Internet use in society
Introduction
People have become dependent on the internet for everyday functions like communication, learning and entertainment. Its use in different aspects of human life has created an environment where the average individual employs its use in different functions on a daily basis. Despite its popularity, there are concerns over the security risks that it poses as well as its overall impact on society and how people interact with one another. The concerns are attributed to vices such as cyber bullying, cybercrime and other vices that would not have existed without the intervention of the internet. Although there are various risks to using the internet, it remains beneficial to human beings as it promotes effective communication; facilitates every day tasks; and assists in gaining and sharing of knowledge, information and ideas.
Background
The internet has been in use since the 1960s but due to its complicated nature during that time, it was mostly used by government researchers to share information. It was not until Robert Khan and Vint Cerf successfully developed an interconnected network that enabled millions of computers to communicate with each other in a span of seconds that people started to fully benefit from the use of internet technology. Its use also evolved from research and communication to include performing activities like grocery shopping, setting reminders and alarms, entertainment and other uses that sought to make life easier for human beings (Haddon et al 13). Its efficiency and popularity however sparked a lot of controversy especially because of the negative impact that it had on society when used for destructive reasons. Despite this however, the internet remains beneficial as it greatly enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of communication. The internet is also important because it makes it easier to perform every day tasks like shopping, making appointments, getting directions and other uses that employ the use of computer technology. Lastly, the interconnected network offers vast access to information and this makes it easier to gain knowledge as well as share information and ideas.
One major benefit of using the internet has to do with enhancing the ease and efficiency of communication among individuals and organizations. Before the introduction of the internet, people heavily relied on face to face communication as well as the use of letters and the telephone. Although the methods used allow people to communicate, they were limited in that people either had to overcome geographic barriers and wait long duration of time before exchanging their messages (Faust et al 35). The efficiency of communication was also limited as the mediums used only allowed or audio or written text. With the introduction of the internet however, communication occurs across different geographic boundaries and in different formats including videos and live chats. According to Mur (1) “Many Americans use the Internet to stay in touch with friends and family or to make new friends through chat rooms”. People no longer have to move physically or wait long periods to communicate as they can do so through platforms such as social media and online chat rooms. “Online dating makes it easy for busy or isolated people to meet others with similar interests” (Mur 1). The advantage is that people can balance their work and personal lives even with busy schedules because interactions can occur online.
The Internet's intervention in facilitating every day tasks is another example of the benefits of using internet technology on a daily basis. A good example of this is the use of the internet to conduct research on possible houses to rent or for business premises. “Twenty years ago, this was all about legwork, but thankfully we now have the internet to make our lives much easier” (Jacobs 1). People can now use the internet to research about houses on sale, their locations and other details that will aid in their purchase decisions. The internet is further beneficial in that it offers more variety compared to conducted searches in person. When looking to buy a house, the potential homeowner can “google a suburb to discover the median prices for both houses and apartments… plus, there will be any number of comparable properties in the area” (Jacobs 1). The internet offers variety thereby helping the user to make more informed decisions not only when looking to buy a home but also when making other purchases online. The ease in which people get to conduct daily functions like shopping, buying commodities and conducting research makes the internet more advantageous over traditional methods of performing daily functions like making physical visits to shops, malls and other business premises.
The internet further helps people to acquire information and share ideas. According to Michael W. Lynch (1) “… Majority of Americans like the internet because it makes life easier”. There exists a lot of publications, videos, audio and guidelines that explain different phenomenon that exist in society. The internet acts as a library where the user only has to log in and key in commands that help to retrieve specific information about the topic of interest. Students and teachers can use the internet to learn more about the topics being taught in school as well as offer extra reading material to increase their knowledge (Haddon 23). Business people can also use the internet to learn about their career, any opportunities present and also learn new skills to make them more competent at their job. People have grown to view the internet “not as a "shopping mall," as many cyber-critics have whined, but as a "library"--if not a giant adult bookstore” (Lynch 1). the platform created not only allows people to read, but also publish documents that assist others to acquire more information and further share their ideas with the world.
Counter argument
An argument can be made that the internet is damaging to society as it can be addictive and negatively affect how people perceive life. According to a research by Pew Research Center, “24% of youngsters between 13 and 17 years are constantly connected to Internet and 56% of them several times a day” (Calvete et al 2). The time in which people spend online exposes them to issues like cyberbullying thereby placing more at risk compared to bullying in a real life setting. Calvete et al (2) further argue that the risks that are attributed to the internet cause more harm because they cause “a set of psycho-social problems that are characteristic of Internet, initiated and maintained in an online context that has a mutual and bidirectional relationship with the individual’s off-line reality” (Calvete et al 2). The dependency on the internet makes it harder for people to connect on the outside world. The ease in communication and interaction that is made possible through the internet also makes it harder for people to interact on a persona level. Although the internet has improved communication, the frequency in which people substitute physical interactions with internet communication has created a form of dependency where relationships online appear more fulfilling than face to face interactions. People thereby result to relying on the internet interactions and this has negatively affected human interactions. It also exposes users to issues like cyber bullying because the internet serves as a real world with its own vices.
Solution
The advantages attributed to the internet far outweigh the risks that the user is exposed to. While too much use of the internet can create addiction that makes it hard for users to identify with the real world, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of the user becoming addicted. One approach would be for parents and guardians to regulate how long children spend online. Adults can set reminders and alarms to inform them when they have been online for too long in order to allow for breaks. Internet service providers and social media platforms can also inform internet users about healthy internet behaviour to discourage usage that will likely result in addiction (Haddon 12). With such measures, internet users of all ages will be able to regulate how much time they spend online so as to allow face to face interactions and engagement with people in the real world.
Conclusion
The internet has a lot of advantages that are beneficial to users especially because it makes performing day to day activities easier. The platform created has helped people to communicate across geographic borders in an instant. The information shared over the web has also created a basis of reference where people can research and gain knowledge about developments that occur in society. While its use does expose its users to issues like cyber bullying and online addiction, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the intensity, and frequency in which the negative attributes occur. Despite the existence of such challenges however, the internet continues to be beneficial to its users and the advantages and opportunities it creates are a testament of the positive impact that the internet continues to have in different communities across the globe.
Work cited
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Livingstone, Sonia M, Leslie Haddon, and Anke Gorzig. Children, Risk and Safety on the Internet: Research and Policy Challenges in Comparative Perspective. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2012. Internet resource.
Lynch, Michael W. "Survey Says." Reason, vol. 33, no. 5, Oct. 2001, p. 15. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A78575527/OVIC?u=txshrpub100222&sid=OVIC&xi d=ad3e9005. Accessed 30 Apr. 2021.
Machimbarrena, Juan M et al. “Internet Risks: An Overview of Victimization in Cyberbullying, Cyber Dating Abuse, Sexting, Online Grooming and Problematic Internet Use.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 15,11 2471. 5 Nov. 2018, doi:10.3390/ijerph15112471
Mur, Cindy. "Introduction to Does the Internet Benefit Society?: At Issue." Does the Internet Benefit Society?, edited by Cindy Mur, Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010400101/OVIC?u=txshrpub100222&sid=OVIC &xid=cbf6d183. Accessed 30 Apr. 2021.
Potenza, Marc N, Kyle A. Faust, and David Faust. The Oxford Handbook of Digital Technologies and Mental Health. , 2020. Print.
