I think that it is undeniable that Internet has impacted the social and economic aspects of our society. Communication is easier, we are able to find any information we need, assignments have more depth, and work is more organized, however; I don’t think that all of the effects have been positive.
I think that the Internet is somewhat socially isolating in situations and taking away from interpersonal communication. It’s replacing our need for face-to-face interaction; instead of getting together with friends, we are meeting in chat rooms and on social networking sites. There are also other issues associated with communicating over the Internet, according to Bargh and McKenna; there are time delays to consider when choosing to communicate over the Internet. A survey of international college students, according to Bargh and McKenna, found that they considered off-line communication to be more beneficial to establishing relationships.
I think that the Internet has had positive effects on maintaining family relationships with those who may not live in the same area, according to the authors, “a study showed that the Internet helped to maintain long distance relationships”. While I think that the internet has done an amazing job in helping to maintain relationships, I also believe that the long hours that people spend on-line can have a negative effect on the relationships they have with people in their area.
As far as the community involvement, Bargh and McKenna cited a study that found the more time people spend on-line, the more likely they are to participate in organizations outside of cyberspace. I can’t help but wonder if this is because their usage has had such a negative effect on their relationships that participating in these groups is the only way they are not completely committed to maintain a relationship.
The effect that the Internet has had on democracy and politics is astounding, according to the PEW reports more than “40% of Internet users have gotten political information on-line”. The Internet is increasing political awareness and provides an avenue for the everyday person to voice their opinion through blogs and other user generated content. While the Internet is an amazing source for news, the PEW studies found that for the most part it is a complement to the other media outlets, with people still preferring to get their news in more conventional ways. I have always said that I will always prefer a newspaper that I can hold compared to one on-line. One interesting thing I have to add, while at the presentation by Mark McKinnon he mentioned the effects of the Internet on politics. According to McKinnon, the Internet is “really interesting and having a huge impact”, he mentioned that “it’s becoming democratized”; everyone can now voice their opinion.
I have mentioned that the Internet can have positive and negative effects on relationships, but I think the Internet can also have a negative effect on pocketbooks. Identity theft is very high in our society, and the Internet is helping to aid the criminals behind it. The article on the culture of the Internet mentioned what they called “crackers”, those who illegally penetrate computer systems. These “crackers” can impact the lives of individuals in a very negative way and can ultimately, in some cases ruin what they have established.
Overall, I think that the positives of the Internet out way the negatives. The Internet has made the impossible very possible and has provided our society with a way to be heard. It has made communication easier and much more convenient.
The articles on the PC vs. Mac were full of information, as far as the good things and the bad things of both and I completely agree that it is about “what you like”. I have never had a preference and I probably never will, as long as it has word and I can go on-line, then it’s all good!
