The internet has had a major impact on society and has
become the main source for information and communication. The possibilities created by the use of the
internet evolve each day and provide new opportunities for everyone. The most gratifying part of being able to use
the internet is that it is instantaneous; no waiting for information. Thanks to technology you don’t need to be
hardwired to a computer and desk anymore, we have access in our hands. There are often debates on whether the
internet is beneficial or harmful to us.
One of the best features of the internet is the availability
of information and what it can do for our education. Children and students having access to
information to help them study and learn is phenomenal. Many children struggle with homework and they
don’t always have someone there to help them.
You can now attend kindergarten through college online; it brings education
to many people that wouldn’t be able to get it otherwise. I suffer from social anxiety and if I weren’t
able to take classes online I would have never applied to college.
Many of the features the internet offers can be viewed as a
double edge sword. Electronic publishing
offers instant access to readers, saves the company money on printing and helps
the environment cut back on tree consumption.
However those same benefits to the businesses that utilize online
publishing put other companies at risk of loss or even to go out of
business. Less items are printed which
affects jobs in many sectors; printers, suppliers, delivery etc.
The internet sharing and streaming capabilities has led to
digital downloads, streaming radio stations, and free video viewing; and
unfortunately pirating copy-written materials.
These services and illegal activities has majorly affected the sales for
movies and cd purchases. According to (Statistica,
n.d.)
annual music sales have dropped more than 50% since 2007. While the streaming services and digital
media is good for consumers it also affects artists and jobs in the related
fields.
While most people enjoy the internet because there are no
restrictions or filters, that also poses threats and harm to others. Without governing of the internet, it is
often used for illegal and inappropriate reasons. It allows illegal activities and information
as well as wrong information to be shared with anyone anytime. With the help of Google, you can find
anything, even things you aren’t looking for often pop up as results. Overall, it is not the internet that is
harmful, it is people and what they choose to use it for.
References
Statistica.
(n.d.). Retrieved January 2016, from statistica.com:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/273308/music-album-sales-in-the-us/
When it comes to your post about the internet and its positive and negative impacts on society I feel I can agree but also disagree. I love that you said how it’s not the internet is not what harms us but what we decide to do with it. I completely agree, I also said in my post that I feel that the internet is only partially the blame for harming our society. I feel that it also has to do with the sites we can access with the internet. However, I can understand when you said you struggled through social anxiety so the internet kind of helped you attend college because of that. But, I also think for those who don’t, they kind of use the internet as a way of avoiding the real world and which can cause isolation, cyber bullying addiction which can lead to health issues. According to the article “internet use may harm teen health” by Allison Pearce Stevens the internet can cause high blood pressure and obesity. “Four out of 10 teens used the Internet more than two hours every day. Nineteen percent of these heavy users had high blood pressure” (Internet use may harm teen health).
ReplyDeleteWorks cited
Stevens, Alison Pearce. “Internet Use May Harm Teen Health.” Student Science. N.p.,22 Oct
2015. Web. 04 Feb.2016
I definitely agree with what you wrote about how the internet can be used as an extremely valuable source of information that we can use to better our education. Before the internet someone might have spent considerable time to drive to a library to look at books. This is also a good way but it is more time consuming. With computers and the internet, everything is instant. Another plus is that you can use the internet from the comfort of your own home. This gives people more time to research the things they care about. I believe overall that the internet has changed the world for the better. I read an article from the Washington Post about 36 different ways that the internet has changed us and the number one thing was that people multi-task more. I think that this goes along with the idea that the internet makes internet information more instantaneous.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/03/12/36-ways-the-web-has-changed-us/
I agree with your opinion on how the internet can be utilized for information with quick responses and information with no waiting. Information is available for all ages to have quick access to learn and obtain information for their education needs. Electronic information is helpful in writing papers, educational and business needs but can also be negative because the information you obtain is only as good as the source. An individual an obtain videos on YouTube, statistical information, biography’s, and any important information needed to produce a paper. Due to no restraints on access the internet most individuals can obtain information on any topic that they desire. (Purdy, n.d.)
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Purdy, R. (n.d.). Internet effects on Society. Retrieved from http://iml.jou.ufl.edl
I agree with what you stated. The internet has been a good advancement to society but it has also caused a lot of negativity. The biggest fear I have is a cyber attack. I don't do much on the internet unless I know the computer I use is safe. There are smart people out there that hack into different systems and steal credit cards, social security numbers, banking information and a lot of other things. According to Huffpost Tech, the U.S loses about $100 billion per year because of hackers. Because of hackers more and more banks have had to cancel cards on those who have had their bank accounts hacked.
ReplyDeleteSmith, Gerry. "Hackers Cost U.S Economy Up To 500,000 Jobs, Each Year, Study Finds." Huffpost Tech. The Huffington Post. 25 July 2013. Web. 5 Feb 2016.