At present, everyone’s lives are interconnected to the World Wide Web. With the world constantly changing and running in a fast pace, the internet is slowly becoming a second world where one can do anything from shopping, banking, business, school and other activities that can be done regularly offline but in a more efficient pace. Opinions pertaining to the use of the internet and its benefits and disadvantages have been contested since the evolution of the internet. However, if the internet is used properly and is given just attention in learning its rules, the benefits of the internet have shaped up society in the sense of its capability of delivering services efficiently. The internet also provides alternative means to do and learn things people cannot normally learn easily offline. For the United States, the internet now enables its citizens to access the government’s numerous services, and serves as an efficient service for many Americans to catch up and learn without the additional fees.
Opponents to the use of the internet have cited various points, which can be considered a general problem should the internet be utilized for a specific purpose. In a general scope, the internet presents a new medium for criminals to elicit their crimes such as pornography, scamming, terrorist activity, and wide-scale information leeching. Various websites have popped in the internet that presents internet users to hacked software and content such as torrent sites, file sharing webpages, and paid sharing. The federal government has constantly driven out several of these sites, such as the famous file and video sharing website Megaupload last January 2012. Currently, the site’s various files and data is frozen by the authorities, and other online sharing sites are now being reviewed by the federal government . Since the internet also presents an open connection to almost each computer connected online, it enables hackers and criminals to access private and restricted data, transmitting it around the globe. Some of these data can also be used against the state, as seen in the website Wikileaks. Wikileaks contains information such as top secret reports from various organizations such as the FBI, CIA, the various departments of government, and other governments around the globe. For the United States, this site entices civil strife for the United States as it has released almost 400,000 secret logs pertaining to the Iraq war, and other sensitive information such as Guantanamo Bay’s blueprint of its SOP and communiqués detailing various political dealings that may cause the country to ruins .
Employers see that with the internet’s capacity to reach a wide audience, there will be a problem to the limitation of talented job seekers to the internet. Although the internet is quite popular and it now hits mainstream, there are still households that have no internet connection or have their own personal computers. There is also the misconception of some job seekers that there is the possibility they might get scammed by online recruiting companies. Most employers utilize the internet mostly for their recruitment efforts, so with the limitation of many potential and aspiring job seekers without an internet, this reduces chances of employment. Employers also complain that most of the online responses they receive from online job seekers are inappropriate, and sometimes unqualified. Some employment companies also complain that Net-generated resumes are hard to review, considering that most of these resumes contain information which is not relevant for the applied job . Companies also complain about the lack of security features, and a consistent program that can handle the flow of applications and information sharing that enters through the company’s main system. With the internet comes the risk of files being leaked out or hacked from the mainframe . Many have also noted the data available in the internet can be falsified, plagiarised or even inferior to what is expected. Many experts believe that there is a lack of editorial control that leads to hacked information and details. Others also find links to be broken, out-to-date, or falsified should they be selected by a user. Since the internet also contains various websites across the globe trying to accommodate a specific topic, it may cause viewers to find it hard to research as specific information is hidden deep in the threads of various webpages, which increases time allotment and the reduction of learning as users would only surf and surf until they find the information needed .
However, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages seen by many pertaining to the use of the internet especially in a country such as the United States. In a personal aspect, the internet enables the public to gain access to a vast library of information and mediums to reconnect with family. In the US, national access providers such as Sprint and AT&T provide customers services from calling to the availability of the internet in mobile phones. It also sets an opening to enable access to important data such as stock-market quotes, game scores, weather forecast, and even through online databases such as JSTOR, EBSCO, Proquest, and Oxford Journals. Full service providers such as America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy sells information to those who can afford the small fees to gain the information they want online. Several companies also provide free information such as Google, AOL, and Hotmail; as well as a means to connect and share with family and friends . Information in the internet can range from any subject a user needs, a benefit for students, children and adults especially in need to catch up with America’s fast change. Communication is also given a new feature thanks to the internet as it enables faster responses from various people around the globe. In the United States, the use of e-mail, messenger services, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and Skype enables people to chat with people and meet up with long lost friends .
The internet also serves as a great way for travellers to reserve tickets, and locate promos and packages they can use for their travels. In the US, many travellers opt to select their seats, reserve tickets, and plan their destination online. Since many travellers still opt for the traditional means of locating information about their destinations, various travelling agencies now feature various media mediums to entice customers of their intended destinations. Virtual travel agent programs, and comparison features are also utilized by most travel agencies and airline companies to accommodate to the needs of their clients. Tourism is also boosted through the internet due to images and videos shared by travellers regarding a location they have visited Customers can also pay for their bookings and reservations easily online, reducing distribution costs and travel expenses as compared to the traditional way of paying for bookings and reservations .
For buyers, suppliers, and companies; the internet has changed the way on how business is done. In comparison with the traditional marketing models, the internet has enabled companies to gain access to various networks and reduce the costs concerning negotiations, supplies, and distribution. In a general perspective, cost reduction is one of the most primary advantages of the internet not just in the United States, but around the globe. As mass media and the internet are located in strategic locations, it does not require much cost to get it installed or use. For companies such as Google, MSN, Sony, and Microsoft, their webpages enables their representatives to contact directly their customers, and reduce the fees needed to run their businesses. Customers and merchants can also contact each other directly through the internet, allowing the reduction of market cost and complications. This is exercised in Amazon, Google Play, and the Apple Store. Since consumers can easily discuss with the merchants, purchasing is done hassle free .
Companies also value the reduced cost and the efficient recruitment methods the internet provides. Traditionally, US-based recruitment firms and companies would have to pay $1,200 to $1,500 to place an advertisement on a newspaper. However, with the availability of webpages such as Monster Board, CareerMosaic, Careerpath, and the government’s USA.gov, American job-seekers can easily search through databases for job openings in their area, and what company is recruiting for that position. Most jobs available in these recruitment webpages are mostly targeting applicants capable of technical jobs, but others also offer openings for health care, business management, food service, and clerical jobs, which are mostly needed in several states in the country. The internet also enables the companies to contact applicants immediately, reducing both paperwork and the availability of a big talent pool of applicants .
The internet is still a work in progress; it constantly changes to accommodate the needs of its users and its intended services. For the United States, it clearly shows that the internet has enabled many to locate jobs, reconnect with families and friends, do transactions, and access information without the hassle and additional expenditure. Although there are disadvantages still being corrected and avoided by various federal laws, the US still adheres to the pace it must cope with to follow competition and change in the international community.
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