I’m glad I was exposed to finding different communities online; people often talk about the dangers of making friends online but by doing so, they forget to consider the benefits of being surrounded by many different viewpoints.

Quarantine was a time when everyone had to get creative fast in every aspect of their lives. In socialising with fellow humans, everyone had to find a way to meet and talk to others with minimal or without any physical meetings at all. To achieve this, the only place I depended on, and probably many others, was the internet. I met so many people on the internet, some that I still am friends with today. Since I met so many people at a young age, I realized how different everyone is from one another and became more appreciative of the different perspectives I found in that space. I met people with a variety of experiences (and unique wisdoms) from different countries. Most importantly I found my fellow Filipinos across the country through different communities with people who enjoyed the same things I did. I never knew how much I needed to know that people from the same country would be able to enjoy the same things as much as I did until I found them. 

While it was nice to find “my people”, it wasn’t hard to remember that the internet still had those who were dangerous. Having access to such a vast world and meeting people with all sorts of beliefs, values, and personalities, it pushed me to think more about who I am. Growing up with beliefs equipped to me by my schools, I never thought I could go beyond what I knew. The internet opened my eyes to the different things that were beyond the small space I concerned myself with, and knowing I wasn’t the only Filipino trying to find my identity gave me the courage to keep going. 

I realized that while certain spaces are treacherous, the entire point of life is to coexist with others and stand my ground. I’m glad I was exposed to finding different communities online; people often talk about the dangers of making friends online but by doing so, they forget to consider the benefits of being surrounded by many different viewpoints. All people need is the right caution and etiquette to be in that space. 

In the age of technology and the internet, it is inevitable that our children will find themselves in these spaces. Since we already know the dangers, we need to focus on educating ourselves and them about how to stay safe online. It’s important to think of our own online behavior too; we need to critically think on how our actions would affect others as a whole. 

[B]eing inconsiderate of the other party in that way is exactly how we as a society get disconnected from one another.

Being on the internet myself, I had friends who often refused to think about how they affect others by saying things online – that it’s not their responsibility if someone gets hurt by their opinion. I believe having that mindset online reflects how we act in real life; being inconsiderate of the other party in that way is exactly how we as a society get disconnected from one another. Having that mindset closes off other perspectives that we should be open to. In addition, due to how vast the digital world is, your words have a bigger chance of reaching an even bigger group of people – opening another can of worms as to how much your words can affect others.

I realized that people don’t consider these things enough when talking about behaviors on the internet. We speak a lot about proper online etiquette in our schools but in the end people don’t put them into practice; they don’t realize that their responsibilities as netizens are just as important as in real life. We should use the internet as a source of diverse perspectives and provide our own critical thoughts responsibly – that in of itself is an act of humanism.