This article is about the impacts of the Internet on people. Despite this is a large and complex topic, I will research and explain it from different perspectives which are more close to the human life.
Table of Contents
|
Introduction
If there were a vote for the thing which had influenced people's lives most in the 21 century, it is no doubt that there are few things more deserving of the words " most significant " than the Internet. With the rapid development of network science and technology, the application of the Internet already extended to each aspects of people's life, and has gradually become a necessary part of our lives. Also the Internet brings great convenience to our studying, working, living and makes our lives more interesting and varied. However, it also has deep influence on our behaviour and mind , at the same time lots new challenges are brought to our original way of life. However, since the Internet be born , it is generally acknowledged that the Internet is a two-edged sword and has disadvantages as well as advantages.
Is the Internet changing our lifestyle
Nowadays, with the popularization of the network,the on line life is not just for those computer geeks. One of the most obvious advantage of the Internet is resource sharing. Also, the computer and network are widely used by people all over the world. More and more people is accustomed to search resources from the Internet which is not easy to realize without the mature network technology. It seems no matter what difficulties people meet, the first reaction is almost to ask Google or Wikipedia . According to Michael Hart's opinion which was pointed out in the book named A Brief History of the Internet , "for the first time we actually have the opportunity for a whole world's population to share not only air or water, but also to share the world of ideas, of art or of music and other sounds…anything that can be digitized "( Pg.10, Hart, Michael and Fuller, Maxwell , In 1995). Precisely because of this,some people concern that is the Internet changing our mind? Are brains influenced by the Internet ?
In fact, it is certainly true that life online is inescapable ,especially in the information explosion society. The Internet can supply numerous information resource which is renewed and up to date. For instance, you can read the newest newspaper and books in the online library for free instead of buying a new one. This is very attractive to Netizen ('Netizen', which means net citizen) ,especially for students.
After all, times is advancing, science and technology is developing, thus it is necessary to refresh own knowledge and adjust attitudes to keep pace with the times.
New virtual community and relationship
The network is a new communication tool after land lines and cell phones. At present, with the emergence of new style web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, even digital devices like IPAD, mobile phones(with the support of wireless network technology, of course), it is much easier than ever before to join a social networks or establish groups in a short time. Such groups can rapedly form and reform, transforming members as circumstances change. ( Gee, James Paul. in 2010.)
In this way, people can create new social nets with friends all over the world. No matter where you are , whether you are good at socializing or not, you can chat with other people on the Net without the limitation of time and space. The only requirement is as well as he or she is on line. Consequently, the network life has become many people's spiritual home . All those new communication relationship websites and chat tools such as MySpace, Facebook, MSN, OICQ and including the widely use of e-mail and chatting on webcam provide new forms of communication. Based on the development of the Internet , people can be in touch with frinds anytime and anywhere whithout the traditional communication method face to face. More significantly, there is a revolutionary significance in the history of human communication.
Online shopping
Online shopping, just as its name implies, is to buy product online instead of the traditional consumption habits and patterns. Recently years, with the progress of the network technology and increasing number of netizens, net purchases (online shopping) as a new consumption pattern is getting more and more attention. It is not an exaggeration to say that shopping online has been a fashion to the Netizen( net citizen).You can buy almost all the kind of things you want on the Internet , from digital product to delicious food, from sports equipment to books, from music to cosmetics… Even you can purchase from other countries by your credit card. And the international reference exchange system plays a important role in the shopping process(Chapter 2 of book The Online World by Odd de Presno, in 1993).,Relative to the emergence of the net purchases, its meaning is not only breaks the old shopping patterns without the limit of time and space, the greater significance is brings a totally new concept of consumption. The Internet has gradually becoming much more reliable and completely integrated into our daily lives. For example, the population of online bank, online shop…all those online services have entered people's daily life. In addition, people began to enjoy the convenience and speed which were benifit from the Information Era. The Internet has gradually becoming much more reliable and completely integrated into our daily
Disadvantages of the Internet
Every thing in the world has its own two sides, the Internet is no exception.Today, the Internet is a widespread information medium of communication. Its appearance, like a double-edged sword, not only brings convenience to mankind, but also may causes a great deal of potential problems too.
How to deal with Internetcrime?
How to protect the netizens Internet security?
How to correctly guide the young people to proper use the network ?
According to many studies of Internet users especially youth have concluded that spending too much time online can adversely affect their psychological well-being.
Consequently, new technology bring the new lifestyle to people , at the same time how to take most use of the Internet becomes an urgent issue.
Which, if misused, might undermine the quality of our life and even threaten the mental health of teenage students.
Conclusion
From all the above content, we can see that the Internet is a totally new world emerging at the 20th century. The Internet creates new ways for citizens to communicate, work, and share information. It is obvious that the Internet has and will continue to change the way people live, also, it will make greater influence on almost all aspects of our daily life , the society and even whole the world in the future.
In conclusion,we can not say with the absolute certainty that the Internet does good or harm to our life. The Internet is just like a double-edged sword. Whether it does good or harm to people's life depend on how we exploit it and how the Internet inspire human intelligence. Therefore, in my opinion, the Internet is ultimately more beneficial than detrimental to people. the most difficult question for the future of the Internet is not how the technology will change, but how the people will change with the progress of the technology.
References
Books
New Digital Media and Learning As an Emerging Area and Worked Examples As One Way Forward The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning
Author: Gee, James Paul.
Publication: Cambridge, Mass The MIT Press,
Published in 2010.
A Brief History of the Internet , The Bright Side : The Dark Side
Author: Michael Hart with Max Fuller
Publication:Champaign, Ill. (P.O.Box 2782, Champaign 61825) Project Gutenberg,, .
Released on March 8th in 1995.
The Online World
Author: De Presno, Odd.
Publication:Mt.View, Calif. Wiretap
Released on September in 1993 (version 1.1)
Websites
The Impact of The Internet on Our Daily Life
By Markus Temmel, Martina Theuermann, Eva Ukowitz, Tanja Vogrin
http://www.tru.ca/cpj/essay.html
The Impact Of The Inernet On Human Behavior
Jun 19, 2009 at 7:am ET by Kim Krause Berg
http://searchengineland.com/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-human-behavior-20921
Today's society has been into a network social , computer and Internet seep into people's all aspects of life, affect people's Daily life, changing people's life rhythm. From online games to online shopping , from online classroom to fry on the net , all of these can be completed by using the computer. Along with popularization and communication of internet , some emerging language is also entering the life of people.
Judging from the depth of Internet influence,Internet impact deep on people's language, network, and values, the behavior way, culture, and deep influence is also in increased. Internet technology in the whole world , economic pattern and industrial combination produced great impact. Internet to the economic implications, reflected in the traditional industry performance and technical deepening. It makes people likely to compare lower prices, obtain useful goods. From the consumer's perspective, through the Internet and e-commerce, can use lower cost gain needed goods. From producers Angle for, network applications support the enterprise supervision cost, shorten the production decision-makers and the distance between the production personnel, and make enterprise management mode to flat from a pyramid, reduced the enterprise type change the cost. Internet applications, the more help the government for social public management function, through the exercise of Internet, the government would be able to understand the demand for public products citizens for public service requirements and to the government, in accordance with the requirements for citizens to provide citizens for they need public product and public service. Internet reduced the cost of government operations, improve work efficiency, make the information transfer and feedback more timely, and can effectively reduce the information transmission distortion.
Also can read the book ”The impact of the Internet on our moral lives“ Robert J. Cavalier