Todays Use of the Internet - Report Example

Introduction: The internet is a set of worldwide interconnections that link computers all over the world. Thislinkage is done through a computer language that follows a set of programmed instructions called protocols. These instructions or protocols are called Transmission Control Protocols (TCP) and the Internet Protocols (IP). Thirteen route servers ensure proper functioning of the internet in the entire world (Kahn, para6). The internet was initially created with a view of facilitating communication among scientists and military personnel. This was in the early 1960s at the height of the cold war, when nuclear threats from the Soviet Union were imminent. The idea of connecting computers on a global scale is credited to J. Licklider while working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After moving to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Licklider went on to try developing his idea (Howe, para1). Interconnecting computers was a problem at first since computer or digital information was different to the kind of information transmitted across telephones via voice transmission. Telephone use had relied on a system of interconnection called the circuit switching system. This would result in formation of an electrical circuit when a call was made from one phone to another. The challenge however, was in terms of speed since it proved to be a slow method of transmitting digital information. Additionally, circuit switching led to a series of errors occurring in the process of transmitting the digital information (Vinton, para7). As a result, Leonard Kleinrock of the MIT came up with a different method of transmission of computer data called packet switching. Packet switching breaks data into small bits then sends them across a network in no particular order. Then, a receiver joins the small bits of information in the right order and subsequently sends them at very high speeds. This enables the sending of large amounts of information very fast. This was after Leonard Roberts, also of the MIT, had tried unsuccessfully in 1965 to connect a computer in California with another in Massachusetts by use of telephone lines. In 1966, he joined Licklider at DARPA where he pioneered ARPANET – Advanced Research Projects Agency, the first internet and launched it online in 1969 (Howe, para2). In her BBC documentary, Virtual Revolution, Dr. Krotowski points out that the invention of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners Lee in the 1980s was revolutionary in highlighting and easing the way in which the internet was used. She points out that prior to its invention; one had to know exactly where to find information on the internet in order to retrieve it. However, the World Wide Web created a linking of this information scattered across the world by use of hyperlinks and addresses called URLS that made it possible to find the information. The first website came into being on 6 August 1991. The internet came with many advantages in tow. First is the way in which the internet has bridged people across the world. The rise in social networking sites has seen the facilitation of communication that transcends natural borders. Mark Zuckerberg’s invention of Facebook has connected different kinds of people as well as helping people to trace long lost friends. On Facebook, people have been able even to upload their photos. Skype another networking site goes even further since it not only enables people to chat, but also provides a way of communicating orally through a system of voice transmission called voice over internet protocol otherwise known as VOIP. Such social networking sites enable an individual create his/her own page where he/she updates his/her profile as well as personal details. One also has the opportunity to upload photos of oneself (Whatissocialnetworking.com, para3). Another benefit of the wide spreading internet is the creation of Email. Email drastically transformed the way in which people communicate since it quickened exchange of information thus saving time and cost. Email was designed in 1972 and over the years has come to take centre stage in terms of internet use. At the time of its inception, email was severely restricted to those who had their own server. Today, however, a plethora of email services exists ranging from yahoo, Gmail and hotmail whose services are free. In addition, people can access these services from any part of the planet so long as there is an internet connection (Historyofthings.com, para5). Goessl states in her article on the internet that one advantage of the internet is the way it has increased accessibility to news and information across the world. With the click of a mouse, one is able to access news that is happening across the world. One is able to read newspapers from other countries for instance, if you are in England, you can easily access Le Monde, a French newspaper, online. News on the internet is oftentimes published faster than do major media networks. For example, in June 2009, in the after math to the Iranian election, the government imposed a ban on foreign media. News of the street protests however was able to reach the rest of the world through twitter. In fact, on you-tube a video of one protester shot by the police was uploaded. Despite these benefits, internet use has its share of demerits. Pornography is one of the dangers found in cyberspace. The sex industry posts pictures and videos of sexual act on the internet and may end up enticing children to start engaging in risky sexual behavior at an early age. It also promotes pedophilia through explicit pictures of children in sexual acts (National Security Council, para3). Krotowski states that loss of privacy is at increasing level with the advent of the internet. There has been increased surveillance on the kind of information that people search for on the internet. For example, people who use Gmail, Google’s email service, are often tracked to determine the information that they search for. Every message that one posts is searched for key words that might determine what the message contains. Corresponding adverts then appear depending on what the message is about. Other smaller web retailers also do surveillance such as Netflix, a movie rental company. They employ the use of a system that identifies the kinds of movies their clients may want based on the past movies they watch. Moreover, the kind of information we post on the internet remains there permanently and can be retrieved by any other person even in later years. Krotowski further states that internet addiction is a growing concern across the world. In South Korea for example, it has been recorded that some addicts use the internet for 18 hours a day. People addicted to the internet exhibit symptoms of anxiety and restlessness when they are not online. Neuroscientists state that too much use of the internet tends to change a child’s perception of reality. They posit that a child’s brain does not grow since it does not find learning opportunities on the internet. The obsession with the internet is also breaking down interpersonal relationships within the family, as most people prefer to socialize with friends online rather than their family members. The internet has greatly affected society in a number of ways. As Krotowski explains, one way is through allowing for investigative journalism. Ordinary citizens with access to the internet are able to gather information that government and corporate institutions may not want to release to the public. One of these journalistic endeavors is wiki leaks, founded by Daniel Schmidt. Wiki-leaks has helped expose issues ranging from US army abuse of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay to tax evasion by a bank in Switzerland. The internet has also gone a long way in cementing networking among people in a fast and efficient way. For instance in the wake of the Kobe earthquake in 1995 in Japan, volunteers were rallied together to help in evacuations primarily through the internet (Tomura, para3). More recently, in the aftermath to the devastating Haiti earthquake, charity organizations were able to raise funds to help the victims through online contributions. Haitians in the Diaspora were also able to find missing family members through posting their names on-line and awaiting feedback from people on the ground. The internet has also been fundamental to the way companies and individuals conduct business online through advertising as well as marketing. A poignant example is the search engine Google, one of the largest companies in the world. Google has optimized the searches that people conduct by matching their searches with companies that sell similar products. This is by use of ad words. For example, when one types-in the word safari, adverts appear alongside showing tour companies or hotels as well as their websites. When one clicks on any of the advert, Google is paid by the companies (Historyofthings.com, para8). Despite the various threats that the internet poses, there do exist solutions to tackle them. The National Securities Council proposes that filters act as efficient tools to block out any explicit adult content. One can either use client based filters whose advantage is that they can be customized by use of a password. Content limited filters are programmed by the ISPs and only material deemed appropriate for the children can be accessed. Server-side filters are ideal for institutions such as libraries and schools. Internet addiction is a fast growing scourge. The addicts have a compulsive desire to browse the internet to experience a kind of stimulation. In treating these addicts, therapists encourage them to come to terms with the triggers that make them rush to the internet. Once these triggers are identified, the addicts are encouraged to find an alternative source of stimulation. Another way is through motivational interviewing. This method aims at encouraging addicts to want to quit their addiction. It is bent on showing them how their addiction affects people around them, which should motivate them to quit (Bursten & Dombeck, para3). To protect one’s privacy when online, the Media Awareness Network offers a number of ways. Since most companies’ websites send out cookies to track your navigations on the internet, to determine the kind of products to send the person, it is recommended that one reject cookies that one is not familiar with. One should also read privacy policies of all the websites he/she visits. It is also important for one to clear memory caches after browsing the internet. Conclusion The internet is indeed one of the best inventions of the 20th century. It has revolutionized the world in way similar to what the Gutenberg press did by enabling people to print books en masse. The internet has become part of our daily life that has begun to define how people even behave. In a sense, we are no longer Homo Sapiens but rather Homo Interneticus. Works cited Bursten J. & Domeneck M. (2004). Internet Addiction. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=3832&cn=66 Goessl, L. (2010). Pros and Cons of the Internet in Today’s Society. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.helium.com/items/779510-pros-and-cons-of-the-internet-in-todays-society?page=2 Historyofthings.com, (2010). History of the Internet. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.historyofthings.com/history-of-the-internet Howe, W. (2002). A Brief History of the Internet. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.walthowe.com/navnet/history.html Kahn, R. & Vinton, C. (1999). What Is the Internet (And What Makes It Work). Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.cnri.reston.va.us/what_is_internet.html Krotowski, A. Virtual Revolution. Audio blog post. Bbc.co.uk. BBC World Service, 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 May 2010. . Media Awareness Network, (2010). Practical Tips for Protecting Online Privacy. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: Privacyhttp://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/issues_resources/issues_tipsheets/protecting_online_privacy.cfm National Securities Council, (2003). Protecting Your Child from Internet Pornography and Sexual Predators Online. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/pro_fm_filter.html Tomura, Y. (2009). The Internet Today: Causes and Effects. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from:http://www.scribd.com/doc/25153888/The-Internet-Today-Causes-and-Effects Whatissocialnetworking.com, (2010). Social Networking. Retrieved 17th May, 2010 from: (http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/). Read More