5 replies to this topic

[Darkademic]

Now the Internet is widespread and has become part of our every-day lives, but it's easy to forget that it is stll relatively new, yet the effects have been pretty dramatic. Do you think the effects the Internet has had on society at large are beneficial or harmful?

I think the Internet on the whole is a very good thing. It allows so many new things we couldn't do beforehand, and is a brilliant source of information and knowledge. It's also a great social tool, allowing people to communicate with each other in new ways - such as instant messaging, forums, communities like (MySpace and Facebook), blogs, e-mail and online games. You hear people criticizing the Internet (or computers in general) for eroding social interaction, however I think it does just the opposite - it is perhaps eroding only specific types particular types of social interaction. I can't really see any serious negative impact of this type though.

[Arbiter]

I think it's only a matter of time before the government shuts the Internet down. It allows the almost unfettered spread of pirate software and media, it gives dangerous organizations a global platform, and it allows the completely unrestricted spread of information, both right and wrong. The Internet is a good thing for everyone except the government and certain industries such as music.

[Twilight]

I think it's only a matter of time before the government shuts the Internet down.

Maybe if it falls into the hands of the UN. While it's controlled by the United States it won't happen.

Well, the Internet is especially used to maintain ties with friends. Studies suggest that the Internet is particularly useful for keeping contact among friends who are socially and geographically dispersed. Yet distance still matters: Communication is lower with distant than nearby friends. Those who argue a dystopic view often suggest that more time on the Internet means less "real interaction" with society. I reject that there is a necessary qualitative difference between social interaction face-to-face and social interaction via the Internet. They are different of course, but there is no reason to suggest one is better than the other.

[Darkademic]

Well, the Internet is especially used to maintain ties with friends. Studies suggest that the Internet is particularly useful for keeping contact among friends who are socially and geographically dispersed.

I agree. I am not isolated when using the Internet as there are so many ways to use it as a gateway to "the outside world", at least in terms of connecting to and communicating with other people, most notably close friends. It is also great for meeting new people, my gaming clan being the first example that comes to mind, but also lots of people met through various forums that I post on, including yourself.

[Insathius]

Could the government shut the internet down? I would have thought something this worldwide would be impossible to shut down. It would have to have all the governments in the world co-operate; something which from what memory serves hasn't ever happend, apart from in films.

[Insathius]

I know nobody has replied or looked at this in a while but I had a discussion about this with my dad.

Whilst the biggest change in the last century has to be the internet in the way of our society, I belive that it doesn't come without a cost. The internet has become the only form of broadcasting unedited views and opinions about world topics, whereas you can sit down and watch tv where you listen to some state funded plastic view on an election you could instead go on youtube and listen to real people's views, on anything. Information is now free, a concept which is very staggering. No more can anyone use the excuse of 'bad schooling' or 'I can't afford to learn about that' or anything like that, you can literally google anything, you can find out information about medication yourself, political viewpoints from people half way around the world and ideas from people you will never see however, with this there comes great cost. If you give people their voices, abuse will and does occeur for example child abuse. If you way up the cost of human lives to what we have paid to live under this coersive state the cost is very minimal.

My hope for the future, I belive with the freedom of information people will start to wake up to the immorality of the day to day lives and eventually start to do something about it so keep googling those topics, discussing things on forums and open peoples eyes! we will be free one day.