Since the birth of the internet many different aspects of our lives have been affected, as a result of this, two large parts of our society have aligned themselves on contrasting sides. One side wishes to see the end of this virtual age and hopes for the return of more traditional media. The other encourages the abandonment of the real world for a virtual one. Both extremes are problematic; a middle ground must be found.Through wires and radio-waves, the Internet has become a literal web that binds all of humanity together. It is in our best interest to use this connection to improve the physical world, because when it is used wisely it becomes a powerful medium for education, socialization, and global communication.
One of the most
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These databases can easily be accessed by typing in a few key phrases. Steven Pinker, a Harvard College professor, believes that the Internet allows us to “search and retrieve our collective intellectual output” (221). This factor becomes very useful in our academic lives. Without the Internet, academic papers are limited to the information contained in the district libraries and the information spread by the local newspapers. With the Internet, they are filled with a variety of data, statistics, and opinions posted online by people from all differing countries and continents. The web allows us to read about and understand the contrasting viewpoints that exist on our planet. The virtual world is a great way for people to share their thoughts and opinions with other like-minded individuals. Although it is a fact that socialization is an important part of our mental health, using the web as our sole means of social interaction is detrimental to our physical health. Yet a huge portion of our global society has been spending an increasing amount of time living within a virtual reality. This phenomenon is best explained by Jane McGonigal, director of Games Research and Development at Institute for the Future, who reveals that people are beginning to realize that virtual simulations can be used “to distract themselves from their hunger: a hunger for more satisfying work, for a stronger sense of community, and for a more engaging and meaningful life” (226). Even
Carr explains that the net has become essential to internet users work, school, or social lives, and often with all three. And there are, of course, many people who do not use the internet at all, either because they can’t afford it or because they don’t want to. The scope of its use unprecedented, even by the standards of the mass media of the twentieth century. The net commands our attention with far greater insistency than our television
Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives--or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts--as the Internet does today.
There has been a ton of turmoil about the internet. A controversial issue on whether the internet is more helpful or hurtful to the human brain. On one hand, Nicholas Carr argues that technology may be weakening human abilities for deeper reading, an old fashion type of learning. Carr believes that relying on computers will cause humans intelligent to decline. On the other end, there’s Clive Thompson. Thompson presents computers as a digital tool that assists people in their everyday life. Providing phenomenal external memory, social connections, and endless availability of resources. Both, Carr and Thompson, believe that the internet can act as a tool that shapes the way humans think. Which brings us to the dilemma, is the internet a technological apocalypse or a promising utopia?
Today, the Internet is the center of attention for businesses, governments, schools and individuals around the world. It has produced new industries, transformed existing ones, and has become a global cultural experience not only for adults but for children as well. It is a learning tool used to educate in schools and within our homes. The surfacing of the Internet as another means of electronic communication has had a transformative influence on social interaction.
The Internet has significantly transformed the world we live in today. The question on whether or not the internet is good continues to raise a heated debate. Whereas some claim that the growth in internet use is for the better of the society, others claim it is for the worse. However, it has turned the world into a global village. Bill Gates once said that "The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." If the world lacks a digital future, the issue is what the speaker will have to sacrifice for them to be heard in this ‘digital town square.' The controversy arises when one looks at the quote from the language lens and this important particularly for the young generation. Nevertheless, it is evident that bridging the digital divide will promote exchanges and ultimately empower individuals and therefore the growth in internet use is a good thing.
Our world we live in changes dramatically every day. With evolving technologies moving often faster than we can understand, it is interesting to see how these innovations are impacting lives of everyday Americans and others all over the world. When once the internet was seen as a purely positive, the more technology envelopes our lives, it is showing itself as a potential hindrance to normal communications as well.
The internet is the newest mass media and has the potential to change human society. It has given us the ability to access almost all of human knowledge in an instant. It has also allowed the constant connection between friends and family. As technologies go it may well be the most influential in human history. The internet is one of the most impactful technologies in human history as presented in The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, specifically because of its speed, interconnectivity, and its impacts on the human mind.
Since the invention of the world wide web in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee, the global spread of information has become increasingly easy, as more resources become available online. The internet can be a useful tool in research and a great way to accumulate valuable information and knowledge, and can be a medium used to spark intelligent and meaningful discussions, but only if used correctly. Poor navigation of the surplus of content available online can lead to a sinkhole of inaccurate and, frankly, bullshit sources. Attempts at academic communication via online sources can devolve into echo rooms or mindless, childish retorts.
Throughout the past 20 years, the focus on the World Wide Web has been a compelling area of social, political, and economical innovation. At one time, the internet was a tool that promoted collaboration in the realm of research as it was used as a means of sharing scholarly documents between universities. However, since that time, the internet has evolved into being a way of life. “Many people use the terms Internet and World Wide Web, or just the Web, interchangeably, but the two terms are not synonymous. The World Wide Web is the primary application that billions of people use on the Internet, and it has changed their lives immeasurably (author unknown, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet).” Before there can be an at length discussion
In the era of accessibility to information, people are able to find the answer to almost any question in the matter of seconds, but many do not realize the affect this technology is having on society. Some believe that the technology of today is only changing the world for the better, allowing connections to be made across the globe, and have access to any knowledge; others believe that it is only allowing children to be more distracted, and have difficulties communicating outside of the screen. Although the effect of technology on the world is debatable, it is undeniable that the internet is here to stay. While it is important to give recognition to breakthrough innovation in technology humanity should be aware of the impact it is having on society and individuals themselves.
Growing up in the information age, everybody in my generation is influenced by computers. Not merely regarding computers as a toy or tool in my childhood, I was curious about the computer itself - how it works and what it can do for me. The first time I used programming was in primary school. Not printing “Hello, world” like others, I was able to draw pictures and even create games using Logo programming language. The charm of programming is very attractive to me. While in high school I participated in the National Olympiad in Informatics in Provinces (NOIP) and trained every day solving over 300 questions in total. Through unrelenting efforts, I was awarded first prize three times. Because of this experience I laid a solid foundation for my algorithm skills and it has taught me to always solve problems in a comprehensive way. Eventually, I was recommended for admission to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) because of my specialty in programming and superior academic skills.
Francis Njoh Second Draft Composition 2 Information age In the world we live in everything is constantly changing within the past 20 years we have evolved technologically from mini garbage can size cell phones to GPS systems that can give directions to anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye, with technology changing all the time. The world is always evolving and ways in which we operate at home, work and school are changing as well. Computers in the classroom are becoming more and more familiar and it is a must in are classes and it is essential for administrators to support and encourage computer technology in our education systems.
The technological world is now divided into two- firstly, those who use computers and internet and then, those who do not. This has created a troubling gap which is known as the ‘digital divide’. The digital divide is usually defined as the global divide in the expansion of technologies in comparison to others. Many researchers, scholars and the policymakers are now studying this division and are trying to analyze how these people could use the internet and other digital technologies to improve their everyday life. But, the problem here is that people from these section do not have adequate access to the internet due to which they are unaware of how internet can become a part of their daily lives and those who have, do not know how it can contribute to a greater wellbeing. They do not know how to use the internet in a right manner that can actually help adding meaning and purpose to their lives.
In today’s world Internet has become one of the most important mediums of communication. It has become the lifeline of our survival. It has removed the entire social, economic and physical barrier and has immense effect on our day to day activity.
The age of technology continues to grow each and every day with new programs and devices that are invented. The sharing of files today is very common for both infringing and non-infringing reasons. Many websites contain files that are illegal to distribute for free, but they easily get away with it. Attempting to catch a specific person who violates the copyright laws is very difficult with the tools available today. The Internet is becoming a gateway to both legal and illegal information, which will continue to grow.