A Whole New World

The Internet. An eight letter word that holds so much meaning. The internet was invented for our convenience. And it accomplishes this with flying colors, or pixels rather. The Internet opened the doors to a whole new world of social media for our society, with the simple click of a few square buttons. The Internet and social media have changed our world in more ways than we can imagine.

When was the last time you went a full week without opening a tab on the internet? How about the last time you went a full day? Or even a full hour? It is safe to say the Internet has taken over our lives. While this sounds like a very dangerous situation that could result in humans falling in love with technology, relax for a moment, and remember all the benefits of the internet. The fact that we rely so much on the internet is not necessarily a bad thing, so long as you are using it for good reasons, and in healthy doses. The Internet not only opens up windows of Google, but windows of knowledge. Knowledge that is at the tip of our fingers, the power to research any given topic at any given moment via the Internet is infinite. The Internet enhances our learning process. It makes life easier when learning new topics or concepts. When you’re wondering how to help heal a small cut, or what the best recipe is for chicken francese, where does your mind automatically land? It isn’t hard to see the tremendous impact the Internet has on our society.

Think of all the locations the internet has changed. We do not have to rely on learning only in the classroom, or the library. Because of the internet, we can learn anywhere our wifi connects, and gain important intellect on anything and everything. The internet has also opened up another window to mankind; helping individuals earn money. Companies, businesses, and corporations all advertise through the internet. With the internet, people can sell belongings, and promote their business. People even find jobs through the internet.

The internet has also enhanced communication within our society. With social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many more, family members and friends can stay in touch, while living miles apart. Plus, the Internet created another source to let people express themselves. Instead of only hearing the opinions of journalists in newspapers and magazines, or the views of those shown on television, everyday people now have the opportunity to share their opinions on blogs, or comment on articles. With the simple clicks of a few keys, the internet has created endless possibilities for everyone in our society.

Humans have always had a thirst for knowledge; a curiosity with what was going on around the world. Before the internet was invented, we relied on books, newspapers, articles, and the television to feed us new information. And while all these inventions helped us tremendously, we were still missing one main factor. The accessibility of this knowledge. And that is exactly what the internet did. The invention of the Internet took all the important aspects of these mass media technologies, and added convenience. The Internet now allows people to find information out on their own, at any given time. We can watch a show we missed on television at a later time because that channel now has a website, or it’s on Netflix. Instead of taking out many books on one topic, we can simply type it into google and learn the facts, or search for a specific magazine article.

While the internet has benefitted our world in many ways, it has also reversed our society to some degree. Because of the internet, students today are used to reading and learning in a fast paced manner. People only want the quick facts, and automatic answers. It has taken away a portion of patience within our society. Nobody wants to wait for anything, because we are so used to the idea of quick convenience. Students are anxious and do not think as deep because they don’t need to. And when a situation comes up where the internet cannot solve their problem, they flee.

It is also obvious the most recent generations that grew up on the internet, have lost social skills. When the tabs to social media websites are open, our ears are not. People have a harder time listening to others, along with holding conversations among peers. Chatting via the internet has taken over the personalities of some, and the only person they know how to be is on their Instagram. Humans have come a long way with communication. We are much more open minded than we were years ago, and yet, kids today cannot appreciate this because they are too focused on the way they appear to people that only know them by their Twitter handle. It is not a safe reverse for our society. Losing communication and thinking skills are fundamental tools to have in order to thrive.

It seems as though the Internet made many other forms of mass media obsolete. While people still read the newspaper, novels, and watch TV, these technologies are used a lot less and not necessary because of the internet. There are fewer individuals that still pay for the newspaper, or subscribe to magazines. And what would be the purpose of this anyway? Why pay for that magazine, when you can easily look it up through the web? And who needs a newspaper when you can be updated on the daily news through their app? Once the internet added convenience to information, it subtracted the many other forms of information. The internet can even be used as a TV, either go to the channel’s website and watch their shows there, or buy a Netflix account, where you can watch a whole season for one show in under a week. The internet has given people the power of choice. Now you can decide when you want to watch that episode, research an article, or learn about what is going on in the world. It has given people more control than any other form of mass media technology.

The internet has added aspects to our world that enhance our daily routines. It has retrieved actions that help us, along with subtracting older mechanisms. And while these are all positive benefits, the internet has also reversed our society, in detrimental ways. The internet has granted us with accessibility, and given us more control. We now have one place that can answer questions, without waiting in line. Everything about the internet has changed our world. From creating a new place to learn, to building a world where convenience is at your fingertips, as long as they are on that keyboard.