Answers may vary when you ask people from different places in the world: 'which place is the most frequented area?' But looking away from geographical location, there is a place that we could easily [and generally] come to term the 'most frequented'- and that is the 'WORLDWIDE WEB'.
It has become so popular and easily reached that even a 3-year old could feel its impact and it is readily available at our fingertip. The internet has indeed played a huge role in turning the world into a 'global village'. Nevertheless, despite its popularity and usefulness; it has also become commonplace to see how this medium has been abused time and again.
Without further ado, let us now see some of the ways the internet has thus far been abused:
PROPAGATION OF FAKE NEWS: The accessibility of the internet has been very well utilized by propagandists whose 'business' thrives in spreading false news and rumors that have frequently caused spate of animosity among the audience who participate in the discourse. This act [of spreading false news] has been perfected with pictures [that are often doctored] hence leaving even the learned easily caught up in the 'web of deception'. More disturbing and pathetic is the fact that established media outlets have also joined the bandwagon [of internet propagandists] as ignoble act of spreading fake news assumes primacy over newsworthiness.
PROLIFERATION OF PORNOGRAPHIC LINKS: Although the idea behind the evolvement of the internet is information sharing but I doubt if founding fathers- like J.C.R Licklider; Tim Berners Lee and co- of the internet had envisaged that the invention they helped to develop, would someday be a means through which nudity and other degree of obscenities are commercialized. Gone are the days when an individual has to step out of his apartment to satisfy these 'wanton pleasures' as links to pornographic sites are just a click away. These links create a nuisance on social media and in a world where everyone seems to have the right to his/her own view without pondering over the preservation of good moral standards, it becomes nearly impossible to control the proliferation...all that one can do is to be self-disciplined.
STREAMS OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES: It is not uncommon to hear and/or see how the internet has been used [by unscrupulous individuals] to visit 'misery' upon unsuspecting individuals. The execution of fraudulent activities takes a different dimension with the use of the internet. Fraudsters derive joy- without caring about whether the purpose of the internet is defeated or not- from activities that look seemingly fiddling to those as weighty as defrauding people of huge sums of money. Therefore, one needs to be careful about how he/she relates on social media as you do not know what lies on the other end.
ADDICTION: Most of us might not be found wanting in the previously mentioned forms of abuses; however, when it comes to getting addicted to the internet [especially the social media] we cease to be 'saints'. The internet is supposed to be engaged with clearly defined purpose but this [purpose] is often upended when we get overtaken by pleasure- like having to check the likes and comments our pictures and status have amassed- without having a good conscience as our comfort zone 'homes us in'. This is one of the reasons why some families seem close but are far apart as relationship goes virtual with everyone [in the family] 'clasping' his/her mobile device in the hand hence, having little or no quality time together as a family. Also the time to have used in adding more value to life- doing other gainful things- is wasted in this act. To address this; it is important to be committed to setting priorities right and be self-disciplined in the use of the internet.
The internet is one of the best things that have happened to mankind but it is quite unfortunate that despite the advancement in information and communication technology; the full potential of the internet is still being undermined- yet another form of abuse: underutilization. One key advantage for its existence [in our generation] is to promote commerce but it appears that most people treat this with laxity or they do not just seem to catch the vision and they end up abusing the 'webspace'...The internet is fast becoming the bedrock of businesses in this era and the earlier one realizes this and breakaway from the habit of misusing the medium; the better for growth and development of businesses.