I recently watched a few videos of people who spoke about the effects of the internet and how useful it is. Some argued that the internet was very useful in many aspects of our lives, while others insisted that the internet is a hindrance.
Don Tapscott, for instance, spent his entire presentation defending our generation and the way we use technology. He brought up some great points, many of which I completely agree with. He brought up that now that we use the internet frequently, we have access to a lot of information we didn't have access to before. When a big even happens in the world, we will know in a matter of seconds thanks to news sites, blogs, or even twitter, where people can report things they’ve seen or heard. We are able to interact with people from all around the world and share knowledge, information, thoughts and opinions. We can meet people who share the same opinions as we do and talk about topics that interest us with those we have things in common with. There are so many things we could do now that we have the world at our fingertips. The internet not only lets us read information that others have posted, but it lets us post our own information and write about anything we desire. People who want to become writers can write for anyone who wishes to read it. Those who paint can share their
art with the world and they can get feedback on their work. The net also gives teachers and students opportunity to contact each other, post assignments, etc. It makes it easier for teachers to teach and students to learn. Teachers can show videos to the class about what they are teaching to back up their lesson. Students who learn better visually can have the opportunity to understand easier. Teachers have so much that they can use for their lessons. So, there is so much we can do now that we have access to the internet, and I haven’t even mentioned the half of it.
On the other hand, some argue that the internet gives us access to things that we maybe should not have access to. For instance, children who use the internet have easy access to every site possible, including sites that are completely inappropriate for them. As well, the media often gives children and teenagers bad examples to follow. They show models who are way too thin and unnaturally beautiful. This makes them think that they should look like them, when, in fact it is almost impossible. It gives adolescents access to
photos and articles about celebrities doing often stupid things, which is exposing some to topics that they should not be exposed to. The internet is a big reason why children know things much earlier. Moreover,
Evgeny Morozov brought up the fact that the internet gives the government opportunity to get information from people. They follow some people on facebook
, twitter, etc and can find out everything about them, who they talk to, what they think and what they are planning to do. They have the means to stop them from spreading news the government doesn’t want out, not by preventing them from sharing the information, but by contacting them and getting them on their side. They can almost control people by using the internet.
To every subject, there will be at least two sides, but the hard part is to choose which one you’re on. So, although there are many negative aspects to the internet, I do believe that it doesn’t more good than bad in our society.
