The Internet

Harrow all! This blog is for the purposes of my Com125 module which introduces us to the internet.

The internet is a collection of computers connected to form a global networked environment. It provides the infrastructure for us to use electronic mailing and to find information online through the World Wide Web. Both the internet and the World Wide Web are used by the masses worldwide. 

With technological advancements in cellular devices and satellites, many of us are connected to the internet 24/7. We browse web pages on our blackberries and iphones, update our statuses with insignificant details of our lives on social networking sites every hour, send/receive e-mails, and at the end of the day, return home to stream YouTube videos or movies online. This actually does describe my life in a nutshell, and I am sure it is the same for many of you as well. As the internet is now a considerable part of our lives, let us learn exactly what the internet is and how we are able to utilize it! 

The internet has significantly changed many of our lives. It has brought us all closer together as time and space constraints are not an issue in a virtual network. We are able to communicate with one another through e-mails; albeit this does present some form of lag time, and with internet programs like Skype, we are able to communicate face to face in real time. However, the issue these days is not about the benefits of the internet but the disadvantages it is causing us. Many have complained about feelings of detachment and isolation as we become so overly immersed in our online activities that we begin to ignore the importance of physical interaction. 

Overall, the internet has presented to us many opportunities that were previously unavailable to the masses. It has been integrated seamlessly into our lives, so much so that few of us can remember how we managed to survive without the internet before. There is no doubt that the internet has created many problems for us due to our overreliance on it, but if we are able to control our usage of the internet, we are able to limit the disadvantages it brings to us as well. 

Next up! Social media... Ooooh....