Argumentative essay Use of Sources Prepared by Anita Afacan

Introduction Censorship has been around for thousands of years. It has been used to regulate speech and ideas in areas ranging from normal conversations to artistic expression. Today, it is being considered for the internet. Some people believe that this is not a suitable medium for censorship to be used. However, many others do not share this view. It is my firm belief that censorship is of vital importance to the internet.

Body 1 First of all, it protects children against inappropriate content. It is reasonable to expect that adults can make their own choices but is it fair to expect children to make them? All children are naturally inquisitive and want to find out more about the world. The Internet is like an amusement park; all children want to experience all the attractions as quickly as possible. Yet, just like in an amusement park where some rides make you ill, some websites are harmful or dangerous to children. As White (2009) points out, unsuitable websites are too easy for everyone to access. He proves this by referring to a survey which showed that almost half of 11 years old had been exposed to some form of pornography. This shows just how easy it is to see unbefitting content. This situation could be changed under the control of censorship. Main idea 1 Explanation of main idea Source to support explanation Link back to main idea

Body 2 In addition, it prevents people from using the internet for bad purposes. Because the Internet is free, anyone can set up their websites. This means that organisations that wish to brainwash you and promote hatred against other people can easily set up their own websites. I do not believe it is in our best interests to allow certain organisations like far right political parties to open websites and spread lies. For example, the internet is full of social networks, the most famous one being Facebook. These networks are used to find and keep in contact with friends. Now, there is a network that is based on hate called Hatebook. Dube (2009) describes this network as a place “...where anti-social folks can join together and celebrate their hateful behavious.” (n.p.). He also adds that secrets or lies about others that are disliked by hatebook members can be told and shared. This type of malicious behaviour should have no place on the internet and needs the control of a censoring institution to stop it. Main idea 2 Explanation of main idea Source to support explanation Link back to main idea

Body 3 Lastly, it helps to restrict inaccurate or biased information. The internet is so large that it can hold vast amounts of information. Yet, this is also the biggest problem with the internet. There is too much information, and because of this, it is difficult for people to form their own opinions. We need guidance in knowing which information is relevant and useful and which is not. However, according to Metzger et al. (2003), without any professional guidance or support, many students rely on the web when doing their assignments. As a result of this, the author warns that students “…may mistake erroneous or biased information for fact, and they may perpetuate such errors or bias in their own work.” (p. 273). Thus, the quality of the work they produce can decline. The only way to guard against information overload is to use censorship. Link back to main idea Source to support explanation Main idea 3 Explanation of main idea

Refutation Opponents of censorship claim that censoring the internet will stop the truth from being told. They believe that if content on the web is regulated, not all ideas will be expressed and the truth will not be seen in full. These opponents are partly right and censorship does stop some ideas, but not all ideas are worth publishing. If every idea that people had was placed on the web, the number of resources available would be infinite. Without censorship, the internet and its information base would be so large that there would be no way to reach any kind of truth. As Metzger et al. (2003) points out, the web contains “millions of other web sites that are operated by individuals, businesses, advocacy groups, clubs...which may offer inaccurate or biased information.” (p.273) This observation clearly shows that not all information is of the same value, and if this is allowed to remain, there is only confusion, no truth at all. Brief explanation of it Opposite idea Source to support explanation Link back to main idea Explanation why our idea is correct Partial agreement of idea Contrast transition

Conclusion To sum up, censorship must be carried out on the internet. It protects children from unsuitable material, stops people from abusing the internet and it reduces the size of the information available to a much more manageable level. If censorship is not used in this cyber medium, the internet may become a much darker, dangerous and confusing place.