The Flip Side of Internet Fame by Jessica Bennett

Jamielle Silvia

ENGL 0250-154

H. Susi

September 25, 2011

The Flip Side of Internet Fame by Jessica Bennett

            Imagine a video, picture, or blog, which was intended on being private, be subjected to the internet for people to get a good laugh over? Jessica Bennett’s essay The Flip Side of Internet Fame is about how reputations can be destroyed in seconds due to postings on the internet. Bennett explains a few stories in detail of three individual’s privacy being violated in ways I could not imagine. It only takes minutes to hours for a blog/video to go viral.

Teenagers act a certain way usually for the attention or it makes them feel better about themselves. Some act the way their friends want them to and make fun of people who seem different from them. They can do harmful things like posting images, videos, or pictures of someone to become popular or to “fit in” with the crowd. Teens want to “fit in” so they have a sense of belonging which causes them to pick on people who appear to be “weak” or an easy target.  I think it is wrong to act this way towards anyone because you have no idea how they will take it or the affect it could have on their life.

 Most teens do not think about the affects it can have on someone’s ego or self-esteem. Most people do not realize that their actions towards another person can be very hurtful and most importantly humiliating. Teenagers act impulsively to other students to feel highly or better about themselves.  I think students act harmfully in such ways because they could have a grudge against that person or maybe they see other people doing it so they begin to think it is okay. To me these actions are unacceptable because every action has a reaction. For example you could do something for fun and games but you could lead that person to drop out or switch schools.

Posting things on the internet has become very popular whether if it is for a good laugh, humiliation or information. These postings could ruin someone’s life, reputation, or lead them to commit suicide. Bennett said, “As a new book makes clear in powerful terms, such sites can make or break a person in a matter of seconds.” This quote has a powerful message whether you are the “poster” of such media or the “posted”.  Posting things that are not yours and without that person’s permission is spiteful.

I think this essay is very moving. It makes me think of all the means things I have done in the past to someone not thinking about how it affected them. This essay is about how harmful the internet can be when something private becomes revealed. I can sort of relate to this essay because something like this has happened to my twin sister Jacke and I can just remember how hurt she was. It affected her in ways that she deleted herself from the website it was posted on. After she had to make a whole new account because she was so humiliated.