Propaganda and The Net
By Carole Fawcett

The internet is a good thing. We can access all sorts of information and providing we are careful about our source, we learn while sitting in our own home. We can even go to university from the comfort of our home. A friend obtained her Bachelors Degree in Psychology this way.

Another friend has gone to China to teach ESL and I look forward to her emails. We can read newspapers, magazines and be in touch with people on the other side of the world with ease. I love it. Mostly.

Unfortunately with the good, comes the not so good. The internet is also used for lower purposes as well. Pedophiles love the net, hate mongers love the net, fanatics of all types love the net. As a matter of fact, fanatics create situations where main stream media cover their events and by this action help the fanatics to perpetuate their venom world wide.

Then, an email attachment is made and well intentioned people send the email to all their friends. The hate continues to be perpetuated, only this time, by ordinary people. Of course this was the intent of the original event in the first place.

Sadly, due to this misinformation spreading, groups are misrepresented and those same well meaning people start to make incorrect assumptions about all people from a particular group. If you see negative images of a group of people over and over and you read hateful words over and over, you will begin to believe the propaganda that comes into your own home via the internet.

You can become desensitized to the truth and start to believe the one-sided photos and words you see on your computer. Much like reading a trashy sensational newspaper, your view of the world will become distorted by the lies you receive and send via email. It's hate mongering at it's most effective, because other people do it for you. It's insidious and very frightening.

So, what can you do? You can increase your awareness of what is real and what isn't. You can check things out on the net before sending them on to others. You can ask yourself if you want to be part of something that is good or something that is not so good.

Make a decision to only send joy and love via your computer. We all have enough personal angst or challenge without sending more of it on to others. So, concentrate on the good in life. Send the jokes, the positive and sometimes cheesy stories to friends. Celebrate all that is wonderful in our world. Share it with others and help them to focus on lifes positive aspects.

By making a conscious change in what you will or won't accept in your world, you'll help to change what we will or won't accept in our world.

So, don't help those who hate, to spread their ugliness. Delete them from your computer and your life.

Carole Fawcett is "The Happiness Coach" and provides stress management workshops, keynotes and laughter circles to business and individuals. For more information see http://www.afunnybusiness.ca Carole is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. Carole believes that if you are not having fun on your journey through life then you need to make some changes.

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