The dark side of the net – is it really so terrifying ?

Polis Intern and LSE MSc student Jessica Di Paolo reports on the latest Polis Media Agenda Talk featuring Jamie Bartlett, author of the book Dark Net and Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media. Internet trolls, drugs markets, pro-suicide forums, pro-anorexia communities. These are only a few of the stories hidden behind the dark net. When thinking about the digital world, we tend to consider just some aspects of this dark side; limited participatory culture, the illusion of being part of a public sphere, self-obsession, and the insatiable desire of being rewarded and recognised in cyberspace.