Faith in Internet Restored

http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/stories-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-the-internet

This article is titled, "21 Stories that will Restore your Faith in the Internet," first implying that faith in the Internet has been lost along the way somewhere, and second, ensuring that these 21 stories are all significant in some way, which after reading the article, they absolutely were.

Each of these stories shows the capabilities that the Internet has to offer us that save, change, and enhance the lives of people/animals/society at large. My favorite stories began with the "Batkid" article, where a five year old child with cancer was given an entire day to be his favorite superhero, and save the city of San Francisco. The news spread on Twitter, the social media website of what was going to happen, and so many people wanted to help, that the entire city turned into Gotham city for the day, and this little boy's dreams came true.

Another story that I thought was particularly special was the Redditor who posted that his uncle with down syndrome was dying and always loved getting mail, so he would appreciate a letter or two from strangers who would be willing to send him letters to open up in bed. Not only did a few letters come to this man, over a thousand letters and gifts were sent to him, and he was extremely happy.

The majority of these stories were successful through the use of social media to reach a wide audience. If it wasn't for these social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc. to find these lost dogs, the lost families, as well as to send out simple requests. The power of the social media is undeniable in that if word needs to be spread quickly, it will be spread through the overwhelming use of social media sites.

Although I use the Internet and social media websites everyday, I still find it strange that they have such power to do amazing things in our everyday lives. For some people, the Internet can completely change their life, whether it helps them find their long lost family, or helps them fund a tremendous want or need, or enhances their life in some other way. The Internet can be a cruel place with bullying, and strangers being mean for no reason at all, but it can also be filled with trust, hope, and people who genuinely want to help the world, and this article really helps us remember how.