The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the Internet as an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organisational computer facilities around the world. I, on the other hand, would define it as a necessary evil.
Yes, it is undeniably one of the greatest technological advances of all time, and has enhanced communication, commerce, and entertainment. But it is also a double-edged sword.
One of the most misleading arguments in favour of the Internet is that it offers information for free. This communication tool is provided by service companies that charge users for the time they spend working on it. First you pay a bomb to buy a PC, and then shell out another fortune for the Internet connection and modem, not to forget huge telephone bills. So, will someone please explain to me how the information comes free?
The idea of online schooling annoys me too. The one thing that keeps most children in school is the daily social interaction they enjoy with peers. Ask them what it is they like about school and they will list friends, sports, clubs and other aspects that the Internet can never be a substitute for.
The other day I read an article on a couple that met at a chat room and decided to marry. However, easy accessibility makes the Internet a great hub for criminals and psychos who can disguise their identity, sex, age, etc. Things like love and marriage have more relevance when they happen in real life. The feeling of taking a walk hand-in-hand with your beloved on the beach can never be replicated via email.
Take shopping, too. As a girl, I know what it means to me. Visiting several shops, trying on stuff, irritating salespersons, grabbing a bite while you're at it, looking at yourself in the mirror -- some of the things one can never experience online. What you may experience is Net fraud though. Zillions of sites advertise merchandise, but most of them aren't reliable sources.
What is most popular subject surfed for? Sex. Even before the Internet revolution came about VCRs were used to watch pornography. But the sheer variety and easy access to adult material is of grave concern, especially when children are involved. Even game sites meant for children are way too violent.
After land, sea and air, mankind has now made the Internet a battlefield. This is in reference to recent cyber war between China and US of A. Apart from being a combat zone it is also a virtual supermarket of hate sites, based on race, sex, sexuality and religion.
How long has it been since you've actually written or received a letter? Email has overtaken snail mail. Yes, it helps you stay connected with people across the seven seas (perhaps the only convincing argument in favour of the Internet). However, call me a sentimental fool if you must, but the joy I experience when I receive a hand-written letter is tremendous.
Okay, it's a storehouse of information (right from the population of ants in Timbuktu to current affairs, gambling, illegal mp3 and quack sites) and saves me innumerable trips to the library. But even this viewpoint can easily be easily run down, as information posted online is often not reliable. Any person with a computer and half a brain can post anything he or she wants.
Enough of this tirade. Those who agree with me can log on to I Hate the Internet, which features interesting insights on why it is more of a bane than a boon. Billions agree already. Read this for proof.
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