The internet is probably one of humanity's greatest inventions. The ability of the internet to interconnect different computers from several parts of the globe makes the invention a valuable tool in today's technological world. The internet has affected the society in several ways, both positively and negatively, since its inception. This paper is going to tackle the effects of the internet on the community using several sources as the primary reference material.
The internet has significantly improved communication between several parties across different parts of the globe. For instance, email services and instant messaging chat applications such as hangouts have ensured that people can keep in touch despite their location in the world. According to Schroeder, instant connectivity brought about by internet features like email, are essential aspects of associations in today's digital age (Schroeder, 2018). Therefore, it follows that people can keep in touch with their loved ones, for instance, individuals living abroad via various communication channels supported by the internet like the email.
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The advent of the internet opened up the world to new job opportunities. For instance, traditional gaming practices have, in recent years, concentrated more on establishing a robust online presence opening up job opportunities to information technology experts. According to Rohlinger, the internet is responsible for the launch of numerous careers such as video game and development engineering (Rohlinger, 2019). Additionally, the internet has played a crucial role in propagating the careers of individuals by offering insight. The vast pool of knowledge available on the internet has assisted professionals in further advancing their knowledge through access to information. Additionally, the availability of online learning has also pushed the careers of many individuals worldwide.
The presence of social media platforms has significantly affected the society both positively and negatively. For instance, the presence of websites such as Facebook has brought about changes such as; improving on businesses through social media pages and enhanced connectivity through interaction via the website. According to Graham and his co-author, Social media forum are the backbone of communication in the digital age having prominence among millennials (Graham et al., 2019). Therefore, it follows that the majority of communications amongst Millenials occur through social media, which could mean tightly knit societies brought together through social forums. Conversely, it could mean that communities have lost the value of engaging in human interactions by being heavily reliant on social forums for communication.
On the other hand, social media sites are grounds for dangerous individuals with malicious intent to harm gullible individuals. For instance, in the recent past, there have been numerous cases of malicious acts such as kidnappings, murder, terrorism, and radicalism. Individuals tend to pose as other people to lure unsuspecting people. Extremist religious communities employ the use of social media forums in the spread of radical thoughts as a means of acquiring recruits (Rohlinger, 2019). It follows that parents ought to be vigilant on their children as a majority of individuals prone to radicalism are teenagers.
The internet has eased the process of conducting the ordinary day to end errands. As such, people have become more reliant on the internet as a means of engaging in hustle free chores. For instance, shopping for products and services online, as well as banking, has made life more comfortable. Human existence in the digital age has been made convenient through e-commerce platforms that facilitate smooth shopper experiences (Graham et al., 2019). Consequently, human beings have become less active from not engaging in strenuous and time-consuming activities that have been made easier by the existence of the internet. Additionally, the process of conducting business transactions has improved with the presence of the internet. Individuals can now buy goods from various parts of the globe through payment facilitation websites such as Paypal.
Despite the internet having several positive benefits, the invention has negative aspects of it in society. Firstly the ease of availability of illegal or inappropriate materials to minors is a degrading aspect of the internet. Schroeder argues that the presence of a diverse range of videos online, some of which are vulgar, is partly responsible for the erosion of morals in the society (Schroeder, 2018). It follows that children while browsing may come across inappropriate materials such as pornography. If a child watches pornography at a young age, the content may affect the child's psychology. Ultimately, the influence of pornography may prevent the child from leading a wholesome, healthy life upon growing into adulthood if not properly advised.
The internet has brought with it a new wave of crimes that are plaguing the society negatively. Crimes such as hacking, cyber bullying,espionage, and breach of privacy have become prevalent in the digital age. According to Rohlinger, The Federal Bureau of Investigation employs the use of a surveillance program for profiling individuals as a measure of preventing possible terror attacks (Rohlinger, 2019). The surveillance protocol used by the FBI is conducted under the premise of making America safer, which it does. However, the surveillance program goes against the right to privacy, which makes it an illegal practice. Additionally, the existence of jobs such as cyber security experts points out to the fact that criminals attempt to access information from various institutions illegally.
Addiction brought about by excessive use of social networks can disrupt the life of an individual and professionally. The presence of social media has resulted in the outburst of individuals who are glued to screens a lot of the time. Schroeder argues that social networks have resulted in social divides in society from the over-indulgence at the expense of meaningful human interactions (Schroeder, 2018). Dating websites such as Tinder have fascinated a significant number of individuals. As such, individuals create the notion that they are capable of holding relationships from engaging in remote relationships with their partners. However, the sad truth is that the majority of online lovers can not fully relate to each other in real life. Additionally, addiction to social media sites prevents an individual from soaring into new heights in their career since most of their time is spent on social networks.
In conclusion, the internet is a beautiful invention that graced the world in the early eighties. It has resulted in several positive benefits to the society, such as making communication easier. It has also made it easier to conduct day to day activities, created job opportunities as well as improving businesses. On the other hand, the internet is responsible for several negative issues affecting society today, such as breach of privacy and watching inappropriate content by minors, among others. Striking a balance on the use of the internet is crucial to leading a healthy life.
References
Graham, M., & Dutton, W. H. (Eds.). (2019). Society and the internet: How networks of information and communication are changing our lives. Oxford University Press.
Rohlinger, D. A. (2019). New media and society. NYU Press.
Schroeder, R. (2018). Social theory after the internet. UCL Press.
