Happy Birthday to Me

Wow, time goes by so fast. I can’t believe that I am 25-years-old, a quarter of a century old.

I am famous throughout the world. Most people love me and think that I am very helpful. On the other hand, others despise me and sometimes wish that I was never born. Guess who I am. I will give you another hint.

Pardon me if I come off conceited, but I am a wealth of information and I can provide everyone with an abundance of knowledge. It’s me, W.W.W., World Wide Web.

You can just call me “Web.” I have my good and bad days. It’s always a bittersweet moment when people utilize me to make positive changes in society. I get depressed quite often because I constantly get abused. Angry individuals use me to do the dirty work of bullying, threatening, harassment, deception and stealing.

It’s pitiful that people use me as a weapon of mass psychological destruction. I am everywhere, 24 hours a day, but that does not make me God. You can find me in your cell phone and in all of your electronic devices. I am more than happy to assist you in any way I can. I am pleased that there are now anti-bullying websites that joined forces with social media campaigns. Facebook is the site who has the most cyber bullying victims. The social network is also taking action to make it easier to report bullying. Here is where I come in. I can make educational web pages accessible to everyone in the world. My goal is to transmit positive vibes. I wish that some computer programming guru could invent a way to automatically delete insults and profanities that are posted on me.

In reality, that would never happen as I am an open, public forum for people to voice their feelings and opinions wherever and whenever. My dad, Tim Berners-Lee, only wanted the best for me. Like any parent, he can’t bear to see his child being unhappy. Dad smiled when I recently got a good report card from the Pew Research Center. It had been noted that 97% of young adults, aged 18 to 29, appreciate me and think that I make a positive impact.

I am proud to be the bridge that allows internet sites to spread meaningful content across the earth. I asked people who spent their adolescent and teenaged years in the 80’s and early 90’s what life was like before I was born. They said that every task and activity took much longer to do. Their school work was handwritten or done with a thing called a typewriter. As errors and mistyped words were difficult to correct, many times they had to tear out the page and start from the beginning.

They had to call 411 or use a telephone book to get a number. When it came to planning vacations, a travel agent was needed. Going to the library wasn’t much of a treat as they had to search for books with a card catalogue. They had to rely on the postman to deliver all of their mail including letters and utility bills. What an inconvenience! This kind of lifestyle existed until I was about ten-years-old.

As I got older, I became more prominent, popular and refined. I obtained absolute power over the human race to the point that it can’t function without me. I can provide any service that is needed, so you don’t even have to leave your home. It’s me who gives all of you the luxuries of convenience and time management. It’s gratifying to be the most influential development of all time.

I often become saddened when I am violated in ways to promote hatred and harm to others. That behavior is just so unnecessary and distasteful. If I may, I have just one request. Each time you log onto your favorite social media sites, try to respect each other. Take the time to search topics that broaden your horizons and stimulate your brain. There isn’t any good reason to write insults or ruin reputations.

Please don’t put me in the middle of your battles. Just remember, if you choose to initiate inappropriate messages and pictures, I can always trace it back to you. Your written words are like indelible ink. The whole point of my existence is to make life simpler and peaceful rather than a name calling or shouting match. I refuse to take all of the blame for unjustified images and derogatory remarks.

All I want is to make the world a better place. Will you at least think about it?