The Impact of the Internet - Essay Example

Internet and Everyday Life Module Module ID: The present study aims to make an in-depth investigation into the impact of internet on the everyday life of the individuals, by paying special heed to the subjects of love, sex and dating. One of the most essential reasons behind carrying out the research on the above-stated topic includes the significant increase in the application and popularity of internet in all parts and regions of the globe without discrimination during the modern era, which not only has turned communication process to be easier and faster one in comparison to the past, but also has left indelible influence on the individual and collective life of the people; it is equally applied on love, romance and dating. Consequently, the present research contains profound sociological significance in its nature and scope. The Paper: The internet is rightly viewed to be one of the most influencing inventions of all times, which has paved the way towards introducing of fastest possible modes of communication and interactions for the people across the globe (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 59). Consequently, one could enter into a detailed and comprehensive communication with the persons living thousands of miles away from him within a jiffy (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 60). The individuals can enter into business contracts, and could have an access to sufficient information about health, learning and other topics while staying at one’s computer by one click only through the internet. Hence, internet has made the contemporary era life to be exceptionally swift and speedy one in all regards; same is equally the case with the amusement and recreational activities people get involved into in one way or the other, predominantly sex, romance and dating (Gibbs et al 2011, p. 72). Burkitt has declared both performing of professional obligations as well as enjoying recreational moments as inevitable parts of everyday life (2011, p. 212). Bakardjieva is of the opinion that the internet surfing has obtained the status of an essential part of daily routine, which is consumed during both professional and recreational activities in contemporary era (2011, p. 58). Cooper (2000) ascertains that over one tenth of the aggregate internet users spend over 11 hours a week searching for and looking at sexual content (Zitzman 2007, p. 11). Hence, a considerable part of daily routine is spent on the internet; out of which most of the time is consumed in watching porn sites (Attwood & Smith 2014, p. 2). In past, internet was consumed by the professionals only at offices and workplaces, and was meant to be the source of conducting business and commercial correspondence with the members of corporate class (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 62). Somehow, during the last few years, internet services started being utilised for educational, political, amusement and recreational purposes, which gave birth to the idea of social media. Social media has offered unrestricted interaction opportunities including the dating and flirting facilities to the individuals, where the net surfers could have access to the individuals of their choice by mentioning the age, gender, region and sexual orientation of the required partner (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, p. 535). Consequently, such an easy approach has turned the individuals belonging to different ethnicities, races, religions and age-groups to be addicted to internet during the contemporary era, where excessive use of this brilliant communication technology has left substantial impacts on the minds and activities of the users (Burkitt 2004, p. 212). Despite the very reality that internet has been in practice for business, educational and other informative purposes; nevertheless, this technology has earned profound popularity among the individuals involved into online dating, romance and sexual ventures (Zaidi, 2014). It is partly because of the very fact that the people can easily find the like-minded individuals having identical tastes, propensities and aptitudes; similarly, intimate relations could be initiated and developed between them through revealing their personal, national and religious backgrounds and identities (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, pp. 525-6). The net surfers have obtained the opportunity of sharing the pictures and videos for capturing attraction of the others for dating and romance. Hence, the individuals can exchange their ideas regarding faith and religion, lifestyle and fashion modes, political views and social attitudes and sexual preferences, orientations and fantasies as well without having any hurdles or hesitations on their way on daily basis (Burkitt 2004, p. 213). In other terms, internet has played the decisive role in the growth and popularity of globalisation of sexuality, which signifies the modifications have been observed in the aftermath of marvellous popularity of internet, leading towards the amalgamation of the sexual patterns adopted by the individuals from diversified cultures and civilisations. It reflects the acceptance of the sexual behaviour and activities associated with the occidental cultures, which were considered to be sexual taboos and perversion in the oriental societies of the world in past (Binnie 2004, pp.3-4). The material attributed to sexual gratification including pictures, videos, stories, fantasies and chatting could be accessed at the internet (Binnie 2004, p. 4). Consequently, the industries associated with sex and pornography have also witnessed tremendous financial boost subsequent to the growth of pornography, dating and romance at the internet. Therefore, the individuals affiliated with porn industry at web earn huge profits on daily basis, because of the use and misuse of internet sites by millions of individuals across the globe. Sex is accurately claimed to be one of the fundamental human instincts, fulfilment of which serves as an essential part of everyday human life (Ember & Ember, 2007). There was a time when the individuals had to make hard efforts to discover the love-mate and sex-partner of their choice (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, p. 524). Somehow, social media has made it extremely simple for the individuals to explore and have interaction with the persons of their choice by mentioning age-range, gender, socioeconomic status, location and ethnicity of the lover and partner they are looking for (Bakardjieva 2011, p. 61). The surfers seeking out the sex-partner for them could influence the individual of some particular characteristics through messages, and can receive replies and enter into conversation with them without consuming considerable time, energies and money in pursuit of the same. In case, the persons in communication find one other as the suitable and appropriate for each other, they instantly decide the time, venue and date to have meeting with each another subsequently (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, p. 527). Furthermore, if the persons appear to be unable in exploring similarities between the dispositions and temperaments, it is quite simple for them to say goodbye on the spot without creating any unpleasantness or bitter state of affairs altogether through the internet. Disclosing of their sexual orientation had not been a simple task for the individuals having bisexual or same-sex sexual tendencies in past (Schneider 1991, p. 1-2). Consequently, an overwhelming majority of the individuals had to conceal their sexual orientation. As a result, the individuals found it very difficult to seduce the members of same sex subsequent to their finding sexual andphysical attraction in them, which was predominantly the situation in eastern societies of the world (Zaidi, 2015). Even the individuals appeared to be unable to find the sex-partner of their preference living in their neighbourhood (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, p. 526). It was partly because of the very reality that the bisexuals and gays used to be looked down upon in society. It is the internet that has turned out to be supportive with regards to providing freedom of selecting the sex-mates to the individuals by making them realised the exquisiteness and loveliness of the members of both genders as well as the beauty carried by different organs of a body. The humans, through the growth of pornography at the internet, recognised the beauty that could fascinate the eyes and hearts of the viewers (Attwood & Smith 2014, p. 2); as a result, they find marvellous physical appeal in the same to love and adore the persons containing physical charms, in accordance with their choices, tastes and standards of beauty (Baudrillard, 1998). Prior to the emergence and growth of internet societies in the world, all advertisement campaigns and romance used to be observed by keeping the male gaze in view (Mulvery, 1975). Therefore, all types of nudity and exhibitionism while portraying the beauties for the advertising of different products were meant for the male gaze (Beetles & Harris 2005, p. 402). Though the same tradition has been in vogue even this day; nevertheless, females have been emerged as something higher than the commodity for the male pleasure. The male members of society could express freely their feelings about the physical charms of females, though the same was really challenging for women to disclose their keenness and fondness for the hairy and stout bodies contained by the males (Jackson, 1992). In the same way, the individuals developing taste for the persons of same-sex found great hurdles in exhibiting their attraction to the individuals of their gender because of the fear of inviting anger and resentment of the other. As a result, the people had to wait for a long time in developing intimacy with the lovers of their choice by proceeding towards the same step by step (Rosenfeld & Thomas 2012, p. 530). Moreover, the people had to demonstrate patience and endurance by having many encounters, drinks and dinners to reach the romantic date finally. However, internet has made it quite simple to hunt the lover by writing specific traits and characteristics attributed to the potential and desired lover both for short and long term romantic adventures in accordance with the mutual understanding of the lovers (Attwood & Smith 2014, p. 3). Despite the great fact that internet has turned out to be significantly beneficial in bringing the individuals with identical lifestyle and sexual tastes closer to each other, and leading them to enter into love, romance and dating on daily basis; nevertheless, the cases of dishonesties, deceits, frauds and cheating have also appeared in abundance in wake of the popularity of internet technology across the world (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999, p. 3). In addition, the excessive and unchecked use of internet and pornography that has turned the people to be addicted to the sites that comes under the definition of immorality and corruption at the massive scale (Zaidi, 2014). It has been found that the individuals, particularly young and adolescents spend several hours a day at the internet, busy in chatting and making romance with others. As a result, unnecessary use of the internet and pornography has seriously cost their mental and physical faculties on the one side, and disturbed their studies and other professional and domestic activities on the other (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999, p. 4). To conclude, it becomes evident that internet consumption has achieved the status of an essential activity of professional and personal life, which is used by millions of individuals during their work and leisure hours. The persons seeking lovers and sex-partners for romance and intimacy appear to be in position of exploring the individuals having identical tastes and tendencies on the basis of zodiac signs, age groups, and appearance and physical traits; consequently, they share their sexual orientations, aptitudes, fantasies and adventures by exchanging views at the internet, and proceeding to arranging meetings and dates subsequently. Since millions of people have been estimated to be surfing porn sites, such activities have also multiplied the rate of crimes and cybercrimes, along with accelerating the incidents of rapes and other crimes (Diamond & Uchiyama 1999, p. 4). There is no suspicion on the reality that net has become an indispensible part of daily routine; nevertheless, certain monitoring and surveillance must be introduced on the net users for the decrease of crimes and immoralities fast spreading in societies because of the misuse of internet (Zaidi, 2014). References Attwood, F & Smith, C. (2014). ‘Porn Studies: An introduction’, Porn Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-6. Bakardjieva, Maria. (2011). “The Internet in Everyday Life: Exploring the Tenets and Contributions of Diverse Approaches.” In M. Consalvo & C. Ess Editions. Pp. 58-82. Baudrillard, J. (1998). “The Finest Consumer Object: the Body. In the Consumer Society: Myth and Structures.” London, Sage. 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(1975). ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, in Issues in film criticism, ed. Patricia Eterns, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1990) Rosenfeld, Michael J. & Thomas, Reuben J. (2012). “Searching for a Mate: The Rise of the Internet as a Social Intermediary.” American Sociological Review 77(4): pp. 523-547 Zaidi, Mujtaba Haider. (2015). “Third World Cultural Identity in Jeopardy.” The Frontier Post Newspaper, March 06 Edition. Zaidi, Mujtaba Haider. (2014). “Internet and Pornography Addiction and its Grave Outcomes.” The Frontier Post Newspaper, January 05 Edition. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Internet+and+pornography+addiction+and+its+grave+outcomes.-a0385396145 Zitzman, Spencer T. (2007). “Pornography viewing as attachment trauma in pair-bond relationships-A theoretical model of mechanisms.” PhD Dissertation on Marriage and Family Therapy Programme, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, pp. 3-187. Read More