It is advised to stay away from controversy but only very few take this advice seriously. Disputes in society create exhilaration among people which in turn works in favour of some party. The gust of controversial wind flows on social media as well. It is one of the most well-known attributes that bloggers and other writers use to achieve recognition and increase traffic on their sites. There have been an ample amount of controversies ever since the humans started to communicate their individual opinions. Media is not the creator of the controversies, but rather a resourceful medium to spread those controversies. Websites often use controversial issues in there content to attract more and more readers. In 2018, there have been many instances where websites featured contents which didn’t go well with all the visitor. Top 5 Most Controversial Website Content of 2018 are given below.
1) Google and the Data privacy
Google is the god of the Internet. It is a website where you can find and learn anything at all. Despite being the hero of the web, Google does some nasty work which isn’t easy for its users to gulp in. Google recently posted a blog explaining what policy does data privacy actually follows. It is made clear in the blog that the emails of the registered users are scanned by the third party. It is disheartening to know that this is what is happening with our personal data but in their defence, the user agreed to the policy before signing up. Data-stealing has been an issue for ages now and has multiple stands. It is time to acknowledge that like Facebook, Twitter and other such websites, Google is also backstabbing the users in a way.
2) NAMBLA
The North America Men/Boy Love Association i.e NAMBLA has been in existence for a prolonged period. It may sound like a strong movement against the hater of love, but it is completely not that. The aim of NAMBLA is to bring change in the law which prohibits adult men from engaging into sexual intercourse with a young boy of age less than that of consent age. In short, it is working to bring Pedophilia into law. It fights for the LGBTQ+ community but under the shadow of this act, it got some other sickening plans. The textual content featured on the website putting such indecent demand has been a controversial topic since ages.
3) Online Dowry Calculator
Dowry is illegal in India, but who are we kidding. We all know that it is a core part of a marriage for most of the families still today. The system is an illegal offence in the eyes of the laws but common people with no sight for the constitution and fundamental laws, it is a ritual. The cases of dowries only hit Internet when they are filled in Police station with a dramatic backstory. However, this time dowry got limelight because of a website which helps the greedy souls in calculating it for them. Politicians from all over the country denounced the website and asked the owner to shut it down.
4) H&M and the Monkey Sweatshirt
Trendy looks and fashionable clothes are the high esteemed market sector which draws everyone’s attention. H&M is a brand which has been in the market for quite long now and has been at the receiving end of applause for many great designs and styles. However, In January of 2018, H&M faced criticism for an ad featuring a black kid wearing a sweatshirt which reads “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle”. What H&M did not think of before putting the ad on the Internet that it could drag the attention on the grounds of Racism. After receiving backlashes from many on social media, H&M issued an apology on their official website.
5) The Reddit Controversies
Reddit is like an online newspaper with editorials written by common people featuring their views on the topic. It is also a platform where people can discuss things. It is a great initiative in favour of free speech. Nevertheless, it has also bred many controversial contents over the past decade. One of the controversies which sparked in 2018 was related to a subreddit conferring suicide and the ethics indulged in it. The lunatic discussion framed points like, Suicide is not always wrong, it can be a solution too, and many more. After a huge negative reception, the subreddit was banned on March 14, 2018.
These are just the 5 straws from the heap of thousands. Controversial Content may not go well with the audience but they do procure the limelight. For a website to become popular, it is alright to use some controversy, but obviously not too an extreme.