Admission Essay- The Internet
Since the inception of the ‘world wide web’, the internet has evolved into an integral part of many aspects of daily living. It is vital in enhancing economic, social, cultural, and technological advancements (Weber, 2003). Personally, I find it difficult to envision a world without the internet; it certainly permeates every area of my life.
The internet has been an essential resource in helping me to achieve academic excellence. The internet contains online databases which have an excellent array of scholarly journals, articles from reputable sources, white papers, electronic books, and research studies which provide aid in research. In addition, one can join student communities where academic discussions and exchanges take place. This has helped me grow as a student by helping me to hone my research skills by making such valuable resources easily available.
Socially, I have made many friends across the world and kept in touch with my local friends through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and others. Social media has played a major role in transforming the world into a global village. It has opened up new cultures to me because my friends in different regions tell me about their countries, culture, religion, and beliefs. This has been instrumental in helping me to appreciate cultural diversity.
The internet has also provided new channels through which commerce can take place (Maceli, Wiedenbeck, and Abels, 2011). Many companies have taken advantage of it to carry out their marketing activities, and to provide opportunities for e-commerce and online shopping. It also has given young people novel ways to make money and make a mark in the world. Outstanding examples are: Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of the popular search engine Google; and Mark Zuckerberg, one of the founders of Facebook (Weber, 2003). Another popular site named eBay has also given many people a forum where the sale and purchase of a wide variety of goods or services can take place.
The internet has unfortunately been responsible for an increase in cyber crimes like cyber bullying, credit card fraud, and child pornography (Weber, 2003). Indeed, the internet does present many opportunities for its misuse. I would recommend that stiffer online regulations and personal discipline are necessary to ensure that utility of the internet is channeled towards personal and global growth and development.
References
Maceli, M., Wiedenbeck, S., & Abels, E. (2011). The Internet Public Library (IPL): An Exploratory Case Study on User Perceptions. Information Technology & Libraries, 30(1), 16-23.
Weber S. (2003). The internet. New York: Infobase Publishing.
