Introduction to Mass Communication - Essay Example

Introduction to Mass Communication The world of Internet has brought in a number of laurels for the people since its benefits have been made apparentby the bounties that come along with it. One can be sure that the world of Internet is here to stay because there are immense advantages that can be derived from this tool without a doubt. The manner in which Internet has come about as a potent force leaves nearly everyone stunned, who has a fair enough idea of this significant milestone within the world of computing and connectivity. The Internet developed from the aegis of the US Army domains where it was used as an internal entity. However with the passage of time, it exponentially increased to such proportions that now it is a very huge entity and one can be sure that its benefits will easily outweigh the disadvantages that are found within its auspices. Internet is a force that will change the face of this earth in the next decade or so and hence efforts are underway to extract the best possible mileage from the aegis of Internet. This paper discusses the basis of Internet as it has been playing an important role since the historic times. It has also touched upon the pertinent role within the time and age of today whilst keeping the pros and cons in due perspective. What the world of Internet has brought to the fore is the chance for the people to understand what lies within their vicinity and what they can expect from the technological manifestations, if only they are ready to get up and ask for a change. This change is the one that will be a positive one, and create a sense of success within their lives. The Internet is a huge force that is waiting to be unleashed. One can safely state that it has still not reached to a point where it can be remarked as the revealed one, yet much remains to be seen and explored within its midst. Internet is indeed a magical tool which has changed the lives of millions worldwide. There is just so much happening within its folds that man becomes much dumfounded whenever he finds out something totally new. The element of creativity and innovation seems to exist in a number of different ways and there is reason enough to justify this very logic. Internet is indeed a giant today than it used to be when it was launched in the yesteryears. Some 10 years back no one knew that Internet would develop into such a huge force, which could easily change the viewpoints of the people yet this has happened today, for the betterment of all and sundry. The digital age has had a number of positives since the Internet has brought to the fore issues which remained unexplored and hidden from the lives of the common people. The people have started to realize about the grave misgivings which exist within the domains of the lives of the people who are suffering on one context or the other. They are now being given emphasis by different outlets which the Internet has presented in entirety. One shall believe that the strengths of the people are also being highlighted through the proper usage of the Internet which is one good sign that Internet brings to the forefront. However there are some negative points as well, which need to be comprehended in a balanced proportion. These include the basis of understanding that the young ones get hooked on to the different applications of the Internet as well as the chat programs which is really a bone of contention as far as their usage patterns are concerned. Then there is the ever important talk of pornography spreading like jungle fire on the Internet and which remains untapped due to a number of reasons. The youngsters of today have impressionable minds and they thus store the images and content that is revealed to them through the Internet. These are some of the extreme grave issues which need to be addressed in a proper manner so that any apprehensions within the related domains are taken care of in entirety. The positives and the negatives that come under the aegis of the Internet need to be weighed in properly before a decision is reached upon as to which one is right and which one holds more ground within the related context of things. However one thing is for sure – Internet has changed the lifestyles of the people located in different areas or zones of the world. They have started to decipher the moral obligations or the lack thereof which comes attached with the usage of the Internet. There is just so much happening within the realms of the Internet that one is left astounded as concerns to the real happenings. Internet is indeed a force to reckon with and hence needs to be given the attention that it richly deserves. This is because Internet has been able to change lives of the people. There are some people who work solely through the Internet and hence remain in a freelance capacity. They have made fortunes out of this business and would continue to seek even greater venues for further growth in the future. Then there are the people who find and interact with their clients through the Internet (Slater 2000). There is a sense of small and medium enterprise business scenario prevalent through the Internet, which is indeed something that remains as a positive when one speaks of the laurels that come directly under the aegis of the usage of Internet. What is even interesting is the fact that the Internet is becoming a source of revenue for the major companies all around the world, thereby settling the notion of big companies not earning much from the Internet. This is absolutely false since the huge giants of today are banking more and more on the different applications and tools which come under the heading of Internet and these will continue to do so in the future as well. The negatives however are something that needs to be taken into proper consideration as well. This is because these negatives touch upon the need of having a solid framework for scrutinizing what is taking place over the Internet and who is watching what, at the best of times. The children are the worst affected because their impressionable minds perceive a totally different thing than is presented by the different actors who are playing the role of providing content to the audiences through the Internet. These negatives must be weighed alongside the positives so that no shortcomings come about in an apparent fashion, in front of one and all. At certain places of the world, the Internet is being used to propagate terror and hence the terror wings are playing a very negative role within the lives of the people. There should be bodies and unions which should take care of such problems that arise on a regular basis and which need to be kept under a secure check on a proactive basis. What this will do is to tell the people how to stay away from the issues which mar the basis of their growth and development, and what must remain as a point of differentiation when one thinks of the extreme negativities that arise every now and then, specifically talking about the Internet here (Dimaggio 2001). The developments that have happened in a negative way leaves a lot to be desired of the Internet and it is only a matter of time that the world bodies of technology would sit down together and devise strategies to counter the very same issues. These are much needed as one cannot take the negative side of the Internet for granted for too long. Also the people who are calling the shots as far as the Internet is concerned need to be brought under a proper check and balance mechanism so that they do not stray from their set course of action at any time in the future. In the end, it would be wise to state that Internet has been able to change opinions worldwide. These have happened because people have understood the need for having Internet within their personal and professional domains. The historic times of the advent of the Internet and the times of today have had several points of progress and these need to be analyzed both from the positives and negatives angles. The developments that have taken place within the Internet tools and mechanisms are some of the most significant ones as these have outlined the need for having Internet within different life domains of the people. Internet is dependent on a number of different platforms the need is to comprehend how and where the usage of Internet will be deemed as important within the lives of the people, and where Internet could be kept away at a safe distance from the young ones who have an impressionable mind and would appreciate safety and security from the negativities presented by the Internet. Works Cited Dimaggio, Paul. “Social Implications of the Internet”. Annual Review of Sociology, 2001 Slater, Don. “The Internet: An Ethnographic Approach”. Berg, 2000 Word Count: 1,520 Read More