The World Wide Web or Internet

Commonly k instantern as the network, the worlds largest earnings is put ond extensively throughout the world today. Since its creation in 1983, the cyberspace has continued to grow in popularity and use as a commercialised and private communications medium. Millions of wad throughout the world use the cyberspace in a variety of ways, ranging from personal conversations to on-line(a) shopping. According to a survey compiled by Nua Ltd in 1999, the number of cyberspace users rose from 26 million in 1995 to 205 million in 1999, an add-on of almost 700% (Nua Ltd)With much(prenominal) an explosive increase, how then has he cyberspace moved(p) us personally, and how has it affected the way we do air? The answers to these questions include changes in the way great deal obtain propoundation, interact, work, learn and conduct wrinkle. Given the internets buffer purpose is to sh atomic number 18 teaching, it is no wonder that the most important plus of the network is the wealth of information that depose be open up on the cyberspace (Maney 3). Information previously found only in libraries and encyclopedias is now available on the Internet in addition, news, weather, and movie listings are in any(prenominal) case ade available on the Internet.Internet users constantly remain certified of the world round them by reading news from the New York Times, regular army Today, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times and many other newspapers found on-line. Even those interchangeable myself who are far away from home bottomland keep in touch by reading local newspapers Along with the vast aggregate of information, the Internet as well as provides almost instant sharing and distribution of information. through with(predicate) the use of electronic mail, masses all over the world tail send information to far-away places cheaply, easily and in great olume much more than any medium before it (Maney 3).This form of communication known as e-mail is the most widely used tool of the Internet today. other(prenominal) invention of the Internet is the chat room. From within a chat room, mickle make friends with others throughout the world and share information with unitary another in real time. Because of email and chat capability, employees can work in concert without requiring that everyone work in the same place or make up at the same time (Maney 4). On a more personal level, email and chat allow families and friends to stay in touch, keeping relationships intact.Being an external student myself, email and chat rooms have greatly benefited me as they enable me to constantly keep in touch with my family and friends in Singapore. The studyal community has also taken advantage of the opportunities the Internet offers. Over the function few years, there has been a tremendous growth in both the number of distance education courses offered by colleges and universities, and in the enrollment in those classes. Internet based c lasses allow students to watch, listen, and exchange ideas with educators and other students who whitethorn be miles away.With n-line education, volume learn independently and at their own pace. Such thingamajig allows learning to take place virtually anywhere and at any time. Busy working adults are now taking classes in the reliever of their home without having to attend regularly scheduled classes on a college campus. Online education also provides people from rural districts the opportunity to have an education without having to give out long distances. Besides supporting on-line education, the Internet has also make our lives immensely simple by allowing us to do countless tasks notwithstanding in the middle of the night.Using the Internet, people point out jobs, send electronic cards, shop, make airline and hotel reservations, execute stock trades, and even pay bills online The Internet is thus a virtual market place where people can, at the click of a button, select pro ducts, place orders, and pay using a secure electronic transaction. All of this ability has made conducting personal business convenient and easy, and enables everyone to complete many tasks that previously would take weeks. With the increasing popularity of people shopping and purchasing goods online, theInternet has created new ways of doing business (Maney 4). Realizing the authorisation of the Internet, many companies have started to advertise their products and service on-line. By marketing their products and services on-line, companies are able to constantly update the sites product catalog and inform buyers of any changes. Companies, especially new ones, can now allow themselves to be made known to the consumers through advertising over the Internet. Furthermore, there is lesser overhead cost involved, as sales persons and order takers are no longer required.In addition, the Internet has also enabled low budget organizations to clench interested parties across the country o r the world. All of these lower cost have resulted in lower costs for the consumer. Many on-line shoppers can find good deals and low prices for desired goods, leading to even more and more on-line business. However, these reduced costs and benefits for the consumer have had adverse do on some businesses that have been around for many years. Those business which typically are service or data oriented have seen a sharp decline in sales.For example, ar dealerships compete with on-line business because some customers prefer finding a vehicle on-line preferably of dealing with a nagging car salesman. Car dealerships are not the only ones threatened by the convenience of the Internet. Postal services and rally companies also face new competition from Internet applications much(prenominal) as email Although the Internet may have some great and probative impact on our lives and the way business is done, there are significant consequences and drawbacks. Because of the Internet, a new social disorder has been created known as Internet AddictionDisorder (IAD). IAD occurs when a computer dominates rather than serves a person, and when people develop unhealthy dependencies on the Internet use (Gard 3). Psychologists have found that there has been a raise in the number of people who find the virtual reality on computer screens more attractive than occasional reality (Gard 3). These addicts perceive that surfing the web is more important than doing any other task. They cannot control the amount of time spent on the computer. For these addicts, the Internet serves as an outlet to escape from reality, relieving their toneings f distress (Gard 3).These addicts often feel anxious and uneasy when not on-line, and crave the Internet connection. As a result of such an addiction, Internet addicts tend to neglect their family, friends and work. Ironically, numerous on-line support groups have since been set up to offer advice to people with such a disorder. Apart from Interne t addiction, personal privacy is jeopardized and doesnt endure on the Internet (Gard 2). Being a web surfer myself, I have had to provide my name, email account, interests, and even telephone number during some(prenominal) occasions in order to ccess a particular web site.In doing this, unscrupulous Internet businesses steal or misuse personal information given to them to personalize features on their sites to make them more appealing (Gard 2). They also release information about their customers to their advertisers. These companies use this information to invade ones personal time with phone calls and newsletters trying to offer their services. Furthermore, the Internet has made it easier than ever before for people to share and sell data, so that anyone whos willing to pay can get Social hostage numbers and riving records (Gard 2).Likewise, a person having your credit card number and its design date can now purchase goods online. From the above examples, it can be seen that th ere is little, if any, privacy left to be found when dealing with the Internet. The Internet has also given criminals a new media to exploit. While there are many types of Internet criminal activity, child pornography has quickly make out a critical issue for the Internet. There has been a widespread increase in the distribution of illegal child pornography on the Internet child pornographers misuse the Internet to exploit exually abused and molested children throughout the world.By means of the Internet, sexually explicit material of children has been illegally transmitted and sold. patronage these abhorrent activities, the Internet provides each of us with extraordinary With the number of people using the Internet growing exponentially, it is easy to see that the Internet has pervaded the action of everyone. Those that use the Internet on a daily basis, or even only a little, can feel the impact of the Internet around them. The ease with which they can communicate, learn, or acc omplish simple tasks and chores akes life easier, and hopefully less stressful.Even those that dont use the Internet can feel the impact it has on our society and businesses. Because many businesses today use the Internet to advertise products and to provide support, those not familiar with the Internet may find it difficult to get the information needed. People in this berth may not like what is happening around them, but the transaction on their lives is also felt. Whether the Internets effect on soulfulness is good or bad, the fact remains that the Internet has an effect on us all.