Internet and the Issues It Gave Birth to - Assignment Example

Internet And The Issues It Gave Birth To Introduction Internet is undoubtedly the biggest leap in communication technology in the human history. The fruits of internet beggar description and do not require elaboration as everyone- both young and old- is making use of these advantages in their everyday lives. While it is an undeniable fact that this technology, like any other modern invention, has added to the comforts of modern civilization, there certainly are certain far reaching consequences of this modern technology in all spheres of life, some of which, unfortunately, are disastrous, though in the long term. The impact of internet on culture In fact, internet has profound impact on culture, both good and bad. A culture can be defined in the simplest possible terms as the sum total of the ideologies, customs, rituals, language and lifestyle of a people that sets them apart from other people. In fact, the world is filled with diverse cultures which have their roots reaching even the Stone Age. The first impact the internet has in this field is the assimilation of these cultures resulting in the creation of a world uniform culture. To elaborate, the coming of internet hugely helped the spread of western culture throughout the world. As most Asian and African countries look westward for technology and development, they inadvertently take up the lifestyle of western civilization that is highly liberal in nature. Yet another terrible blow is the disappearance of regional languages and the dominance of English. As English is the language that is mostly used in higher researches and as it is the main language in use on the net, it becomes necessary for other people to adopt English as a means of communication, thus leading to the erosion and gradual demise of their regional languages. As stated in Forbes and Mahan, (Eds.) (135), since the primary language of the internet is English, it would transmit the elements of Western values including emphasis on material goods, entertainment, sex and romance. The way the dressing sense of the modern youth has changed is the most effective example of this influence. If one can see young people wearing jeans and t-shirts in all countries and cultures and if they are seen eating pizza and hotdogs forgetting their traditional food items, as everybody knows, it is the internet to be blamed. However, the other side of the argument, though quite feeble, is that internet does not necessarily eliminate the values of indigenous cultures. As Nakamura (88-89) states, internet has the potential for challenging western influence; and moreover, it can turn to be an effective device for non-western users. The author points out the example of New Media Center Sarai New Delhi which has developed software for indigenous non-literates. According to Lessig (10), people around the world have the opportunity to build and cultivate a culture; perhaps a cyber-culture that would reach beyond the local boundaries. Unfortunately, internet offers people the opportunity to destruct their cultures too. Ethical issues associated with the use of internet Though the accurate meaning of ethics varies from culture to culture and people to people, there are certain universally accepted norms of ethics that distinguish humans from other animate and inanimate beings. One can undoubtedly say that the security and freedom provided by internet lure many people into forgetting their ethics and morality to enjoy the unlimited chances of enjoyment available on net. The first one in this row is the adoption of pseudo-identity on internet to cheat people. As everybody knows, it is possible to hide ones real identity and this provides people immeasurable chances of carnal pleasure, monetary frauds, and other innumerable ways of cheating. To be precise, the availability of porn sites which often impart biased views on sex is responsible for the increasing sexual atrocities or crimes against females throughout the world. Moreover, there is a visible deterioration in the morale of people and a dramatic increase in adultery that has far reaching consequences. One evident effect is the failure of the concept of family throughout the world. Yet another social stigma promoted by internet is the unscrupulous business activities that take place through internet. Taking the possibility of fraud associated with internet shopping for granted, there are many quacks that cheat people as it is quite easy to cheat people hiding ones real identity. In addition, as even banking transactions take place online, hacking has become a common phenomenon often causing severe financial loss to many. Yet another arena of ethical diversion facilitated by internet is seen the widespread practice of plagiarism that dramatically reduces the quality of education. The practice of submitting assignments online and the practice of taking examinations online have exacerbated the tendency to copy others’ work. On one side it affects the morality of students and on the other; it reduces the quality of education considerably. Another very serious problem is the huge amount of time youngsters waste online. In the name of studies, many students engage in visiting social interaction sites and chatting. Moreover, many play online games losing their precious time and money. In addition, it can be used to spread various misanthropic ideologies and racism (Cliché and Bonilla, 32-33). Thus, in total, it dramatically reduces the ethical perceptions of students and thus poses a serious threat to the humanity. The alarming spread of terrorism in the modern days is so patently facilitated by internet, thus giving a safe way for all anti-social elements to spread and grow. The social dogmas created by internet One has to admit the fact that internet has turned the traditional concept of social relations upside down. The first issue associated with the use of internet is the dramatic fall in the social interactions of individuals. As internet made it possible to do ones works fully or partly from the comfort of ones homes, individuals tend to interact less and less with the people in the society leading to total isolation of people. Adding to the woes, it is possible through internet to study online, to shop online and to pass any information to anyone anywhere in the world from ones home. This, for the first time in the human history, has given birth to the phenomenon of next door aliens. It is ironic to note that these days, especially in urban areas, people have very little interaction with, or idea about their neighbors or other people in their society. However, they have close friends away in another country or another continent through social interaction networks like Orkut and Facebook. Thus, the strong social bonds and the beauty of face-to-face interaction have become the colorful pictures of the past to cherish. In addition, the declining social skill of modern youth is a matter of serious concern. As internet prevents their interaction with the outside world, they are denied a chanced to mingle with the people in the society and so, they lack severely in qualities like communication skills, cooperation, patience, sportsman spirit and confidence. Moreover, the modern isolated morons with poor social skills find it entirely difficult to identify what is real and what is fake, what is to be adopted and what is to be rejected and tend to shrink further into their own world. Whenever they go out, they find it totally difficult to cope with the outside world and to take decisions according to social norms. Conclusion Internet is an important factor that influences cultures around the world. Although it has provided us with feasible means of communication and information, it alters the uniqueness of every culture. Internet in the long run will cause unrecognized westernization. Although this technology can be used to preserve the values of culture, unfortunately, it is being used for several subversive activities. However, one has to accept the fact that internet has become an inescapable inevitability in the fast-paced modern world. In this increasingly crowded and complicated world, all walks of life require internet. However, a proper understanding of the pros and cons of using internet will help people prevent its ill effects. Bibliography 1. Cliché Gilles and Bonilla, Marcelo (Eds.). Internet and Society in Latin America and the Caribbean. Canada: IDRC, 2004. Print. This book is published by International Development Research Centre and it deals with the impact of internet on Latin American and Caribbean Society. It elaborates how net influences the cultural and psychological aspects in school children and also at a local level. 2. Forbes Bruce and Mahan, Jeffrey H (Eds.). Religion and Popular Culture in America, 2nd Edn, US: University of California Press, 2005.Print. The book deals with the friction between religion and popular culture in America. In the course of analysis, it studies the impact of internet on Christian and Muslim Communities. 3. Lessig Lawrence. Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lockdown Culture and Control Creativity. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print. The writer points out the need for a free culture that is filled with property which supports creators and innovators. It also shows how technology leads to the locking down of culture. 4. Nakamura Lisa. Digitizing Race: Visual Cultures of the Internet. US: Minnesota Press, 2007. The book analyses the way internet has been absorbed into the everyday lives of American people and its impact on their lives. It also shows how with the coming of internet, universalism replaced more local issues like racial injustices and inequalities. Read More