Impact of the Internet on Society - Essay Example

?Internet: Impacts on Social Life, Business and Education The use of internet has dramatically increased over the past decade. Every generation relies on the internet for their personal fulfillment of requirements, whether it is collecting information for a particular school project or watching a movie for leisure. Browsing the internet has become a necessity as it is convenient and provides a portal to endless information with just a click of a button. However, it is important to consider both the advantages and the disadvantages of using the internet, as both are equally significant in their effects. While the internet provides numerous means of communication, it also imparts access to inappropriate website and lastly, invasion of privacy. Thus the internet is a form of technology with many positive aspects but though it can be beneficial if used for a constructive purpose, it can also be perilous if used otherwise. Impact of internet on social life There were times when people had very less friends, they used to socialize rarely, there were fewer options where a person could consult with other related people and as a result people had to go to professional consultants for advice, they had to spend a large sum of money to obtain the information they required. People used to have very less stuff for entertainment and people found or referred their life as boring due to less activities and limited social circle, that era was when there were no or less social software with very limited options. Social software consist of a large number of databases which help the users to interact with each other, share data in the form of pictures and media, learn new stuff and entertain themselves with games and many different tools. Nowadays in the modern world the rise of different communication setups can be witnessed. Many things can be included in these communication setups such as Msn Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, cellular technology, email options and other similar services (Fisher & Lezion, 2009). The technology has helped people in making it easier for the people to communicate, interact and share easily and speedily. The internet and other social communcation software are mostly used for textual communication whereas, mobile phones provide ease for both oral and written communication at any point in the world. It is not possible for people to take their personal computers or laptops everywhere like in the markets, colleges, schools etc. but cellulars are easy to carry and faster to communicate. However, these software and social networking sites are harming the communcation patterns of younger generation. They are Similarly with the advent of new technologies it is witnessed that social communication through websites is on the rise. Social Communication websties such as Facebook and Myspace are real life examples of such a service. Facebook and Myspace which were originally developed to serve a single community have now been expanded all over the world. Both of these entitites started off with college students and they have now turned out to be world changing entitites. The popularity of these social networking websites has increased such that even the third world countries avail the services provided by these websites (Fisher & Lezion, 2009). The introduction of internet and computers in our life has turned out to be joyful for many as individuals enjoy surfing and chatting on the internet. Internet not only helps one to surf and chat but also helps to find out useful information about different topics. But the opponents argue that internet has turned out to be a disaster for many. Experts on technology believe that excess usage of computers and internet makes one impulsive and forgetful in his daily life. Excessive usage of internet has been termed to be fall under the category of addiction. Different types of self assessment tests have been designed to check if one falls under the category of internet addiction or not. A study done by the researchers in the University of Melbourne showed that around 10% of the students were suffering from the problem of internet addiction and this clearly shows that people are wasting their time on the internet rather than doing something useful. Some term this addiction as internet dependence but this also has its negative effects as it is causing people to be distracted from their real life relationships. In other words internet is causing people to be distracted from education and family both at the same time (Parker 2010). Impact of internet on business Internet has been integrate in the lives of the people as the capital investment in internet based projects have been increased. Businesses today use internet as a means of marketing and attract higher sales and in turn higher profits. Internet provides an ease to people of reviewing the products offered and singling out the ones that they need. The product prices and descriptions are provided by businesses on the websites officially created for the business. The business world has reached at a level where online communication and sales system provide a major share of the business’s profit. The consumers can purchase products online without any haste or necessity to visit the company’s outlet. Businesses follow this approach to give a flexibility of purchasing habits and the delivery of products at their identified addresses helps them in easily accessing their required stuff. The fast-food restaurants, for instance, provide an online ordering system and the faster service of delivery helps in gaining consumer trust and satisfaction. Internet helps customers in saving time and efforts when shopping. However, there is a drawback related to internet for businesses which directs towards the increasing competition. The customers are exposed to the price lists of numerous brands offered by different companies. This exposure to prices leads them to a comparison of what is beneficial and acceptable to them as a buyer and removes any constraint to buy the product that is easily accessible as was the case without internet. Hence, businesses may suffer in terms of increased competition due to price sensitivity of the consumers. This can however, be tackled with proper marketing, offers, discounts, building trusting relationships and so on. The security related problems like hacking, theft of personal data from the website and slow execution of website operations due to a large number of logins to the web page may act as a negative element to affect consumer behavior (Schifferes 2006). Impact of internet on education The positive effect of computer and internet for students is the emergence and continuous increase in online educational programs. These programs are helping people in managing their studies and work at the same time. The popularity of online education is based on a number of reasons that are beneficial for students. The distinct causes of the position given to online education are worth mentioning in this context. The first reason is the convenience that online educational programs bring in terms of time, family life and work life balance. Control is the second reason which provides the learner with autonomy over the choices of subjects and time allocation for the subjects undertaken, without any restrictions imposed by the teachers to spend a specific time period in the class room when other subjects require more attention. The connectivity to teachers, students and course materials all the time helps the students in getting information instantly when needed, and use the discussion boards to share views about the topics under consideration. The less expensive nature of online courses is another reason of their fame. The fifth reason for the popularity of online educational programs among students is the commitment that students make in order to complete the course successfully by taking the responsibility of submitting weekly assignments, discussions posts, taking exams and completing quizzes. Internet provides access to all kinds of recourses. It is a virtual library, travel agency, a shopping mall as well as a bank. One can obtain any information regarding any topic without having to go to a library. There are many sites available that provide authentic information regarding any school project. This is very convenient for students as it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, hence it is time efficient and allows students to work while being in the comfort of their homes. Moreover, internet is a very useful tool in assisting its user from different walks of the world to embrace diverse cultures and traditions. The information provided on the internet may not always be reliable and one must be careful when browsing the net, as it is easy to be bombarded with undependable material. Online education is an excellent source for students and brings a level of flexibility in the educational environment which helps them in the learning process as well as bringing a balance between their academic and social life. “With the ease of creating websites, including interactive activities, chat rooms, and blogs, online education students and their professors can interact in ways that are familiar to them” (College-University-Directory). Over the years it is seen that the human beings have invented different sorts of instruments and appliances for their use. These new instruments and appliances have come to be known as the modern technology. Modern technology has been introduced in this world so that the hassles and troubles of the human beings can be minimized. However many argue here that technology is not making things easier for the human beings but is rather complicating them in different ways. The introduction of nuclear weapons, luxury items, television, computer and daily used appliances has become a target of these opponents. These opponents argue that technology is making things difficult for mankind and these problems would be felt in the latter years of life. On the other hand the proponents of technology argue that it is a blessing for the whole mankind as it is making things a lot easier for people. However, the above discussion on internet and its effects on the social, educational and business areas show a rather positive impact on our lives. The negative influences cannot be ignored but keeping an eye on the positive elements, the negative issues can either be minimized using the modern theories or be eliminated by careful planning and control. Bibliography An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness. Tara Parker 2010. The New York Times. < http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html> Schifferes, Steve. "How the internet transformed business." BBC News. BBC, 03 Aug 2006. Web. 12 Jul 2011. . College-University-Directory, . "The Internet’s Significant Impact on Education." College-University-Directory.com. College-University-Directory, 2006. Web. 12 Jul 2011. . Fisher, E., & Lezion, R. (2009). Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Information Age - by Christian Fuchs. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION. 59 (4), E13-E18. Read More