How does the internet affect your life in the UK?

Name: Charlotte
Age: 16
Hometown: Romford, in London

From Netflix to Tumblr, to funny cat videos and memes, The internet is an essential part of my daily routine, providing me with both entertainment and a greater look into the wider world.

The internet never seemed to be a crucial part of my childhood. To me, its sole purpose was to watch the same few videos over and over again (Those being ‘Charlie The Unicorn’ and ‘Potter Puppet Pals’) as well as playing flash dress up games for hours on end. However as I’ve grown older the internet has fully immersed me into its pipeline. Now, it is almost impossible to survive a week without it. I spend at least 4 hours a day on it whether I’m on a mobile device or my computer I always seem to be connected.

But why is the internet so important to me? To be truthful there are numerous reasons for why it has become such a big part of my life.

It is almost unheard of for a young person not to have access to the internet, an increasing amount of school tasks that are issued are internet based. Whether it is just research or a larger project it is extremely hard to complete without access to the web. Revision has also become simpler with the internet providing us with a full range of guides to passing your exams meaning that you no longer have to splash out hundreds of pounds to make sure you’re getting that little bit more education you deserve.

However all that being said, although I find school very important the internet’s educational resources isn’t the most significant thing to me. I feel that the tightly packed communities within social media provides me with a population of people I can really connect to.

With sites like Tumblr becoming increasingly popular I have found a civilisation of people with whom I seem to instantly click. Coming from a person who shows great interest in ‘all things nerdy’ it is hard to connect with most people in my immediate vicinity. Unless I were to hang around a nearby comic book store for hours on end, it is unlikely to find people with similar interests to me.  Even then, as person who is rather socially inept, I would find it particularly difficult when it comes to real life conversations with these people. By communicating through messaging devices I find it easier to think out responses and a come across as the person I want to.

As for the online communities of fans I am provided with fanart, fanfiction and video tributes for shows and movies I love. All, by a simple Google search. These are made by people who are as passionate about the subject as I am.

I am able to discuss the latest episode of The Flash or Agents of Shield with like minded people or watch parodies of things I love. I have been able to make real friends with people I would likely have never met in real life. For example two people whom I’m close to live in Australia, the opposite side of the world to me.

Many people’s initial thoughts about the internet community is that it is full of trolls, criminals and not much else. However if you don’t take everything to heart, you’re careful, stay away from ‘4 chan’ and don’t blatantly hand out your home address to the first stranger you meet you will find yourself having an enjoyable time online. And maybe even make friends along the way, like I have.

I know, for one, if the internet was permanently switched off my life would change drastically. My portal to the outside world would be crushed. We would stay in a one track minded community with little to no differentiation. The internet is essential to find out news, keep connected with others and express opinions. Without it society could crumble. The internet is no longer a useful device but necessary to live in a modern day society.

More About Charlotte:

I would describe myself as a full blown geek: I enjoy all things sci-fi and superhero and spend most of my free time on tumblr. Currently, I’m a huge fan of many TV shows such as ‘The Flash’, ‘Agents Of Shield’, ‘Gravity Falls’, ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Sherlock’. As well as loving loads of books like ‘Harry Potter’ and any movies based around marvel. I am also a huge fan of musical theatre, especially any work by ‘Team Starkid’, although I can’t sing for toffees. I love going to conventions and dressing up as my favourite fictional characters as well as being able to see celebrities in real life. I am a cat enthusiast and own 2 myself. (Lily and Lionel)

I love my city because it’s full of interesting people and wonderful architecture.