1) The internet is a part of our daily lives. Discuss how the internet is changing the way we think today and in the future.
Had there been a voting, which innovation in the 21st century had the greatest impact on the daily lives of the people; it is no doubt the Internet technology. As a result of phenomenal growth of Internet, its application has significantly impacted lifestyles of the people all around the Earth. Now, it has become parts and parcels of our lives. The Internet had caused significant great ease to education, vocations, and almost every aspect of human lives and made the lifestyle quite remarkable and varied. Moreover, Internet has a deep influence in the human cognitive thinking, at same time it has brought radical changes in our mindsets. Nevertheless, like other modern technologies, the Internet has posed a number of advantages and disadvantages.
The benefits of Internet technology in the daily lives consist of free flow of information, communication, trade, amusement, and social relationships amongst the people. These benefits are explained in details below:
1. Access to data. The Internet technology has helped a large number of users to make use of data available through various data sources. The data is constantly available irrespective of time and place. The acquisition of data helped in better understanding of the world and to improve the lifestyles and consequently a significant advantage to the society.
2. Data Communication. The Internet technology has helped the users to disseminate the data about every aspect of lives quickly, effortlessly and inexpensively. Thus, the technology has supported free flow of information through various segments of people. Consequently, the data impacted the lives of million of people.
3. Communication. The Internet technology has impacted better communication amongst the users and has helped the users to discuss effortlessly and cost-effectively with a large group of individuals all over the globe. Hence, it has helped in communication of cultural and other ideas to millions of Internet users.
4. Developing & maintaining social relationship. By the help of internet technology there has had been a great increase in the social relationship with people outside the direct environs. The social relationship has helped significantly for the smooth functioning of people individually as well as collectively. The building of society with good and rational values and social cohesion has improved the lifestyles of the people.
5. Community Setup & social group. The internet has helped in the growth and cohesion of people with common benefits and the creation of ordered associations with particular plans. Besides, the technology has offered new vistas for people to involve in communal behavior and the creation of social movements.
6. Production & Commerce. The Internet technology has enabled the modern organizations with the building of new models for production for commerce and, trade. Ultimately, the new developments in the business and trade helped in translating into social benefits with new and better products and services for the people cost-effectively.
7. Leisure & entertainment. The Internet technology has helped in the creation of new kinds of leisure and entertainment activities, for many people, especially for the young children. Internet has provided new dimensions in communication with others, like playing video games and offering various opportunities for communally following various leisure pursuits, as well as sharing of cultural objects.
8. Identity Creation & Emotional development. The Internet technology has shown emotional impacts on the creation of identity and emotional growth by helping the users to test new identities (Turkle 1995; Rheingold 2000).
9. Cognitive & Learning growth. The effect of Internet technology on learning and cognitive growth is significant. In addition, the Internet has supported interactive learning through multimedia information and the growth of good cognitive capabilities.
10. Cultural understanding. The Internet technology has promoted a better knowledge of various traditions and traits by converging citizens from diverse cultural environments as well as with dissimilar social and cultural identities and promoting social communication (Ess & Sudweeks 2001).
Problems of the Internet in Daily Lives
A number of harms of the Internet Technology are noted contrary to its benefits. It is no denying fact that the modern technology has provided new vistas and prospects for an improvement in various segments and particular daily lives of the society. The critics of the Internet Technology have argued that the quality of these activities is harmful when applied through the Internet. Besides, the critics point out many other detrimental aspects of Internet technology that concerns with human experience and social organization affecting in our lives.
1. Information overloads. The critics of technology pointed out that the Internet causes information overload, through massive exposure of irrelevant and redundant data. The technology has critically affected the users to undergo tension, poor oversight, troubles with cognitive abilities, and pitiable focus ability (Edmunds & Morris, 2000).
2. Fake information. Due to the absence of needed controls over the technology, the Internet usually contained significant amount false and undependable data. Nevertheless, the users are unable to verify and assess the veracity of data noted on the Internet since it is quite hard to assess the sources appropriately. Thus, the Internet technology at times represented a backward step in the acquisition of knowledge.
3. Risky information. As a result of the non-existence of controls and regulations over the technology, the Internet usually contains a lot of data information: like pornography, defamatory views, etc. Consequently, the social lifestyle is badly affected by use of modern technology.
4. Harmful communication. There are often various discussions and conversations on the internet that show insolent, spiteful and provocative speech, and normally contained vulgar and offensive language. The critics have censured Internet for facilitating superfluous communication and nuisance.
5. Harmful impacts on social relationships. The critic of Internet has argued that social interaction through Internet may ultimately harm offline users and social interaction amongst a large number of people. Moreover, it has been argued those social relationships through the Internet technology is less reflective, helpful and reliable than the personal relationships (Dreyfus 2001)
6. Detrimental impacts on the society & social organization. The critics of Internet Technology argued the emergence of technological societies has harmed "physical" communities since the technology users dedicate less time and vigor, and less reliable than the "physical" ones (Winner 1997; Borgmann 2004).
7. Impacts on Cultural Industries. A number of analysts have argued that the Internet has damaged cultural industries. Moreover, it is claimed that web-based business is prone to robbery, scam and hacking.
8. Detrimental impact on identity generation & psychological growth. The analysts believe that that the virtual ambiguity through which activities may be carried out over Internet can cause harmful activities that are performed without vengeance. Likewise, the video games facilitate vicious and rude activities that normally go with impunity, and may even be compensated.
Thus, the prospects of these disruptive behaviors are considered harmful for emotional growth (Dreyfus 2001; McCormick 2001). As well, the easy accessibility of vulgar pictures through Internet poses critical harms to human personalities. In addition, Internet could be addictive (Young 2004).
9. Detrimental impacts on knowledge & cognitive growth. The technology is criticized for causing damage to education and cognitive growth by presenting self-directed knowledge, restricting the focus on cognitive topics as well as by preventing the critical assessment of data (Dreyfus 1999).
10. Cultural division. The Internet has been alleged that it supports cultural division through the creation of IT groups for particular interests, topics or cultural self.
11. Loss of the sense of actuality. Internet technology is alleged that it helps in removing the disparity between truth and symbol, and causes confusion about the differences, causing anxiety, and discords (Baudrillard 1995; Borgmann 1999).
Analysis
The applications of modern Internet tools have affected the daily lives of many people throughout the world. A large number of people, in particular the youths are strongly fascinated by the Internet technology and they have acquired the know-how through the easy availability of the technology (Lenhart, Madden, & Hitlin 2005; Boase, Horrigan, Wellman, & Rainie 2006). For instance, in the USA, more than 65% of Americans use desktop PCs, about 30% own laptop PCs, and more than 70% have the accessibility of IPS connection (Fox 2005; Horrigan 2007). In a study conducted by Pew Research Center showed 73% of American youths use Internet, and normally, nearly 70 million youths work on web-technology on a particular day (Pew Research Center 2006; Madden & Rainie 2003). The report further shows that the highest Internet users belonged to age group of 18-29 years old. However, the rate dropped with the age (Pew Research Center 2006). As well, other studies show the main use of Internet was related to communications (Fox 2004; Cotten & Bowman 2005; Hoffman, Novak, & Venkatesh 2004; Kraut et al. 1998).
Social Interaction
In accordance to Katz and Sugiyama (2006), the analysts who have analyzed the social effects of Internet have also evaluated the role of Internet to the problems of the users so. Moreover, many analysts have discussed the impacts of Internet technology on social relationship in the society (see Shklovski, Kiesler, & Kraut 2006).
The contemporary studies analyzing the effects of Internet have mostly dealt with hospitality and communication with social systems (Igarashi, Takai, & Yoshida 2005; Kim, Kim, Park, & Rice 2007). Nevertheless, the theorists showed concerns about the health impacts due to harmful rays from Internet mobiles (Huss et al. 2007). A methodical study by Huss et al. (2007) noted that despite the fact a number of analysts have found various biological effects; it has not so far proved that these Internet applications are prone to health risks. On the other hand, a study carried out in Finland proved that the use of cell phones had relationship with healthcare behaviors like smoking and alcohol consumption (Leena, Tomi, & Arja 2005).
Nevertheless, many researches have proved that the use of Internet applications has favorably affected the well-being of the customers. In accordance with the theorists Valkenburg and Peter (2007) the use of Internet technology assists in removing the detrimental interaction with the online strangers. Nevertheless, they were of the view that the most harmful effects of the Internet are realized when the users who state being alone. As well, other studies show that the constant application of Internet technology may lead to technology obsession (Nalwa & Anand 2003; Greenfield 2000; Morahan-Martin & Schumacher 2000). As well, LaRose, Lin, and Eastin (2003) noted that the Internet Addiction is caused due to deficient self-regulation of the users. Accordingly, new studies are required on the topic of Internet Addiction and the particular stressors that cause Internet addiction.
Moreover, a small-scale study noted that the use of Internet is related to reduced isolation and despair and better self-worth as well as social endorsement (Shaw & Gant 2002). Nevertheless, another study showed that the high level of Internet addiction is linked with increased psychological isolation though not concerning with social isolation (Moody 2001).
Another research analyzed the impacts of various Internet applications on self-worth amongst university students by Rohall, Cotten, and Morgan (2002). They noted the time utilized for Internet technology was harmfully correlated with the self-worth. As well, Morgan and Cotton (2003) noted that improved interaction through Internet applications is related to low despair amongst the students. Nevertheless, greater use of Internet applications was linked with greater levels of depression amongst the users. Besides, the theorists found that the usage of electronic mail impact more on males’ despair in contrast to females’. The authors believed that supporting men to utilize e-mailing service could lead to improvement in the societal endorsement and eventually their psychological well-being. Gordon, Juang, and Syed (2007) studied the section of students who were frequent web users and noted that utilizing the Internet as a means to check the stress was linked to greater levels of depression indications and social concern and poorer stages of family consistency. Nevertheless, the authors stated that using the Internet for communication purposes or to expose studies was related to better family unity. Besides, these consequences imply that the particular kinds of motivations for Internet usage should be studied, since the normal application of Internet may not show the intricacies that more particular steps of usage and motives might enlighten.
Conclusion
As a result of phenomenal growth of Internet, its application has significantly impacted lifestyles of the people all around the Earth. Now, it has become parts and parcels of our lives. The Internet had caused significant great ease to education, vocations, and almost every aspect of human lives and made the lifestyle quite remarkable and varied. Moreover, Internet has a deep influence in the human cognitive thinking, at same time it has brought radical changes in our mindsets. Nevertheless, like other modern technologies, the Internet has posed a number of advantages and disadvantages.
Many studies have shown that the Internet technology has impacted less on various aspects of life as it is normally believed. In fact, the Internet is capable of doing innovative things, according to which many people espouse it in their lives. Hence, the policy connotations of growing use of Internet may be somewhat insignificant than it believed.
The applications of modern Internet tools have affected the daily lives of many people throughout the world. A large number of people, in particular the youths are strongly fascinated by the Internet technology and they have acquired the know-how through the easy availability of the technology. Indeed, the easy accessibility to the Internet technology, similar to that of telephone technology, has remarkably altered the mindsets of people’s interaction with others in the social milieu. The e-mail has made it possible quick and fast interactions over long distances and was able to make correspondence with the people around the world instantaneously. The new capabilities realized as a result of e-mail was thought to have influenced several changes in the lifestyles. Nevertheless, the fundamental social patterns have continued to remain the same despite these technology-based variations. In fact, the Internet technology manages old social issues and deals with old social requirements.
The research paper, however, shows that Internet technology has impacted considerably in the daily lives of the people. The modern IT technology has generated a new kind of channels for the contemporary people to communicate, collaborate, and utilize the data in the lives quite frequently. Nevertheless, it is quite evident that Internet technology has continued to grow phenomenally and is expected to grow further in the future. It is expected that soon the modern society would be more technology-based than it exists currently. It is quite hard to foresee the exact effects of Internet in the daily lives. In fact, the Internet technology acts as a double-edged sword. It may or may not harm the peoples’ lifestyle. The most critical question regarding future Internet technology use is not how the Internet technology would modify, and how the modern people would change with the progress of the Internet technology.
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