Terrorists exploit the internet for a wide range of activities, using platforms and methods similar to general users but for malicious purposes such as 

radicalization, recruitment, propaganda, planning, and fundraising. The internet offers advantages like easy access, low cost, anonymity, and a global audience. 

Key ways terrorists use the internet:

• Propaganda and Psychological Warfare: Terrorist organizations run websites and use social media to spread their ideologies, glorify attacks, manipulate public perception, and instill fear.
• Recruitment and Radicalization: They use online platforms, including social media (like TikTok and Facebook), forums, and gaming platforms, to spot and assess potential recruits. Radicalizers often target vulnerable individuals, building trust in private chats and exposing them to extremist “echo chambers” to accelerate radicalization.
• Planning and Coordination: The internet is used for planning specific attacks, with operatives communicating via email, chat rooms, and encrypted messaging apps, sometimes using code words or steganography (hiding messages inside graphic files) to avoid detection.
• Training and Instruction: Online manuals and guidebooks provide instructions on building weapons, explosives, and other attack-related information.
• Fundraising: Terrorist groups solicit donations online through front organizations, credit card donations on their websites, and by leveraging user demographics to identify sympathizers.
• Information Gathering/Data Mining: Terrorists conduct research on potential targets, such as critical infrastructure (e.g., nuclear plants, airports), and gather publicly available counterterrorism information.
• Cyberterrorism: While less common than “cyberplanning,” the potential threat exists for terrorists to use sophisticated cyberattacks (e.g., malware, DoS attacks, SQL injection) to disrupt critical computer systems, energy grids, or financial networks and cause widespread chaos or physical damage. 

To counter this, governments and tech companies are working on initiatives such as content moderation, media literacy campaigns, and international cooperation to disrupt terrorist online activities. The public can also report suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies like the FBI or through national programs like ACT Early in the UK. 

FTOs like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, al Qaeda, and others frequently use these mobile and desktop applications to recruit new members, fundraise, provoke others to violence, and coordinate terrorist activity.

“internet ruins lives” reflects concerns that 

excessive internet/social media use leads to social isolation, poor mental health (anxiety, depression), job/school failure, physical health issues (from sedentary habits), relationship problems (infidelity, neglect), addiction, and a distraction from real-life experiences, creating an artificial, overstimulated world that diminishes focus and genuine connection, impacting individuals and society negatively, though the internet also brings benefits. 

How the Internet Can “Ruin” Lives (Negative Impacts):

• Social & Relational Issues: Replaces face-to-face interaction, causing isolation; leads to infidelity or neglecting partners/family; creates conflict over usage.
• Mental Health: Linked to increased anxiety, depression (especially in teens), and feelings of inadequacy from social comparison; causes withdrawal symptoms when offline.
• Addiction & Behavior: Compulsive checking, constant notifications, and endless scrolling can become addictive, leading to aggression when interrupted.
• Productivity & Health: Distracts from work/school, causing poor performance; promotes sedentary lifestyles, impacting physical health; overstimulates the brain, making focus harder.
• Distorted Reality: Creates an artificial, high-stimulation environment that can feel more rewarding than real life, leading people away from self-directed living. 

Why People Feel This Way:

• Constant Stimulation: Social media and online content offer endless, easily accessible rewards, hijacking our attention systems.
• Loss of Real-World Connection: People seem more “plugged in” and less present in physical spaces, making real-life interactions harder.
• Expert Concerns: Even tech executives worry about social media’s effects and have voiced concerns about its programming of behavior. 

Counterpoint (The Other Side):

• The internet also offers incredible convenience, connectivity, and access to information, shaping our future in countless ways, with impacts that are still unfolding. 

In essence, while the internet offers great potential, its misuse or overuse can undermine real-world relationships, mental well-being, and focus, leading to the perception that it “ruins lives” for many. 

The sentiment that the 

internet ruins lives is a widely discussed topic, supported by concerns over its negative impacts on mental health, relationships, attention span, and overall well-being. The issues raised often center on problematic internet and social media use rather than the technology itself. 

Key ways the internet is perceived to “ruin” lives include:

• Mental Health Issues: Excessive use of social media can increase feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, partly due to constant comparison with others and a lack of face-to-face contact. Studies have noted a significant rise in mental illness among teens since social media’s widespread adoption.
• Addiction and Withdrawal: Internet addiction is a recognized issue, with users experiencing withdrawal symptoms, physical discomfort, and irritability when unable to access their devices. The algorithms used in many apps are specifically designed to be addictive, similar to gambling machines.
• Damaged Relationships and Social Isolation: Constant digital distractions chip away at real-life moments, making it difficult to be fully present with friends and loved family members. This can undermine social relationships, family life, and marriages, leading to isolation.
• Reduced Productivity and Focus: The constant barrage of notifications and endless content streams damages attention spans and makes it difficult to concentrate on work, studies, or hobbies. This can lead to academic failure or job loss.
• Cyberbullying and Harassment: The internet provides platforms for spreading rumors, lies, and abuse, with research suggesting a majority of U.S. teens have experienced some form of online bullying. In extreme cases, online harassment has been linked to severe real-world consequences, including suicide.
• Distorted Reality: An echo chamber effect and exposure to curated, often overly negative or unrealistic online content can skew a person’s perception of the real world and lead to unhealthy self-centeredness. 

While the internet offers numerous benefits, these are some of the ways its misuse or inherent design can lead to profoundly negative life outcomes for individuals.