3 . While most coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi connections to get more customers, Offline Club, a pop-up cafe in Amsterdam, offers a different connection where a Wi-Fi signal is unnecessary. Upon entering, its members leave their devices behind, grab a coffee, and enjoy a 90s’ atmosphere.

Ilya Kneppelhout, who started the Offline Club, said that the club is for people overwhelmed by their busy lives and constant notifications, according to Inside Edition. He added that their members want to cut down on their social media and screen time and focus on in-person connections — a simple idea, but participants enjoy it.

One of their members said, “being with the club makes you feel present in a way you didn’t expect”. “It felt a bit like travelling in time and made me feel nostalgic (怀旧) about the way bars and cafes used to be because nowadays, those are places we’re only going to with friends and people we already know and spend time doing digital things like work,” another member added.

The founders believe this concept could work in other cities, too. Kneppelhout stated that they want to spread the idea worldwide. “Right now, we’re getting together with a franchising concept, and we hope to have offline detox events in the entire world for people to reconnect,” he said.

Meanwhile, the internet and computers are deeply integrated into our lives. Being addicted to the internet can hurt you in different ways, both in body and emotions. Given this, the digital detox provided by the Offline Club could be helpful for individuals who feel they spend too much time online. It’s a chance to reduce stress and focus more on talking to people. It also helps stop us from becoming too reliant on technology. Ultimately, a digital detox is about stepping back to connect with what really matters.

4 . Social media truly can affect one’s life. Below are some ways how this new interactive technology can affect your life.

●Cyberbullying (网络暴力).

    1    . This has led to cyberbullying, where people use the electronic communication to send messages in a threatening nature.

Cyberbullying can be a serious issue where the victim can experience a huge amount of stress that leads to a decline in mental health. There are also cases where cyberbullying have led to suicide cases and caused death.

●Distraction (分心) and Drop In Productivity.

Do you know that social media is a huge distraction and it can interrupt your life in every level? Try to imagine you are writing an important article and suddenly someone gives you a call on Facebook, which will distract your focus. Many studies have found that the more people engage with social media, the less the person is able to focus on his work.     2    .

●Tiredness and Stress.

What do you think would happen if you stare at your computer screen or your cell phone for a long period?     3    . Plus, when you are checking social media, you are constantly switching from one task to another because there are so many things to check out and to see. This information overload will wear out your brain power and make you feel tired.

●Peer (同辈) Pressure and The Desire To Compare.

Another common way how social media can affect your life is through peer pressure. People are afraid to miss out and they love to compare themselves with other people.     4    . This is why you are using the social network in the first place.

●Other Related Health Issue.

Apart from all that being mentioned, there will be other related health issues such as blurry vision due to strain eyes as the result of long hours watching the screen.     5    , you may suffer back and neck pain issue as you have to consistently bend down your neck to look at your phone.

5 . When you get in a car, you expect it will have functioning brakes. When you pick up medicine at the drugstore, you expect it won’t be polluted. But it wasn’t always like this. The safety of these products was terrible when they first came to market. It took much research and regulation to figure out how users can enjoy the benefits of these products without getting harmed.     1    

Social media risks are everywhere. The dangers that algorithms designed to maximize attention represent to teens have become impossible to ignore. Other product design elements, often called “dark patterns,” designed to keep people using for longer, also appear to tip young users into social media overuse.     2     They say it’s their users’ fault for engaging with harmful content in the first place, even if those users are children or the content is financial trickery. They also claim to be defending free speech.

    3     Under the Digital Services Act, which came into effect in Europe this year, platforms are required to take action to stop the spread of illegal content and can be fined up to 6 percent of their global incomes if they don’t do so. If this law is enforced, maintaining the safety of their algorithms and networks will be the most financially sound decision for platforms to make.

Despite these efforts, two things are clear. First, online safety problems are leading to real, offline suffering. Second, social media companies can’t, or won’t, solve these safety problems on their own.     4       Even safety issues like cyberbullying that we thought were solved can pop right back up. As our society moves online to an ever-greater degree, the idea that anyone, even teens, can just “stay off social media” becomes less and less realistic.     5    

The Internet is one of the     1     (great) creations and provides people with instant access     2     an endless supply of knowledge and entertainment. Using a search engine, you can ask almost any question     3     may confuse you, and find a web page with information about that question. There are also millions of videos on websites or social media,     4     (explain) various topics.

In the past, it would take days and sometimes even months     5     (receive) a letter from someone else. Today, with the Internet, you can send an e-mail to anyone in the world and often have it     6     (deliver) in less than a minute.

However, the Internet is not without its     7     (disadvantage). Playing games on the Internet can become very addictive, which leads to much time being wasted. And constant connectivity means some people     8       (expect) to be available to work at any time of the day, even if they previously refused to.

Despite the drawbacks, the Internet has     9     (undoubted) changed the way we live, work and communicate, and it’s here to stay. It’s up to us to use it wisely and make     10    most of its benefits while minimizing its negative effects.

9 . How to Protect Against Undue Influence Online

The potential for undue influence has become increasingly significant in this era of digital interconnectivity. Undue influence can affect our perceptions and influence our decisions. It may even end anger our autonomy (自主) and mental health.     1    

Understand what undue influence is

The first step to protecting yourself is understanding what undue influence is. Undue influence refers to a situation in which an individual or group employs unreasonable control over another person’s behavior information, thoughts, and emotions.     2     Disinformation campaigns, persuasive advertising, and even content designed to cause fear, uncertainty, or dependency may often appear online.

Develop media literacy skills

In an age of fake news, it is crucial to develop media literacy skills.     3     Become a consumer who can tell the quality of information, identify the source, check for credibility, and look for your unconscious assumptions and preferences.

    4    

Delete as much data as you can about yourself. Be mindful of what information you share online, and always ensure that your online activities are secured through reliable sources. Review all policies on platforms, especially “free” ones. If you aren’t paying, then you are the product, as in many cases, they are selling your data.

By including these steps into your digital life, you can protect yourself from undue influence in the online world, ensuring that you can think and act independently, free from ill control.

    5     It is your mind. Only you should control it!