Life and the Internet

The internet is beneficial to humanity. This is of course a subjective statement but when thinking of pros and cons of the internet, the pro category always wins (at least in my book). Communication, technology, information, research, and business; in our current day these would be greatly restricted without the internet. It can be argued that our society has grown dependent on it, but with something so helpful, it is not hard to do.

When talking about the internet and social relationships, it is easy to assume that it does nothing but damage interpersonal relations. The article The Internet and Social Life from Bargh and McKenna states, “Despite past media headlines to the contrary, the internet does not make its users depressed or lonely, and it does not seem to be a threat to community life.” The article also states in its conclusion that the internet allows communication that keep ties close. Relationships with family and friends that do not live near are made easier with internet communication. It also talks of the formation of new relationships due to similar interests and values. There are countless groups and sites for certain types of people and they build relationships with each other on a level they feel comfortable with. A downside of the internet in the article is “it already plays a significant role in crime and terrorism by enabling private communication across any distance without being detected.” This is a given as we have been hearing about incidents for years that were made possible with little trouble thanks to the internet. While the internet is used as a negative tool by some, I still believe that it benefits more than it damages.

The Jenkins article Worship at the Altar of Convergence was interesting with its concept of the participatory culture. It states that “rather then talking about media producers and consumers as occupying separate roles, we might now see them as participants who interact with each other according to a new set of rules that none of us fully understands.” The flow of media content and communication is ultimately decided by the users and their participation. The internet allows us to write, interact, and brainstorm with other users and even companies to express opinions and develop ideas. Relationships are built online through this participatory culture along with collective intelligence. The article says that “none of us can know everything; each of us knows something; and we can put the pieces together if we pool our resources and combine our skills.”

This is possibly best demonstrated in the article by Castells called The Culture of the Internet. Collective intelligence is seen with the hacker group and their interesting culture. The article almost reads like a cultural researcher watching a distinct group from afar. To be honest, I did not know there was a difference between crackers and hackers. Knowledge is power. The hackers use the concept of collective intelligence to accomplish tasks and build relationships in the process. The idea of the cracker is of course a negative aspect to the internet and does nothing but cause trouble. The article stated that hackers and those of other means have “a shared belief in the power of computer networking, and a determination to keep this technological power as a common good.” The hackers, and even crackers, are building relationships while doing something they are interested in. In the process they have built their own culture with “professional” relationships.

Even when thinking of the articles about Mac vs. PC, you can argue that relationships and cultures have been built around the “epic battle.” People like to have friends with similar likes and dislikes, the internet provides that for them (even though it can be considered impersonal because it is not face-to-face). The internet is a valuable social tool in this sense because some people who may not have many friends are allowed to find some with their beliefs and values. This may be seen as positive because friends are a large part of one’s development and they need to be found somehow. It may be seen as weird by some but soon it may be completely normal.

Community involvement and politics are made easier through the internet as well. Events and resources are more accessible to all that want to attend and help. People can become familiar with each other through internet groups and sites for political causes, candidates, or community service events. Relationships can be built through the internet, relationships that can even be beneficial on a community level. The PEW report shows how our voters are much more informed and knowledgeable on the issues when they go to vote. The internet allows users to gather information that will help make their important democratic decision.

In conclusion, the internet is a positive force on mankind as it allows for us to be informed, have easier communication (even across long distances), corroborate with peers we have never physically met and accomplish tasks, and build new relationships that may possibly benefit everyone. Negative aspects of any situation are going to stand out more than the positive. In the case of the internet though, the positive aspects are much more in number.