Syfy’s ‘The Internet Ruined My Life’ Debuts March 9

Syfy channel is known for its geek fan base, and its celebration of fantastic technology and the wonders of even greater things to come. But now Syfy is giving fans a hard reality check on the darker side of technology and the damage it can do. Their latest reality series, The Internet Ruined My Life, premieres Wednesday, March 9, on the network.

Each week, The Internet Ruined My Life will focus on new stories about real events that occurred to people who should have thought twice before pushing the post button on the computer, and ended up paying a very heavy price for a simple tweet or post to Facebook. Or at least most of the stories involve the actions of the individuals who were harmed, but some involve people who were victimized by others, such as posting very personal photos all over the internet.

It doesn’t just happen to celebrities, as the premiere episode revealed in a media screening.

Along with hearing the stories first-hand from those who say their lives were ruined, Syfy brought in some experts to make commentary on the stories, including a former NYPD Lieutenant, and New York Law School professor Ari Ezra Waldman. Waldman is known as a leading advocate against cyberbullying and other online crimes.

The Internet Ruined My Life features video interviews with the actual people involved in the stories, interspersed with reenactments by actors. In the premiere of The Internet Ruined My Life, the first segment revolves around the case of Suey Park from Chicago who found her world ripped apart after she responded to what she thought was a racist comment by Stephen Colbert and posted the hashtag #CancelColbert.

Even though Park realized Colbert’s comments about Asian Americans were satire, as an online activist for Asian-American issues, she felt she needed to let people know that even satire could go too far, in her opinion. First she received hateful responses, but after her personal info was outed on the Internet — including her home address — she ended up with a sniper on her lawn. Things got so bad that even Colbert himself went on air to tell people to stop the harassment.

Thank goodness she went after a nice celebrity, and not someone like, say, Donald Trump. But all joking aside, Park’s life has never been the same.

The second segment of the premiere episode of The Internet Ruined My Life reveals how a simple tweet got a man and his friend detained, then deported out of the United States when they simply came for a vacation from the United Kingdom. Hint: if your home country uses “destroy,” as slang for partying, you may want to Americanize your posts before hitting send. And whatever you do, don’t even think about joking about digging up Marilyn Monroe. Just ask Leigh Van Bryan, whose dream trip turned into a nightmare with Homeland Security after he tweeted, “Free this week, for a quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?”

Other true tales of woe in upcoming episodes of The Internet Ruined My Life:

BRIANNA WU: Wu sent a tweet supporting women’s rights in the gaming industry and woke up to death threats pouring in.

MARK: When this celebrated chef defended another on Facebook, one woman threatened his daughter’s life. When Mark retaliates to defend himself and his family, it costs him his career.

CAMERON JANKOWSKI: Desperate for internet fame, Jankowski enters the #pissolympics and makes the biggest mistake of his life, which almost sent him prison.

ALLYSON PEREIRA: After agreeing to pose for topless photos for her boyfriend, Pereira becomes a victim of “revenge porn,” which drove her to the brink of suicide.

ASHLEY VANPEVENAGE: Ashley becomes the victim of a nasty meme after “Before” and “After” photos from a makeover are posted online.

NICOLE CROWTHER: As an extra on Glee, Crowther leaked some overhead gossip and was blackballed in Hollywood.

SIERRA MCCURDY: With a slip-up that posted the wrong emoji on a heated story about two police officers, she finds herself the victim of a dangerous stalker and she must flee for her life.

ANNMARIE CHIARINI: Another boyfriend wanting nude photos he’ll never, ever show anyone else. You know this will end badly.

JENNIFER BOX: Box’s “Drunk Girl in Public” video goes viral, resulting in death and rape threats and a trip to the hospital.

CHRISTOPHER HERMELIN: Hermelin becomes another meme victim after a photo of him hits Reddit.

The Internet Ruined My Life premieres Wednesday, March 9, at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy.

[Photo courtesy of Syfy]