.

The rapid pace of technological advancement can result in a digital divide. Those who have access to the latest technology may have significant advantages over those who do not, creating disparities in opportunities and access to information.

To ensure that computers remain a blessing rather than a curse, it is crucial to strike a balance. This involves being mindful of our screen time and making an effort to engage in face-to-face interactions. It also means taking measures to protect our privacy and being vigilant about online security.

Efforts should be made to bridge the digital divide. Providing equal access to technology and digital literacy programs can help level the playing field and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from what computers have to offer.

In conclusion, computers have undeniably brought about a multitude of blessings, transforming the way we live, work, and connect with one another. However, it is important to acknowledge and address the potential downsides and concerns associated with their use.

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Is Guyana’s Oil a Blessing or a Curse?

More than any single country, Guyana demonstrates the struggle between the consequences of climate change and the lure of the oil economy.

With the discovery of offshore oil, Guyana is now building a natural gas pipeline to bring the byproducts of oil production to a planned energy plant. Credit...

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By Gaiutra Bahadur

Photographs by Keisha Scarville

• March 30, 2024

Basjit Mahabir won’t let me in.

I’m trying to persuade Mr. Mahabir to open the padlocked gate of the Wales Estate, where he guards the ramshackle remains of a factory surrounded by miles of fallow sugar cane fields. The growing and grinding of sugar on this plantation about 10 miles from Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, ended seven years ago, and parts of the complex, its weathered zinc walls the color of rust, have been sold for scrap.

I plead my case. “I lived here when I was a little girl,” I say. “My father used to manage the field lab.” Mr. Mahabir is friendly, but firm. I’m not getting in.

The ruins are the vestiges of a sugar industry that, after enriching British colonizers for centuries, was the measure of the nation’s wealth when it achieved independence.

Now the estate is slated to become part of Guyana’s latest boom, an oil rush that is reshaping the country’s future. This nation that lies off the beaten track, population 800,000, is at the forefront of a global paradox: Even as the world pledges to transition away from fossil fuels , developing countries have many short-term incentives to double down on them.

Before oil, outsiders mostly came to Guyana for eco-tourism, lured by rainforests that cover 87 percent of its land. In 2009, the effort to combat global warming turned this into a new kind of currency when Guyana sold carbon credits totaling $250 million, essentially promising to keep that carbon stored in trees. Guyana’s leadership was praised for this planet-saving effort.

Six years later, Exxon Mobil discovered a bounty of oil under Guyana’s coastal waters. Soon the company and its consortium partners, Hess and the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation, began drilling with uncommon speed. The oil, now burned mostly in Europe, is enabling more global emissions — and producing colossal wealth.

The find is projected to become Exxon Mobil’s biggest revenue source by decade’s end. The deal that made it possible — and which gave Exxon Mobil the bulk of the proceeds — has been a point of public outcry and even a lawsuit, with a seeming consensus that Guyana got the short end of the stick. But the deal has nonetheless generated $3.5 billion so far for the country, more money than it has ever seen, significantly more than it gained from conserving trees. It’s enough to chart a new destiny.

The government has decided to pursue that destiny by investing even further in fossil fuels. Most of the oil windfall available in its treasury is going to construct roads and other infrastructure, most notably a 152-mile pipeline to carry ashore natural gas, released while extracting oil from Exxon Mobil’s fields, to generate electricity.

The pipeline will snake across the Wales Estate, carrying the gas to a proposed power plant and to a second plant that will use the byproducts to potentially produce cooking gas and fertilizer. With a price tag of more than $2 billion, it’s the most expensive public infrastructure project in the country’s history. The hope is that with a predictable, plentiful supply of cheap energy, the country can develop economically.

At the same time, climate change laps at Guyana’s shores; much of Georgetown is projected to be underwater by 2030.

Countries like Guyana are caught in a perfect storm where the consequences for extracting fossil fuels collide with the incentives to do so. Unlike wealthy countries, they aren’t responsible for most of the carbon emissions that now threaten the planet. “We’re obviously talking about developing countries here, and if there’s so much social and economic development that still needs to happen, then it’s hard to actually demand a complete ban on fossil fuels,” says Maria Antonia Tigre, a director at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Still, she insists, “we’re in a moment in the climate crisis where no one can get a pass.”

This struggle between the existential threats of climate change and the material gains dangled by fossil fuels bedevils rich countries, too. The International Energy Agency predicts that oil demand will peak in five years as big economies transition to renewable sources. But it is a transition of indeterminate length, and in the meantime, the Biden administration approved drilling in the Alaska wilderness just last year, and the United States is producing more oil than ever in its history. A country like Guyana, with an emerging economy, has even more reason to jump at temptation.

The country has already been transformed. Next to its famously elegant but decaying colonial architecture, new houses, hotels, malls, gyms and offices of concrete and glass crop up constantly. Trucks carrying quartz sand for all this construction judder along the highways. While nearly half of Guyanese still live below the poverty line, the country is bustling with possibility, and newcomers arrive from around the world. During a five-month stay there, I met a logistics manager from Sri Lanka, a nightclub singer from Cuba, a Briton developing a shrimp farm and a Nigerian security guard who joked that a sure sign that Guyana had become a hustler’s paradise was that he was there.

As I survey the stranded assets of the sugar works on the Wales Estate, imagining the steel pipes to come, the gleaming future Guyana’s government promises feels haunted by its past as a colony cursed by its resources. The potential for the petroleum boom to implode is in plain sight next door, where Venezuela — which has recently resurrected old claims to much of Guyana’s territory — is a mess of corruption, authoritarian rule and economic volatility.

For centuries, foreign powers set the terms for this sliver of South America on the Atlantic Ocean. The British, who first took possession in 1796, treated the colony as a vast sugar factory. They trafficked enslaved Africans to labor on the plantations and then, after abolition, found a brutally effective substitute by contracting indentured servants, mainly from India. Mr. Mahabir, who worked cutting cane for most of his life, is descended from those indentured workers, as am I.

Fifty-seven years ago, the country shook off its imperial shackles, but genuine democracy took more time. On the eve of independence, foreign meddling installed a leader who swiftly became a dictator. Tensions between citizens of African and Indian descent, encouraged under colonialism, turned violent at independence and set off a bitter contest for governing supremacy that continues to this day. Indigenous groups have been courted by both sides in this political and ethnic rivalry.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that Guyana held its first free and fair elections. The moment was full of possibility. The institutions of democracy, such as an independent judiciary, began to emerge. And the legislature passed a series of robust environmental laws.

Now that Exxon Mobil has arrived to extract a new resource, some supporters of democracy and the environment see those protections as endangered. They criticize the fossil-fuel giant, with global revenue 10 times the size of Guyana’s gross domestic product, as a new kind of colonizer and have sued their government to press it to enforce its laws and regulations. The judge in one of those cases has rebuked the country’s Environmental Protection Agency as being “submissive” toward the oil industry.

Addressing some of these activists at a recent public hearing, Vickram Bharrat, the minister of natural resources, defended the government’s oversight of oil and gas. “There’s no evidence of bias toward any multinational corporations,” he said. Exxon Mobil, in an emailed statement, said its work on the natural gas project would “help provide lower-emissions, reliable, gas-powered electricity to Guyanese consumers.”

The world is at a critical juncture, and Guyana sits at the intersection. The country of my birth is a tiny speck on the planet, but the discovery of oil there has cracked open questions of giant significance. How can wealthy countries be held to account for their promises to move away from fossil fuels? Can the institutions of a fragile democracy keep large corporations in check? And what kind of future is Guyana promising its citizens as it places bets on commodities that much of the world is vowing to make obsolete?

A land of new possibilities

Oil has created a Guyana with pumpkin spice lattes. The first Starbucks store appeared outside the capital last year; it was such a big deal that the president and the American ambassador attended the opening. People still “lime” — hang out — with local Carib beer and boomboxes on the storied sea wall, but those with the cash can now go for karaoke and fancy cocktails at a new Hard Rock Cafe.

The influx of wealth has introduced new tensions along economic lines in an already racially divided country. Hyperinflation has made fish, vegetables and other staples costlier, and many Guyanese feel priced out of pleasures in their own country. A new rooftop restaurant, described to me as “pizza for Guyana’s 1 percent” by its consultant chef from Brooklyn, set off a backlash on social media for serving a cut of beef that costs $335, as much as a security guard in the capital earns in a month.

This aspirational consumerist playground is grafted onto a ragged infrastructure. Lexus S.U.V.s cruise new highways but must still gingerly wade through knee-deep floods in Georgetown when it rains, thanks to bad drainage. Electricity, the subject of much teeth-sucking and dark humor, is expensive and erratic. It’s also dirty, powered by heavy fuel, a tarlike residue from refining oil. In 2023, 96 blackouts halted activity across the country for an average of one hour each. A growing number of air-conditioners taxing aging generators are partly to blame, but the system has been tripped up by weeds entangling transmission lines, backhoes hitting power poles and once, infamously, a rat.

The country’s larger companies — makers of El Dorado rum, timber producers — generate their own electricity outside the power grid. Small companies, however, don’t have that option. This year, the Inter-American Development Bank cited electrical outages as a major obstacle to doing business in Guyana.

The government’s investment in a natural gas pipeline and power plant offers the prospect of steady and affordable power. The gas, a byproduct of Exxon Mobil’s drilling, tends not to be commercialized and is often flared off as waste, emitting greenhouse gases in the process. But at the government’s request, Exxon Mobil and its consortium partners agreed to send some of the natural gas to the Wales site. The consortium is supposed to supply it without cost, but no official sales agreement has been made public yet.

At international conferences, rich countries have pledged to help poorer, lower-emitting ones to raise their living standards sustainably with renewable energy, but the money has fallen short . Natural gas is cleaner than the heavy fuel Guyana now uses, and the country’s leaders claim that it will serve as an eventual bridge to renewable energy. The fact that it’s not as clean as solar or other renewable sources seems, to some local manufacturers, beside the point because the status quo is so challenging.

During blackouts, Upasna Mudlier, who runs Denmor Garments, a textile company that makes uniforms, fire safety jackets and lingerie, has to send home the two dozen seamstresses she employs. That means a big hit in productivity. A chemist in her late 30s, she inherited the company from her father. Ms. Mudlier was nervous about networking in the burly crush of the male-dominated local business elite, but she nonetheless attended an event hosted by a business development center funded by Exxon Mobil. She leaned in, and it paid off: She won a contract to make a thousand coveralls for workers building an oil production vessel headed for Guyana’s waters.

It was a bright spot nonetheless dimmed by her electric bill. An astounding 40 percent of her operating budget goes to paying for power. Ms. Mudlier is eager for the natural gas plant. Cheaper, reliable energy could allow her to price her products to compete internationally.

Textiles are a tiny niche in Guyana, but hers is the kind of manufacturing that experts say Guyana needs to avoid becoming a petroleum state. Ms. Mudlier agrees with the government’s messaging on the gas project. “It will create more jobs for people and bring more investments into our country and more diversity to our economy,” she said.

Widespread anxiety that the best new jobs would go to foreigners led to a law that sets quotas for oil and gas companies to hire and contract with locals. Komal Singh, a construction magnate in his mid-50s, has benefited from the law. Mr. Singh, who directs an influential government advisory body on business policy, works as a joint partner with international companies building the Wales pipeline and treating toxic waste from offshore oil production.

“We say to them, ‘It’s you, me and Guyanese,’” he told me. “If Guyanese are not part of the show, end of conversation.”

Guyana has lost a greater share of its people than any other country, with two in five people born there living abroad. So the oil boom and the local partner requirement have set off something of a frenzy for passports and have fueled debate over who, exactly, is Guyanese. I met a British private equity manager with a Guyanese mother who obtained citizenship shortly after his second visit to the country. One local partner’s contested citizenship became a matter for the High Court.

With the value of land and housing skyrocketing, some local property owners have profited by becoming landlords to expats or by selling abandoned fields at Manhattan prices for commercial real estate. But to many Guyanese, it has seemed as if “comebackees,” the term for returning members of the diaspora, or the politically connected elite are the most poised to benefit from the boom.

Sharia Bacchus returned to Guyana after two decades living in Florida. Ms. Bacchus, who has family connections in the government and private sector, started her own real estate brokerage. She rents apartments and houses to expats for as much as $6,000 a month.

I shadowed her as she showed a prospective buyer — a retired U.S. Marine of Guyanese descent — a duplex condo in a coveted new gated community. She eagerly pointed out amenities that comebackees want: air-conditioning, a pool and, of course, an automatic backup generator.

“If you lose power at any time, you don’t have to worry about that,” she said, reassuringly.

The ghosts of the past

As glimpses of this new Guyana emerge, the ghosts of the past linger. A year ago, a Georgetown hotel, hustling like so many to take advantage of the new oil money, staged a $170-a-head rum-tasting event called “Night at the Estate House.” I’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to interview Exxon Mobil’s top brass in Guyana. When I heard rumors that its country manager would attend, I bought a ticket and, though he was a no-show, I found a seat with his inner circle.

As we sipped El Dorado rum in the garden of a colonial-style mansion, one of the event’s hosts gave a speech that invoked a time when “B.G.,” the insider’s shorthand for British Guiana, the country’s colonial name, also stood for Booker’s Guiana. Now, the speaker observed matter-of-factly, “it’s Exxon’s Guyana.”

Booker McConnell was a British multinational originally founded by two brothers who became rich on sugar and enslaved people. At one point, the company owned 80 percent of the sugar plantations in British Guiana, including the Wales Estate. The Exxon Mobil executive sitting next to me didn’t know any of this. His face reddened when I told him that the speaker had just placed his employer in a long line of corporate colonialism.

Independence came in 1966, but the U.S. and British governments engineered into power Guyana’s first leader, Forbes Burnham, a Black lawyer whom they deemed more pliable than Cheddi Jagan, a radical son of Indian plantation laborers, who was seen as a Marxist peril. But Burnham grew increasingly dictatorial as well as, in a twist of geopolitical fate, socialist.

Booker, which would later give its name to the Booker Prize in literature, still owned Wales at independence. But in the mid-1970s, Burnham took control of the country’s resources, nationalizing sugar production as well as bauxite mining. Like other former colonies, Guyana wanted to make its break with imperialism economic as well as political.

Burnham pushed the idea of economic independence to the breaking point, banning all imports. Staples from abroad, such as cooking oil, potatoes, wheat flour and split peas, had to be replaced with local substitutes. But Guyana didn’t have the farms and factories to meet the demand, so people turned to the black market, waited in ration lines and went hungry.

Guyana was 15 years free when my family arrived on the Wales Estate, by then part of the nationalized Guyana Sugar Company; my parents, then in their 20s, were young, too. My father, the son of plantation laborers, had just earned a natural sciences degree from the University of Guyana, founded at independence to educate the people who would build the new nation. As field lab manager, he tested sucrose in the cane to determine harvest time and oversaw the trapping of rats and snakes in the fields.

We lived in a former overseer’s house two doors from the estate’s main gate, where Mr. Mahabir now stands sentinel, and my mother taught high school in the guard’s village. My parents had only ever studied by kerosene lamp or gas lantern — but this house had electricity, generated on the estate by burning sugar cane trash.

I can remember at age 6 the cold delicacy of a refrigerated apple, a Christmas present from American aunts. It wouldn’t be long before we joined them.

Rigged elections kept Burnham in power for two decades of hardship and insecurity, both ethnic and economic. As soon as our long-awaited green cards allowing entry to the United States were approved, we left, participating in an exodus that created a “barrel economy,” with many communities sustained by money and care packages sent in barrels from relatives abroad. That exodus gutted Guyana: Today, less than 3 percent of the population is college educated.

Burnham’s death in 1985 touched off a series of events that began to change the country. Within seven years, Guyana held its first free and fair elections. Jagan, by then an old man, was elected president. Soon, a younger generation of his party took office and wholeheartedly embraced capitalism. Private companies could once again bid for Guyana’s vast resources. Corruption, endemic in the Burnham era, took new forms.

Then came proof of the dangers of unchecked extraction. In 1995, a dam at a Canadian-owned gold mine gave way. The 400 million gallons of cyanide-laced waste it had held back fouled two major rivers. Simone Mangal-Joly, now an environmental and international development specialist, was among the scientists on the ground testing cyanide levels in the river. The waters had turned red, and Indigenous villagers covered themselves in plastic to protect their skin. “It’s where they bathed,” Ms. Mangal-Joly recalled. “It was their drinking water, their cooking water, their transportation.”

The tragedy led to action. The next year, the government passed its first environmental protection law. Seven years later, the right to a healthy environment was added to the Constitution. Guyana managed to enshrine what the United States and Canada, for instance, have not.

For a moment, Guyana’s natural capital — the vast tropical rainforests that make it one of the very few countries that is a net carbon sink — was among its most prized assets. Bharrat Jagdeo, then president, sold the carbon stored in its forests to Norway to offset pollution from that country’s own petroleum production in 2009. Indigenous groups received $20 million from that deal to develop their villages and gain title to their ancestral lands, though some protested that they had little input. Mr. Jagdeo was hailed as a United Nations “Champion of the Earth.”

And then Exxon Mobil struck oil.

The vision of a green Guyana now vies with its fast-rising status as one of the largest new sources of oil in the world. The country’s sharply divided political parties stand in rare accord on drilling. Mr. Jagdeo, who is now Guyana’s vice president but still dictates much government policy, is a fervent supporter of the Wales project.

But a small, steadfast, multiracial movement of citizens is testing the power of the environmental laws. David Boyd, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, describes the country as a front line for litigation using innovative rights arguments to fight climate change. It includes the first constitutional climate change case in the region, brought by an Indigenous tour guide and a university lecturer.

Not all critics of the petroleum development are environmentalists. What unites them is the belief that the nation’s hard-won constitutional protections should be stronger than any corporation.

‘The rule of law is the rule of law.’

Liz Deane-Hughes comes from a prominent family. Her father founded one of Georgetown’s most respected law firms, and in the 1980s, back in Burnham’s time, he fought against repressive changes to the constitution. She remembers her parents taking her to rousing rallies led by a multiracial party battling Burnham’s rule. When she was 13, she came home one day to find police officers searching their home. “I lived through the 1980s in Guyana,” says Ms. Deane-Hughes, who practiced at the family firm before quitting the law. “So I do not want to go back there on any level.”

I talked to Ms. Deane-Hughes, now an artist and jewelry designer, on the sprawling veranda of a colonial-style house built on land that has been in her family for five generations. The government has claimed part of it for the natural gas pipeline, which crosses private property as well as the Wales Estate. But the issue, she told me, is bigger than her backyard.

Last month, Ms. Deane-Hughes joined other activists, virtually, at a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, making the argument that oil companies have compromised environmental governance in Guyana. This coterie of activists have spoken out and filed suits to bring the corporation under the scrutiny of the country’s laws and regulations.

Ms. Mangal-Joly, who responded to the cyanide disaster that prompted those environmental laws, says the government has failed to fulfill its oversight duties. As part of her doctoral research at University College London, she found that Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency had waived the environmental assessments for every facility treating toxic waste or storing radioactive materials produced by offshore oil production.

The gas plant, too, has been given a pass. In January, the E.P.A. waived the environmental assessment for the proposed Wales plant because Exxon Mobil, although it isn’t building the plant, had done one for the pipeline.

The E.P.A. defended the decision. “It is good and common practice” to rely on existing environmental assessments “even when done by other project developers,” wrote an agency spokeswoman on behalf of its executive director. The agency asserted its right to waive assessments as it sees fit and noted that the courts hadn’t overturned its exemptions, saying, “This no doubt speaks to the E.P.A.’s high degree of technical competence and culture of compliance within the laws of Guyana.”

Ms. Mangal-Joly notes that the power plant sits above an aquifer that supplies drinking water to most of the country. “Our water table is shallow,” she says. “There’s a generation, and generations to come, that will not inherit clean water. We are despoiling a resource far more valuable than oil.”

The waiver infuriated Ms. Deane-Hughes. And the independence of the board that hears citizen concerns struck her as a sham. Its chairman, Mahender Sharma, heads Guyana’s energy agency, and his wife directs the new government company created to manage the power plant. At a hearing of the board, Ms. Deane-Hughes cited the mandate against conflicts of interest in the Environmental Protection Act and asked Mr. Sharma to recuse himself. “I would like you not to make a decision,” she told him.

Six weeks later, the board did make a decision: It allowed the power company to keep its environmental permit without doing an impact statement.

Mr. Sharma, the energy director, dismissed the critics as a privileged intellectual elite sheltered from the deprivations that have led many Guyanese to welcome the oil industry.

At the Inter-American commission meeting, Mr. Bharrat, the minister of natural resources, argued that it is his government’s right as well as its responsibility to balance economic growth with sustainability. “Our country’s development and environmental protection are not irreconcilable aims,” he told them. And he reminded them that they can turn to the courts with their complaints.

Guyana’s highest court has dealt the activists both setbacks and victories. In one of the more consequential cases, activists have thus far prevailed. Frederick Collins, who heads the local anti-corruption group Transparency Institute of Guyana, sued the E.P.A. for not requiring Exxon Mobil’s local subsidiaries to carry a more substantial insurance policy. Mr. Collins argued that the existing $600 million policy was inadequate in the extreme. Major oil spills aren’t rare — two happen worldwide every year. The biggest blowout ever, at BP’s Deepwater Horizon, cost that company $64 billion. The deepwater drilling in Guyana is the riskiest kind.

A retired insurance executive and Methodist preacher, Mr. Collins had been feeling pessimistic about the case ever since the judge allowed Exxon Mobil, with its daunting resources, to join the E.P.A. as a defendant a year ago. In legal filings, the defendants had dismissed him as a “meddlesome busybody” without legal standing to bring the suit.

But in May, the judge, Sandil Kissoon, pilloried the E.P.A. as “a derelict, pliant” agency whose “state of inertia and slumber” had “placed the nation, its citizens and the environment in grave peril.” He found that the insurance held by Exxon Mobil’s local subsidiary failed to meet international standards and ordered the parent company to guarantee its unlimited liability for all disaster costs — or stop drilling. The case is being appealed.

An Exxon Mobil spokesperson said by email that the company’s insurance is “adequate and appropriate” and that a $2 billion guarantee it recently provided, at the order of the court considering the appeal, “exceeds industry precedent and the estimate of potential liability.”

At a news conference, Mr. Jagdeo, the vice president, criticized the ruling and called on Guyana’s courts to make “predictable” decisions. “We are playing in the big leagues now,” he said. “We are not a backwater country where you can do whatever you want and get away with it.”

To Melinda Janki, the lawyer handling most of the activists’ suits and one of the few local lawyers willing to take on the oil companies, the question is whether Exxon Mobil can get away with doing whatever it wants. She helped shape some of Guyana’s strongest environmental laws. “Even though this is a massive oil company,” she said, “they still have to obey the law. The rule of law is the rule of law.”

The dissidents are deploying the law in their fight against the oil giant and the government, but with billions on the line, they’re also combating the currents of public opinion.

A fossil fuel economy in a changing world

For all the misery wrought by sugar during the colonial era, its legacy as an economic powerhouse lingers in local memory.

In Patentia, the village closest to Wales, where I attended first grade, laid-off sugar workers remember the estate as the center of the community. When its 1,000 workers lost their jobs, thousands more were sent reeling, as businesses from rum shops to mom-and-pop groceries folded.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation, then the country’s largest employer, eliminated a third of its work force, leaving about a fifth of the population coping with the effects of unemployment.

The timing of the closures, a year after the oil discovery, raised hopes that the petroleum industry might somehow fill the void. Seven years after the closures, however, most sugar workers haven’t found new jobs. Certainly, very few are employed by the petroleum industry.

Their struggle raises a crucial question for Guyana as it wrestles with the transition from the old economy to the new: How can Guyanese without the skills or education for petroleum jobs benefit? Nested within that quandary ticks another: What if the new economy isn’t so new? What if its petroleum-driven vision of progress is actually already outdated?

Thomas Singh, a behavioral economist who founded the University of Guyana’s Green Institute, has argued for transforming the still-active sugar industry’s waste into cellulosic ethanol, a cutting-edge biofuel. But Mr. Sharma, the energy agency head, says the industry is too small for its cane husks to power very much. Some of the jackpot from Norway for carbon offsets has been earmarked for eight small solar farms, but Mr. Sharma, who drives an electric car and has solar panels at his house, maintains that solar energy is too expensive to be a primary power source, despite arguments to the contrary . The giant hydroelectric project the Norway deal was supposed to fund, powered by a waterfall, has long been stalled.

What dominates the local imagination now is oil and gas. During my stay in Guyana, I kept hearing the calypso song “ Not a Blade of Grass ” on the radio. Written in the 1970s as a patriotic rallying cry and a stand against Venezuela, which threatened to annex two-thirds of Guyana, it has made a comeback with a new cover version. (So, too, have Venezuela’s threats .) The lyrics, to an outsider’s ear, sound like an anthem against Exxon Mobil: “When outside faces from foreign places talk about takin’ over, we ain’t backin’ down.” But in Guyana, it has been invoked recently to assert the nation’s right to pump its own oil. The voices against drilling, however outspoken, remain isolated; the more passionate debate is over whether Guyana should renegotiate its contract to get a bigger take of the oil proceeds.

Oil is seen as such a boon that even questioning how it’s regulated can be branded unpatriotic. Journalists, academics, lawyers, workers at nongovernmental organizations and even former E.P.A. employees confided their fear of being ostracized if they spoke against petroleum.

Since becoming an adult, I’ve returned to Guyana every few years to research the country’s past and its legacies. During this recent trip, an elder statesman I interviewed told me that it was time I moved back permanently. The thought points to a hope, reawakened by oil, that Guyana can reclaim its lost people. But from my recent trips back to the country, it’s hard to tell now what Guyana is becoming, and who will thrive there as it evolves.

The house my family lived in on the Wales Estate still stands. It has been freshly painted and refurbished, with a daunting sign outside threatening trespassers with closed-circuit television, dogs and drone surveillance. It has passed into private hands. Exactly who owns it is a matter of speculation. The rumor in Patentia? A former sugar worker from Wales repeated it to me: “Exxon owns that house.”

Do you have a connection to Guyana?

It’s still early days in Guyana’s transformation, and the events unfolding in Guyana will have a notable impact worldwide. We’d like to hear your perspectives on where the country is heading. We especially want to engage Guyanese people and those with family or ancestral connections to the country.

The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square. Funders have no control over the selection, focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of the Headway initiative.

Gaiutra Bahadur is the author of “Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture.” She teaches English and journalism as an associate professor at Rutgers University in Newark.

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