Benefits of the Internet - Research Paper Example

Benefits of the Internet Introduction The internet has become an integral part of human life, transforming different aspects. Since its development in the last decade of the 20th century, it has become impossible to underestimate its effects on the society. Notably, there is increased internet connectivity in different regions of the globe, especially with the technological advancements that have served to bring the internet closer to the people such as mobile phones. Moreover, the fact that a great percentage of people own computers due to the lowered prices in the increasing affordability, the internet has become an emerging reality in the 21st century. With such an increased connectivity, there has been a concern surrounding the effects of the internet on the society. It is unfortunate that in the recent past, the internet has been perceived to cause a multiple of negative effects. Such a negative perception of the internet as causing only negative effects is not justified and only serves to hinder the recognition that the internet has significant benefits. One of the outstanding benefits of the internet is the fact that it offers a broader platform of socialization irrespective of physical distance. Human beings are social and will utilize every available opportunity for socialization. The internet has brought forth the development of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Badoo. These social networking sites have introduced a new virtual platform for socialization. They have increased the global connectivity since people from different regions are constantly in conduct regardless of physical distance. Social networking sites which have been made possible by the availability of the internet have opened up new avenues for people from different regions to connect and interact without any form of limitations. It is evident that, the internet has brought about an increased connectivity of people, especially family, friends and partners who are separated by physical distance. Such people can still communicate and remain in contact via social networking sites. This is proven by statistics from Facebook, which is one of the popular social networking sites. Currently, the site has over 800 million users from all over the globe. This means that, these individuals can constantly stay in touch as long as they have an internet connection. They are able to interact and develop relationships online. Their connectivity and social conduct can occur anywhere and at any given time. Moreover, Skype has also proved to be an additional site that increases social conduct irrespective of the distance, statistics reveal that international calls in many countries are overly expensive, a factor that limits social conduct of friends, partners and family once separated by distance. However, Skype has served to break this barrier by providing users with an opportunity to make free international calls and engage in different forms of conversations and interactions. In this perspective, the internet has proved to be very beneficial to the society. Psychologists and other experts have also peered into the issue of the internet and the potential it presents concerning socialization. These experts are convinced beyond doubt that the internet has opened up new avenues of socialization and that this form of socialization conforms to existing social conduct models. For example, there is evidence that relationships developed online usually conform to the social penetration theory which has been used to describe offline relationships. Although a few aspects of the interactions online change, there is psychological evidence showing that online relationships can successfully undergo the four phases and mature into stable relationships. Moreover, the internet offers a great socialization opportunity for people described as shy in the real life. The faceless aspect of online socialization can help them overcome their shyness and present them with a fruitful socialization session. There has been an increased criticism on the online socialization. Opponents of online socialization have opined that this form of socialization deprives an individual of the necessary social skills utilized in offline relationships and interactions. There is an assumption that people who engage in excessive online socializing often become antisocial in real life because of their addiction to virtual life and its interactions. However, worth noting is the fact that online socialization does not alter an individual’s social skill negatively, but rather enhances them presenting the individual with an opportunity to interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Notably, the elimination of the “physical aspects” can motivate online relationships to become deeper, imaginative and even highly erotic. Without doubt, the internet offers a diverse socialization platform which can highly benefit different individuals in the society. It makes people highly cultures and transforms them to adopt an open minded social perspective. People engaging in online social interactions more often are likely to exhibit a highly reasoned critique. Their points of view become notably informed and they can be categorized as better social people. The interaction with people from diverse cultures serves to make them more sensitive and they can easily overcome social barriers that exist in real life. Therefore, the socialization potential brought about by the internet cannot be underestimated. In addition, the emergence of the internet and the increased connectivity registered all over the globe serves to offer people with a diverse range of information. Notably, human beings are constantly in search of information. Their quest for knowledge can be satisfied with the extensive and intensive information available on the internet. Search engines such as Google offer multiple results for each search question posed by any user. The internet has emerged as the most diverse and effective research tool used by both students and professionals. It presents easy access to critical information, and serves to enhance the ‘literacy level’ of the society (Hand et al 10). Without doubt, the internet has emerged as the most extensive library existing on the globe. Search engines such as Google and amazon.com have rich data sources and an extensive compilation of information concerning different subjects. The case of Google is outstanding because it presents a one stop site whereby each user can gain access to an unlimited flow of information. Noteworthy is the extensive collection of books and scholarly articles available on Google. This library forms a reliable site whereby researchers can get an unlimited access to both primary and secondary data (Akınoğlu 97). Other online data basis, such as EBSCO, JSTOR, Pub MED and Sage have also served as reliable libraries that offer both students and professionals a diverse range of academic sources. Educational experts concur with proponents of the internet on the fact that it has become a tool for successful research for both students and professionals. This is true and is supported by the introduction of online data basis in many universities and colleges in a bid to enhance the academic level of students. Research in many institutions has been enhanced by the availability of such online academic data basis and Google searches (Hand et al 15). Although some require a subscription, the benefits students and researchers gain from such sites is immeasurable. In the modern day, carrying out systemic literature reviews has proven to be much easier. Moreover, identifying research gaps in different fields has become an easier task because all the existing literature is available online. Educational experts have appreciated the potential of the internet to serve as an effective learning tool with a diverse range of resources for different students (Geçer 12). Even in the case of children, the internet has a range of learning tools and resources for them. Although there is a popular argument that the information available on the internet is filthy, no one can underestimate the positive impact of the internet on education and research. With proper choice of information on the internet, anyone can benefit from the diverse range of information available. People only need to be more informed on how to appraise the information found on the internet and be able to discern information that is beneficial and that which is categorized as filthy. There is evidence that many people all over the globe appreciate the diverse range of information available on the internet. This is evidenced by the multiple research questions posed on sites such as Google each day. This illustrates that people have an unending quest for knowledge and the internet has come in to meet such an outstanding human need. For students and researchers, this need can be met successfully by logging into different academic data basis. With the increasing cases of loneliness and depressing in the modern society, brought about by existing social barriers and distance, the internet has been described as having the potential to reduce cases of loneliness and depression. One of the avenues through which this is possible is via the multiple sites that present individuals with an opportunity to interact. The internet not only fosters people’s social skills as highlighted above, but also affects their wellbeing as humans. A research carried out to highlight the potential effects of the internet in reducing loneliness and depression revealed interesting statistics. In 2001, over 474 million people had an internet connection ((Uzun, Unal, and Tokel 196). Moreover, internet users were revealed to be people from different age groups contrary to the previous assumption that the younger generation was likely to use the internet. The same research highlighted that people who used the internet more often were less likely to be lonely or depressed. The level of social interaction and multiple activities on the internet served as factors that reduced the occurrence of loneliness or depression. Experts have highlighted that social interaction online has an equal measure of efficiency in reducing cases of loneliness. Human beings are likely to become lonely if they live in seclusion and do not indulge in any form of interaction. Psychologists have revealed that, online social interaction satisfies the human social needs, reducing cases of loneliness and depression (Nekhlyudov, Kiarsis, and Elmore 191). Critics of the internet have not appreciated the potential it presents in enhancing the wellbeing of individuals. Some critics have opined that, the negative effects of the internet have overwhelmed individuals and negatively affected their well-being through addictions (Uzun, Unal, and Tokel 193). A balanced view of the internet and its impacts clearly illustrates a more positive effect on the wellbeing of individuals. There are multiple activities which are constructive available on the internet, which can take away the loneliness and depression of people. Without doubt, the internet not only offers a broad socialization platform, but also an opportunity for people to overcome loneliness and depression (Peterson, Aye, and Wheeler 56). The new realms of possibilities brought about by the internet ensure that the wellbeing of the people is enhanced. The end results of the low levels of loneliness brought about by an active online socialization serves to increase the self-esteem of people. Notably, they also become involved in their communities a fact that fosters wellbeing. Conclusion Evidently, the internet has served to transform the lives of people in different perspectives. The popular view that the internet is destructive is an unfounded one. This is because the internet presents outstanding benefits that have not been presented in any other form of media. The increased global connectivity through different sites is one of these benefits brought about by the internet. The diverse range of information available on the internet has served to increase the literacy levels of the society while a continuous socialization enhances the well-being of the people. Therefore, the internet has presented multiple benefits to the society contrary to the existing negative view. Work Cited Akınoğlu, Orhan. "Internet And Internet Use: Teacher Trainees Perspective." Journal Of Instructional Psychology 36.2 (2009): 97. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 23 June 2014. Geçer, Aynur Kolburan1, akolburan@kocaeli.edu.tr. "A Study On Information Search And Commitment Strategies On Web Environment And Internet Usage Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of University Students." Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology 13.2 (2014): 1-17. Education Source. Web. 23 June 2014. Hand, Matthew M, et al. "Facebook And Romantic Relationships: Intimacy And Couple Satisfaction Associated With Online Social Network Use." Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking 16.1 (2013): 8-13. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 4 July 2014. Nekhlyudov, Larissa, Keith Kiarsis, and Joann G. Elmore. "MRI Of The Breast: Does The Internet Accurately Report Its Beneficial Uses And Limitations?." 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