Untangling the Web

The Internet has come a long way since it first began as a way for universities and government agencies to communicate. In recent years it has become available to almost everyone. And young people lead the way in accepting this technology. After all, young people today have grown up with the Internet and are generally quite comfortable communicating and getting their information via the Internet.

By David Treybig, Managaing Editor

Matching our readership's ready acceptance of the Web, Vertical Thought and its predecessor, Youth United, have always been e-magazines. Unlike many publications that began as printed magazines and then moved to the Web, our Internet presence came first. Three years later we changed our name and began printing our magazine as well as making it available online.

Of course, it's one thing to be techno-savvy and another to be techno-smart. A recent incident illustrated that the ability to use the Internet doesn't necessarily represent intelligence or vertical thinking.

At Brooklyn High School on Long Island, New York, it was discovered that three 14-year-old girls beat up a 12-year-old girl because they claimed that the victim had told lies about them on the Internet. Not only did the bullies engage in ugly, ungodly conduct, they had someone film the beating and then posted it on the Internet.

Even though the beating took place on school grounds, school administrators had no knowledge of the incident until they were told of the video. Apparently the perpetrators decided to put the incident on the Web because others had filmed fights and posted them.

What this incident illustrates is the fact that the Internet is a highly public forum. What we post has the potential to be viewed by anyone with Internet access. Sadly, many have posted immodest pictures or made statements that cost them opportunities at colleges and jobs. They were surprised that people saw them on the Internet. Because so many people have created their own personalized pages, this issue of Vertical Thought addresses this subject in our lead article: "Facebook and MySpace: A Young Christian's Guide to Using Social Network Sites."

Continuing our focus on the Internet, our follow-up article, "The Good and Bad of Gaming," addresses the growing phenomenon of online gaming. In conjunction with this form of entertainment, many people are now said to be suffering from Internet addiction—meaning they spend too much time online.

The Internet has many benefits and is undoubtedly here to stay. Indeed, Web developers are already planning the next generation of the Web that will be far more powerful. All of this meshes with the biblical prophecy that knowledge will greatly increase at the time of the end (Daniel 12:4).

Since it seems unlikely that the Internet is going to disappear, doesn't it make sense to consider some vertical thinking on how to use it in a godly manner? This issue is dedicated to helping you steer clear of the ungodly tangles associated with the Web. VT