internet does more harm than good essay

Internet Does More Good Than Harm

Since the invention of computers and the emergence of the internet, society has undergone an inconceivable transformation. The internet possesses two unique properties that no other innovation does: first, it serves as the most comprehensive source of knowledge in the world, and second, it offers individuals an interactive interface through which they can communicate quickly. It is regarded as one of the greatest inventive triumphs, according to the majority of people. Since its birth, its pervasive and life-altering impacts have been observed in a wide variety of areas. While it has facilitated communication, business, and research, it has also enabled the spread of vices such as pornography and hacking. Regardless of the negative implications associated with the internet, the internet has a greater positive impact than negative impact.

The Internet has considerably boosted global communication. People can quickly connect no matter where they live, by reason of messengers and social networks such as Facebook. The days when global communication took a few days or even a few months are long gone. Today, people communicate with each other face-to-face through the internet applications, such as Skype (Guide, 2019). This is a lot cheaper and easier than traditional ways of communicating. Communication between people and businesses is now quick and with a personal touch, although they live in faraway places.

Moreover, the Internet is a significant constituent of global free trade. When multinational firms wish to conduct business in other republics, they have to first contact partners in other nations before agreeing. Additionally, the internet allows businesses to save money by enabling workers to be easily employed from underdeveloped nations and work remotely from their home countries. For instance, many global firms construct call centers in low-cost nations such as India. Besides, the internet has created an unrivalled market in which goods and services are widely available, quickly advertised and dispersed within a short period of time through the corridors of purchasing and selling and trading things and services between customers, third parties, and enterprises. Many people can save a lot of time regardless of where they live because of the widespread availability of internet stores. Furthermore, they have more time for other important duties, for instance, supporting their children with academic matters.

Additionally, the internet has facilitated easy access to knowledge and information, allowing for easy research and distance learning via internet facilities. The internet has developed into a mode of communication. Whatever the question, the internet has made it simple for people to find answers. Lecturers now encourage students to conduct online research. One can complete the research from the comfort of their own homes, by reason of the internet. The virtual space opens up new avenues for research. As a result, it has simplified for people the research process through the use of search engines such as Google.

The internet has provided a platform for not only personal but also business transactions. It has introduced what is called online banking, where one does not need to physically go to the bank. For example, instead of queuing at the bank, one can easily access their bank statements using online banking services from anywhere (Guide, 2019). It enables users to avoid carrying cash and instead pay with their electronic cards, such as bank and credit cards. Shopping online has also simplified people’s life by allowing them to just type in the item they wish to purchase and the price; the transaction will be executed without the need to physically visit the store. Additionally, individuals can purchase bus or movie tickets, as well as make hotel arrangements.

On the contrary, critics believe that the internet spoils the youth by disseminating pornographic content and violence, both of which are considered widespread currently. While there is no uncertainty that pornographic sites and violent videos are rampant online, whether the young are spoiled by them is arguable. Because of the continual warnings about the risks of the Internet on various cyber education campaign programs, children are expected to understand both the advantages and risks of computer browsing. As a result, once individuals have gained more expertise, they are less likely to be targeted by cyber hackers (Guide, 2019). There is also a lot of information available online for their investigation. Instead of spending hours reading over hundreds of books in libraries, anyone can simply click a mouse to access essential papers.

The internet indeed comes with negative consequences; however, it is the most significant invention of the 20th century. It is a useful tool depending on how people use it, and when used appropriately, users can perform numerous tasks via the internet. Just like any other technological innovation, it has its own set of merits and demerits; though, its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. The internet has made the world a global village and given people the chance to do unimaginable things that were considered impossible before. People have a chance to communicate, trade, and research, by reason of the internet invention. With the current upgrades to Internet security software and significant advances in its use, the Internet is a blessing rather than a scourge.

Guide, D. (2019). Internet. Google Developers.[cited 2018]. Web.

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How the internet can harm us, and what can we do about it?

The internet has received much negative news coverage in recent years.

Written by Gianluca Quaglio,

The internet has received much negative news coverage in recent years. Articles focus on major privacy scandals and security breaches, the proliferation of fake news, rampant harmful behaviours like cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, revenge porn, the exchange of child porn and internet predation, internet addiction, and the negative effects of the internet on social relations and social cohesion. Nevertheless, some 87 % of European households have internet access at home, and 65 % use mobile devices to access the internet. Europeans aged 16 to 24 years spend 168 minutes per day on mobile internet, dropping to 30 minutes for 55 to 64-year olds. Around 88 % of 15 to 24-year olds use social media, 80 % on a daily basis.

While the social and economic benefits of the internet cannot be denied, some of these developments can severely affect such European values as equality, respect for human rights and democracy. Technology companies are under increasing pressure to mitigate these harmful effects, and politicians and opinion leaders are advocating drastic measures.

The recently published STOA study on ‘Harmful internet use’ covers the damage associated with internet use on individuals’ health, wellbeing and functioning, and the impact on social structures and institutions. While the study does not attempt to cover all possible societal harm relating to the internet, Part I focuses on one specific cause of harm, internet addiction, and Part II covers a range of harmful effects on individuals and society that are associated with internet use. The report concludes with policy options for their prevention and mitigation.

Other studies have already extensively discussed some harmful effects, and these are already subject to a history of policy actions. These include harm to privacy, harm related to cybersecurity and cybercrime, and damage resulting from digital divides. In contrast, this study covers the less-studied but equally important harmful effects that concern individuals’ health, wellbeing and functioning, the quality of social structures and institutions, and equality and social inclusion.

Internet addiction and problematic internet use                             

Internet addiction and problematic internet use prevalence rates vary across studies and countries. The noteworthy discrepancy in prevalence estimates has a number of causes, including the different populations studied, as well as the various diagnostic tools and assessment criteria utilised. With this in mind, it appears that roughly 4 % of European adolescents demonstrate a pathological use of the internet that affects their life and health, while 13 % of adolescents engage in maladaptive behaviour when using the internet. Similar numbers are reported for adults.

Part I of the study focuses on generalised internet addiction, online gaming addiction, and online gambling addiction. Clinical presentations, patient profiling, comorbidities, instruments, interventions, and prognoses are different across these three potential addiction disorders. The study states that the individual, cultural and media-use context significantly contributes to the experience and severity of internet addiction.

The study proposes a set of preventive actions, and evidence to support future policies . It states that offering information, screening tools and campaigns to students in secondary schools and at universities regarding internet-use-related addiction problems can help, especially regarding gaming addiction in adolescent populations. This will require allocating research and resources for schools and their staff, and for families, as well as the establishment of working relationships with health professionals and services.

Harmful social and cultural effects associated with internet use

Part II of the study identifies a number of different harmful social and cultural effects associated with internet use. The evidence points to the occurrence of significant damage to both individuals and society. Some of these harmful effects are described briefly below:

Information overload: Having too much information to be able to adequately understand an issue or make effective decisions. Information overload is associated with loss of control, feelings of being overwhelmed, reduced intellectual performance, and diminished job satisfaction. Studies show that information overload affects up to 20-30% of people.

Damage to social relationships: Extensive internet use, of social media in particular, is correlated with loneliness and social isolation. Intimate relationships can be degraded by internet use, particularly due to viewing online pornography. Malicious online behaviour, particularly cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking and online predation, affects a significant percentage of internet users.

Impaired public/private boundaries: The way in which the internet and smartphones blur the distinction between private and public, and between different spheres of life, including work, home life and leisure, harms the boundaries between people’s public and private lives. Harmful effects that can result from such permeations include loss of quality of life, lack of privacy, decreased safety and security, and harm to social relations – when friends and family members feel they are left behind by new technology.

Harmful effects on cognitive development: Empirical evidence suggests that internet use can have both positive and negative impacts on cognitive development, depending on the person and the circumstances. There is evidence that children’s cognitive development can be damaged by prolonged internet use, including the development of memory skills, attention span, abilities for critical reasoning, language acquisition, reading, and learning abilities. More research is however needed to draw more reliable conclusions.

Damage to communities: Many off-line communities suffer through the partial migration of human activities – shopping, commerce, socialising, leisure activities, professional interactions – to the internet. Online communities sometimes extend off-line communities and sometimes replace them. They are often inadequate replacements, however, as they do not possess some of the valuable or the strongest qualities of off-line communities, and communities may consequently suffer from impoverished communication, incivility, and a lack of trust and commitment.

The study identifies a number of broad policy options for preventing and mitigating these harmful effects. They include, among other things:

• promoting technology that better protects social institutions, stimulating or requiring tech companies to introduce products and services that better protect social institutions and internet users;
• education about the internet and its consequences;
• stronger social services support for internet users: this policy option involves strengthening social services dedicated to internet users to prevent or mitigate harmful effects such as internet addition, antisocial online behaviour or information overload;
• incentivising or requiring employers to develop policies that protect workers against harmful effects of work-related internet use, such as information overload and the blurring of lines between public and private life;
• establishing governmental units and multi-stakeholder platforms at EU level,to address the problems of the internet’s harmful social and cultural effects.

Problematic use of the internet (PUI) research network

Finally, in relation to internet-caused damage, it is worth mentioning the recent article published by the European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) on the European Problematic Use of Internet (PUI) research network. The project, funded by the European Commission, gathers over 120 psychologists, psychiatrists and neuroscientists, with the objective of reaching a better definition of diagnostic criteria, the role of genetics and personality traits, and the brain-based mechanisms behind internet related disorders.

Scientific Foresight (STOA)

What europe does for filmmakers, apply for a robert schuman traineeship in the eprs, lobbyists and interest representatives: how do the european union institutions engage with lobbyists, european parliament plenary session – april ii 2024, alternative protein sources for food and feed, european parliament plenary session – april i 2024, charting the course: exploring challenges and opportunities in open science, eu political and economic agreements with chile and kenya – answering citizens’ concerns, european parliament plenary session – march 2024, europe’s 2040 climate target – answering citizens’ concerns, women in politics in the 2024 election year, rare disease day 2024.

This is good

I agree with the article, because although the internet helps us to many things such as allowing us to stay connected with family, friends and provides us access to a lot of information, although this may be too much and some of it is not correct. And as the article says it is worrying how this has become an addiction and causes us cognitive problems and problems in our relationships, because we do not know or do not occupy it with a correct use and do not put certain limits, plus we can suffer from cyberbullying, etc., plus then the comments we make some people do it with bad intentions and to hurt others.

All the information seems too precise to me and the truth is I had never thought about all that, the use of the Internet is increasingly sophisticated and many people are not aware of the damage they can cause and generate to themselves, the Internet helps us of course, but we are not prepared because we do not take into account the harm it can do to others if we use it in the wrong way and even worse to ourselves if we do not use it in a good way.

The Internet is a tool that can help or affect society just as all tools currently in society do. The issue that really worries me is the addition to the Internet since everything in excess is harmful to health and integrity as a person, the technology helps electronic commerce as we are experiencing it today, a benefit to society is the medical advances with which I agree, previously I only did my homework in libraries but now I do my homework from my phone. Yes. The internet is addictive.

I agree that the Internet is a great tool, but misuse can have immense consequences, especially for current and future generations. Although it offers immense benefits in terms of global communication, transportation, information gathering, education, e-commerce, etc., its prolonged use can have a negative impact on cognitive development, attention span and critical thinking, since on the net we can find a lot of people who incite bad practices such as cyber-bullying, cyber-harassment, pornography, etc. So it is a great tool and it is necessary to be at the forefront, but being aware of how far it is OK to go and without forgetting the wonders that the world can offer us.

It is true that the Internet has been the subject of much negative coverage in recent years. However, it is important to remember that it has also brought many benefits to society, such as facilitating communication, access to information and connection between people around the world. As with any tool, it is important to use the Internet responsibly and consciously to make the most of its advantages. In the same way it can also have negative effects on society and culture and we should put more importance on misinformation, cyber bullying, social media addiction and loss of privacy which are just some of the problems associated with excessive and irresponsible use of the Internet. It is important to be aware of these risks and take steps to protect our safety and well-being while enjoying the advantages that technology offers us.

I agree with the article.

The Internet has been one of the most important discoveries in history, as it allows us to have at our disposal a large amount of information and tools that help us remember things or do them for us, distract ourselves, learn a topic or language, etc.

However, there must be a limit on the time we spend online because if we are exposed to the internet for a long time, we can suffer serious consequences. Also from time to time ask ourselves: what are we seeing on the internet? and check that we are actually doing something productive with that time spent.

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The Impact of the Internet on Society: A Global Perspective

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The Internet is the decisive technology of the Information Age, and with the explosion of wireless communication in the early twenty-first century, we can say that humankind is now almost entirely connected, albeit with great levels of inequality in bandwidth, efficiency, and price.

People, companies, and institutions feel the depth of this technological change, but the speed and scope of the transformation has triggered all manner of utopian and dystopian perceptions that, when examined closely through methodologically rigorous empirical research, turn out not to be accurate. For instance, media often report that intense use of the Internet increases the risk of isolation, alienation, and withdrawal from society, but available evidence shows that the Internet neither isolates people nor reduces their sociability; it actually increases sociability, civic engagement, and the intensity of family and friendship relationships, in all cultures.

Our current “network society” is a product of the digital revolution and some major sociocultural changes. One of these is the rise of the “Me-centered society,” marked by an increased focus on individual growth and a decline in community understood in terms of space, work, family, and ascription in general. But individuation does not mean isolation, or the end of community. Instead, social relationships are being reconstructed on the basis of individual interests, values, and projects. Community is formed through individuals’ quests for like-minded people in a process that combines online interaction with offline interaction, cyberspace, and the local space.

View other articles provided by BBVA OpenMind:

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• A Revolution in Business • Banking, Information, and Technology: Toward Knowledge Banking • Cyber Attacks

Globally, time spent on social networking sites surpassed time spent on e-mail in November 2007, and the number of social networking users surpassed the number of e-mail users in July 2009. Today, social networking sites are the preferred platforms for all kinds of activities, both business and personal, and sociability has dramatically increased — but it is a different kind of sociability. Most Facebook users visit the site daily, and they connect on multiple dimensions, but only on the dimensions they choose. The virtual life is becoming more social than the physical life, but it is less a virtual reality than a real virtuality, facilitating real-life work and urban living.

Because people are increasingly at ease in the Web’s multidimensionality, marketers, government, and civil society are migrating massively to the networks people construct by themselves and for themselves. At root, social-networking entrepreneurs are really selling spaces in which people can freely and autonomously construct their lives. Sites that attempt to impede free communication are soon abandoned by many users in favor of friendlier and less restricted spaces.

Perhaps the most telling expression of this new freedom is the Internet’s transformation of sociopolitical practices. Messages no longer flow solely from the few to the many, with little interactivity. Now, messages also flow from the many to the many, multimodally and interactively. By disintermediating government and corporate control of communication, horizontal communication networks have created a new landscape of social and political change.

Networked social movements have been particularly active since 2010, notably in the Arab revolutions against dictatorships and the protests against the management of the financial crisis. Online and particularly wireless communication has helped social movements pose more of a challenge to state power.

The Internet and the Web constitute the technological infrastructure of the global network society, and the understanding of their logic is a key field of research. It is only scholarly research that will enable us to cut through the myths surrounding this digital communication technology that is already a second skin for young people, yet continues to feed the fears and the fantasies of those who are still in charge of a society that they barely understand.

Read the full article here.

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The internet may be doing more harm than good

Connectivity comes with the risk of viruses and a hacker could take out an entire city’s electricity supply.

If everything is connected, from baby monitors to power grids, then there are more avenues for mass disruption. Allison Joyce / AFP

Was the world better off before the internet?

It’s a valid question at a time when the internet’s negative effects are becoming more obvious than its positives. With security threats and divisiveness exploding, it’s increasingly looking like we may not be getting such a good deal from being online, after all.

To drive the first point home, the American security luminary Bruce Schneier last week told the US House of Representatives’ energy and commerce committee that the “era of fun and games is over, because the internet is now dangerous.”

He was referring to the October 21 cyber-attack on Dyn, a US-based internet infrastructure management provider. In October, hackers used Internet of Things gadgets – connected light bulbs, printers and baby monitors – to mount a large-scale denial-of-service attack on the company. They successfully took down the likes of Amazon, Netflix and other web services.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid such hacks, Mr Schneier said. Individual gadgets can be made secure, but connecting them creates additional vulnerabilities, which inevitably gives hackers an ever-multiplying advantage. Defence is harder than attack, which is why the Internet of Things has become the “world of dangerous things”, he said.

A group of security researchers compounded the point shortly after the Dyn attack by hacking into smart light bulbs using a flying drone. Messing with light bulbs sounds innocuous, but the researchers found it easy to spread their hack to other devices, virus-like.

Now, imagine millions of bulbs turning on simultaneously. The resultant power surge could easily knock out a city’s power grid, inviting catastrophe. As Mr Scheier said, this is the emergent dark side of putting computing and connectivity into everything.

Cybercrime costs the global economy around half a trillion US dollars a year, according to a 2014 study sponsored by the software security company Mc­Afee.

Then there are the losses to ­social capital.

Chances are good Mr Schneier wasn’t referring to the recent US election when he said the internet is dangerous, but he may as well have.

After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s election victory, hate crimes have risen measurably in several countries. Fake news and ideological echo chambers, spread and reinforced by the likes of Facebook and Twitter, are taking much of the blame.

Social media companies are now scrambling to stem this overflow of fake news – known as “propaganda” in pre-internet times – on their platforms. While giving everyone in the world the ability to be their own publisher may have sounded very democratic a few years ago, it doesn’t appear to be turning out that well in practice.

Social media is also taking the blame for rising levels of mental anxieties around the world. In the United States, for one, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that antidepressant use rose by 400 per cent between 1988 and 2008. In Japan, depression diagnoses more than doubled between 1999 and 2008.

Many factors play into those numbers, but researchers at the University of Michigan believe social comparisons and the pressure of performance are key among them. In other words, it’s easy to get down about your own life when you constantly see photos and updates from friends and colleagues about how supposedly great theirs are.

The internet has provided much obvious upside to the world, from enabling farmers to better ascertain market prices for their crops to allowing Starbucks customers to order their coffees in advance. According to a recent study by the McKinsey Institute, it has propelled more than a fifth of gross domestic product growth across developed countries and created more than double the jobs lost to technological efficiency.

The internet’s benefits are well understood. But its downsides – its costs – are now becoming clearer.

The potential for mass catas­trophe, instigated by something as innocuous as internet-connected printers and light bulbs, as well as fraying social connections and rising anxieties, is the apparent trade-off.

It’s harder to quantify these costs since they may or may not happen or they’re not clearly caused by one factor. But there is definitely a growing need to try and assess just how much damage the internet is doing, and could do.

When the equation is better understood, we may find that tuning out or turning it off entirely is a better idea.

Peter Nowak is a veteran technology writer and the author of Humans 3.0: The Upgrading of the Species

[email protected]

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• Internet Seen as Positive Influence on Education but Negative on Morality in Emerging and Developing Nations

Internet Usage More Common Among the Young, Well-Educated and English Speakers

Table of contents.

• 1. Communications Technology in Emerging and Developing Nations
• 2. Online Activities in Emerging and Developing Nations
• 3. Influence of Internet in Emerging and Developing Nations
• Methods in Detail

As more people around the world gain access to all the tools of the digital age, the internet will play a greater role in everyday life. And so far, people in emerging and developing nations say that the increasing use of the internet has been a good influence in the realms of education, personal relationships and the economy. But despite all the benefits of these new technologies, on balance people are more likely to say that the internet is a negative rather than a positive influence on morality, and they are divided about its effect on politics.

Publics in emerging and developing nations are more convinced that the internet is having a negative effect on morality. A median of 42% say it is a bad influence on morality, while only 29% see the internet as a good influence. And in no country surveyed does a majority say that the internet’s influence on morality is a positive.

However, many in these emerging and developing nations are left out of the internet revolution entirely. A median of less than half across the 32 countries surveyed use the internet at least occasionally, through either smartphones or other devices, though usage rates vary considerably. Computer ownership also varies, from as little as 3% in Uganda to 78% in Russia.

But accessing the internet no longer requires a fixed line to a computer, and in many nations cell phones are nearly universal, while landlines are almost unheard of. In some countries, such as Chile and China, smartphone usage rates are comparable to that of the United States.

Internet access and smartphone ownership rates in these emerging and developing nations are greatest among the well-educated and the young, i.e. those 18- to 34-year-olds who came of age in an era of massive technological advancement. People who read or speak English are also more likely to access the internet, even when holding constant other key factors, such as age and education. 1 Overall, across the countries surveyed, internet access rates are higher in richer, more developed economies.

Once online, internet users in emerging and developing nations have embraced socializing as their most preferred type of digital activity. Majorities of internet users in all countries surveyed with large enough sample sizes to analyze say they stay in touch with friends and family online. Many also use cyberspace for getting information about politics, health care and government services. Less common are commercial and career activities, such as searching or applying for a job, making or receiving payments, buying products and taking online classes.

Social networkers in these countries share information on popular culture, such as music, movies and sports. To a lesser extent, they share views about commercial products, politics and religion. Regardless of what internet users choose to do online, most in these emerging and developing countries are doing it daily.

These are among the main findings of a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 36,619 people in 32 emerging and developing countries from March 17 to June 5, 2014. All interviews were conducted face-to-face. Comparison figures from the U.S. are from a Pew Research telephone survey conducted April 22 to May 11, 2014, among 1,002 people, unless otherwise noted.

Internet Influence Seen as Positive on Education, Negative on Morality

A clear majority of people in these emerging and developing countries see the internet as a positive influence on education. A median of 64% among the general population (including non-internet users) in the 32 emerging and developing nations surveyed say the internet is a good influence on education. People are also keen on the internet and its influence on personal relationships (53% good influence) and the economy (52%). Few people say that the internet has no influence on these aspects of life.

Publics are less enthused about the internet’s effect on politics. A median of just 36% say it is a positive for their country’s political system, while three-in-ten say it is a bad influence.

Generally, people who have access to the internet are more positive about its societal influence. For example, 65% of internet users in these emerging and developing nations say the increasing use of the internet is a positive for personal relationships, while only 44% of non-internet users agree. Similar gaps appear on the positive influence of the internet on education, the economy and politics.

Highly educated respondents are also more likely to say the internet is a positive influence. Six-in-ten of those with a secondary education or more say the increasing use of the internet is a good influence on personal relationships, compared with 44% among people with less education.

Internet Access Lacking in Many Countries, but More Common in Wealthier Nations

Even as general publics see the influence of the internet increase in their everyday lives, there are still many people without access to the internet in these emerging and developing countries. Across the 32 nations surveyed, a median of 44% use the internet at least occasionally, either through smartphones or other devices. Comparatively, as of early 2014, 87% of adults in the U.S. use the internet, according to Pew Research Center studies .

Access rates vary considerably across the emerging and developing nations surveyed. Two-thirds or more in Chile (76%), Russia (73%) and Venezuela (67%) have access to the internet, as do six-in-ten or more in Poland, China, Lebanon and Argentina. Yet less than half in Vietnam (43%) and the Philippines (42%) have internet access. And in nations that are less economically developed, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, internet access rates lag even further.

Toward the bottom in terms of access rates are some of the world’s most heavily populated nations in South and Southeast Asia. These include Indonesia, where only 24% of the population has access to the internet, India (20%), Bangladesh (11%) and Pakistan (8%). Combined, these countries account for approximately a quarter of the world’s population.

[ps_interactive id=”32288″ showtitle=”h3″]

For example, 70% of young Vietnamese (18-34 years old) use the internet, while only 21% of those age 35 and older do. And three-quarters of Vietnamese with a secondary education or higher have access to the net, while only two-in-ten with less than a secondary education do. A similar gap appears for Vietnamese who can speak or read at least some English (83%) versus those who cannot (20%).

In addition to these factors, having a higher income, being male and being employed have a significant, positive impact on internet use, though to a lesser degree.

Socializing Most Popular Form of Internet Activity

Along with social networking, an equally popular use of the internet is staying in touch with friends and family. A median of 86% of internet users across the emerging and developing nations surveyed say they have used the internet this way in the past year.

While not as popular as socializing, many internet users also like to access digital information, whether it is political (a median of 54% among internet users), medical (46%) or governmental (42%). Getting online political news is particularly prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, like Tunisia (72%), Lebanon (70%) and Egypt (68%).

Utilizing the internet for career and commerce is a less popular activity. Among internet users, medians of less than four-in-ten say they look and apply for jobs (35%), make or receive payments (22%), buy products (16%) or take online classes (13%).

In certain countries, these professional and commercial online activities are more common. For example, 62% of internet users in Bangladesh and 55% in India say they have used the internet to look for or apply for a job. In China, home to internet commerce giants such as Baidu and Alibaba, 52% of internet users say they have purchased a product online in the last year.

Sharing information about personal views regarding religion and politics and purchases is less common. Less than four-in-ten social networkers in emerging and developing nations say they share views about products (37%), politics (34%) and religion (30%). But there is a range of interest in debating these topics online, from the 8% among social networkers in Russia and Ukraine who discuss religion to the 64% in Jordan who say the same. Similar ranges can be found for sharing views about politics and products on social networks.

Smartphones Have Not Yet Replaced Regular Mobile Phones

In several of the countries surveyed, sizeable percentages access the internet from devices other than a computer in their home. Across the 32 emerging and developing nations, a median of 38% have a working computer in their household. In 10 countries, computer ownership is roughly two-in-ten or less. By contrast, 80% in the U.S. and 78% in Russia have a computer in working order in their house.

But smartphones – and the mobile access to the internet that they make possible in some locations – are not nearly as common as conventional cell phones. A median of only 24% say they own a cell phone that can access the internet and applications (See Appendix B for a full list of devices in each country). In the U.S., 58% owned a smartphone as of early 2014.

These cell phones and smartphones are critical as communication tools in most of the emerging and developing nations, mainly because the infrastructure for landline communications is sparse, and in many instances almost nonexistent. In these emerging and developing nations, only a median of 19% have a working landline telephone in their home. In fact, in many African and Asian countries, landline penetration is in the low single digits. This compares with 60% landline ownership in the U.S.

Cell phones also have the added benefit of being capable of more than just vocal communication. Among cell phone owners across the 32 countries, 76% use text messaging via their phones. This is similar to the 83% of cell owners in the U.S. who text. And an additional 55% of mobile owners in these emerging and developing nations use their phones for taking pictures or video.

• For more on how these demographics influence internet use, see Appendix A. For a list of countries surveyed, including the smartphone devices and social networks specified in our questions in each country, see Appendix B. ↩

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Is the internet good or bad for society? Americans are having a tough time deciding.

More and more people are mixed on the internet’s impact.

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Share All sharing options for: Is the internet good or bad for society? Americans are having a tough time deciding.

More people are giving the internet mixed reviews, according to data from Pew Research , which found an increase in the percentage of people who think the internet has had both positive and negative impacts on society.

The percentage of people who think the internet is good for society is shrinking. Roughly 70 percent of American adults who use the internet believe it’s mostly good for society, down from 76 percent in 2014, Pew found.

That doesn’t mean those people now believe the internet is necessarily bad — it’s just more complex. The portion of people who believe the internet is a “mix of good and bad” for society nearly doubled in that same time, from 8 percent to 14 percent of those interviewed. But the percentage of people who think the internet is bad for society remained virtually unchanged.

Pew found that the change was most prevalent among older Americans. About 64 percent of online adults over 65 say the internet has been “a mostly good thing for society,” Pew wrote. In 2014, that number was 78 percent.

The fact that more people can’t figure out if the internet is good or bad isn’t really a shock. The internet is great for many things, like helping people stay in touch, spreading vital information and easing the burden of everyday tasks, like shopping or paying the bills.

It’s also terrible for a lot of reasons, many of which we’ve seen play out in the past couple of years thanks to the proliferation of fake news on Facebook and YouTube and the influence of filter bubbles on public discourse. That’s probably why a former Facebook pollster recently found that 32 percent of Americans believe that Facebook has a “negative impact on society.” (Pew says its research was conducted in January, so before Facebook’s recent data privacy scandal.)

Many people, including those of us at Recode , have been trying to figure out how these tech behemoths are viewed by the general public. In a recent survey we conducted along with SurveyMonkey , just 10 percent of respondents said that Facebook has had the “most positive impact on society” of all the tech companies.

The winner: Amazon, with 20 percent of respondents saying it has had the “most positive impact on society.”

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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Ultimate Resource For Cambridge Assessment International Education

Argumentative essays.

Argumentative Essays – Tips & Tricks

• Read the topic carefully. Underline the main point of the topic (such as Politics).
• Decide ‘for’ or ‘against’ (i.e. are you in favour or against?).
• Jot down all the RELEVANT & LOGICAL points related to your opinion. Spend 5-10 minutes doing this in the form of notes. No emotional reasons should be included. As we say in Urdu, don’t be “ jazbaati “.
• Starting – No quotes are needed; some books/resources will tell you to state your opinion at the start or by the end. In the paper, state it at the BEGINNING of your essay, most preferably in the opening paragraph.
• Ease into the topic then generally give your opinion. For example: “The trend of social media has greatly increased over the last four years. Nowadays, it has become a necessity for teenagers. I personally believe ……..”
• Start directly by exclaiming a valid point and giving your opinion. “Social Media, recently, has had a great negative/positive impact on teenagers. My personal opinion is that ……..”
• General “For” Argument – Include all valid points that are logical and EMPHASIZE on them – All points must be in favour of your opinion and they should be your STRONGEST points.
• Counter Argument – Pick out you’re strongest counter arguments and state them. Be completely logical and honest when pointing the counter arguments. The reason for this is that if you’re writing in favour, someone else will write against. You have to give both sides of the argument and prove yourself right.
• Disputing Counter Arguments – After writing the counter arguments, you must dispute them and prove them to be either wrong or not STRONG enough to win the argument. Here’s an example:

A counter argument could be “ Social media is required for teenagers, it forms a platform for conversations, discussions and sharing valued information “.

Disputing this counter argument “ Although it does provide a medium for communication, teenagers waste most of their precious time in procrastinating since they needlessly read comics/have useless discussions. Social media is one of main reasons why teenagers procrastinate. “

You can also add the fact that other mediums of communication such as e-mail, messaging are also available.

• Conclude your essay by restating your opinion in a different perspective, i.e. you could say, “Other resources of communication should be adopted such as messaging and teenagers should be encouraged to have outdoor activities rather than sit home and stick their heads to the computers.”
• After disputing you’re counter arguments – finish on a high by adding a strong ending sentence to conclude your essay. For example “Hence all these points show that Social media is indeed an unnecessary part of life which has been forcibly indulged into the life of teenagers.”
• You’re not listing points or stating your opinion. You’re trying to CONVINCE the examiner that you’re opinion is correct using LOGICAL points.
• Don’t get emotional and carried away over the course of your writing. Don’t be prejudiced.
• DO NOT EMPHASIZE TOO MUCH ON VOCABULARY. Sentence structures, punctuation, tenses are all equally as important as vocabulary. Don’t forcibly use strong words if you don’t know their correct usage.
• You’re not making a list of your points. Don’t use “firstly, secondly, thirdly and finally”. Remember, you’re language is being tested. Use good expressions and connectives such as “Furthermore, In addition to this”.

http://www.slideshare.net/englishbites/useful-argumentative-essay-words-and-phrases

Here is a great website concerning words and expressions. Do read it.

Difference b/w Discursive and Argumentative Essays:

In Discursive essays, you present a balanced argument that contains ‘for’ and ‘against’ points. You do not state your opinion.

In Argumentative, you give your opinion and convince the reader on your point of view.

Example Argumentative Essay:

Some people say that the Internet does more harm than good. What is your view? To majority of teenagers and working adults, the Internet has been regarded as one the most innovative achievements of humankind. Since the invention of the internet, its pervasive and life-altering influences can be felt in many aspects of people’s daily lives. While mostly beneficial in areas such as communication, trade and research, the internet has also caused a proliferation of vices such as pornography and hacking. Despite the negativity associated with the internet, I strongly believe that Internet does more good than harm.

Communication all over the world has been considerably improved thanks to the Internet. With the widespread availability of messengers and social networks like Yahoo and Facebook, people can easily communicate irrespective of their geographic locations. Gone are the days when international communication meant a delay of several days to months. Today, interaction through the Internet is not only much cheaper and more convenient than traditional modes of communication, it also has options to allow face to face interaction such as through the use of Skype. Now, family members and businesses can not only have instantaneous communication, they can also have the added personal touch even if they are in different continents or in any remote part of the world.

The Internet is one of the key contributors to the global free trade. When the transnational corporations want to open business in the other countries, they first have to contact partners in those countries before officially making a deal. In such case, the Internet certainly does a great job. Furthermore, the internet is instrumental in reducing operation costs for businesses where employees can be easily hired from developing countries and work remotely from their native land. For example, many transnational companies set up call centres in countries like Philippines or India where workers are cheaper to employ. The same benefits are applied to people’s daily lives. With the omnipresence of online shops, many people are able to save their precious time shopping. Instead, they have more time to do other important things such as helping their children do homework or having a short visit to their parents’ house.

On the other hand, objectors of the Internet argue that it spoils the young generation by spreading pornography and violence, which is considered rampant nowadays. There is no doubt that pornographic websites and violence videos are ubiquitous online, but whether the young is spoilt by it depends on the young themselves. Owing to the continual warning of using the Internet on many cyber education programs, the youths are supposed to know about all the boon and bane effect of surfing webs. Thus, once they have heightened awareness, there is likelihood that they will not be attacked by cyber hackers. Moreover there is a variety of information for their researches on line. Instead of spending hours of flipping over hundreds of books in the libraries, one may easily obtain necessary documentation within a second of mouse click.

Similar to any other technological inventions, the Internet has both pros and cons; nonetheless, its benefits far outweigh its harms. With recent upgrading Internet security software and substantial improvements on its use, I am firmly convinced the Internet is more a blessing than a curse.

Here are some pointers from the IGCSE Examiner Tips:

• Be clear about the difference between an argumentative and a discursive essay. When asked directly to give your own opinion you should commit yourself to a line of argument. When asked to give a range of possible views then you are being discursive and may or may not choose to say what you personally believe.
• Mention counter arguments – and dispute them. A strong argument includes refutation of the other point of view. This way you can show that you are not being purely ignorant or prejudiced in your response. It is important to show balance in presenting the argument.
•  If you are having difficulty finding enough points to support your stance you should consider arguing the opposite view – it might be easier!
• Aim for an effective introduction which captures attention and makes the topic and context clear
•  You should end on the side you are arguing for structure your essay so that you deal with the other side first and end strongly to clinch your argument with a final convincing point . Do not repeat yourself – ‘To sum up’ and ‘In conclusion’ are not strong endings as you won’t be saying anything new to convince your reader.
• It is generally advisable to argue your own personal viewpoint as it is likely to sound more convincing. It is however, possible, to argue effectively for or against an argument which you have never considered before, provided that you can marshal some evidence from the media, facts, statistics and experience. These are the areas from which you draw your supporting detail and illustration.
• Do not get too passionate about the topic as this will make your essay sound too emotional and subjective, and therefore less persuasive.
• Sometimes there is a single word in the question which alters the emphasis of the argument, for instance the word ‘compulsory’. Make sure you pay attention to the key words in questions when you are planning and answering – it is worth underlining key words to remind you.
• Try using personal pronouns – ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’ can make your argument seem more authentic and inclusive.
• Do not start each paragraph with a numbered point- firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on- as this can get tedious for the reader and sound quite artificial if the ideas are not in fact sequential. Use other paragraph linking words, the ones which show whether your argument is continuing in the same direction (e.g. ‘furthermore’, ‘in addition’) or changing direction (e.g. ‘nevertheless’, ‘on the other hand’). The key is to make sure that your argument is “building” as you go. Use your connectives to help you take your reader with you so that they can follow your train of thought all the way through.
• Three-point structures (sometimes called tricolons) can sound authoritative, e.g. ‘involving the learners, the teachers and the parent’. More than three of anything becomes a list; fewer lacks persuasive impact and overuse of tricolons is rarely effective.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

where your rebuild Naaya

I have a confusion in writing an effective thesis statement.

how do you differentiate between the two topics?

I have only one confusion that at the end of all 3 body paragraphs we are supposed to write a counterargument or only in the last body paragraph?

It is often looked upon, that “reflective writing” contains, opinions, on a specific topic, while argumentative contains “real solid ‘arguments’ “, that is you argue on a specific idea, generally a stereotype. That being said, the sample provided, concludes, upon argumentative, and reflective, if the two aren’t to be referred to as one “body”, while referring to the sample. Accordingly, should it be then taken up from this, that argumentative can allow, opinions, perhaps that reflective sums up to the creative writing, partially?

It is just awesome Sir/Ma’am. It is really helpful. Even though it is good but I have a confusion, I have researched from different websites but no one has talked about the word limit and that how much words should be in one paragraph. It would be so nice of you if you can answer this question. Looking forward for your reply. Again it is a superb work piece. Thank you !

There is no set limit for the number of words in a particular paragraph. The word limit for the entire essay is mentioned in the question prompt — try to adhere to that given word limit and make sure that paragraphs are of almost uniform length.

I hope this answers your question.

Respected Sir/Maam I have a question that do the word limit matters?? like if it is 300 to 450 than is it compulsory to write in between them and also what if we cross the words limit..?? will our marks be deducted?? or does it matters to take care of this?? I shall be very thankful to you ….. Thanks for the entire essay writing tips…

1. Intro 2. For 3. For 4 .against and refute. 5. Conclusion Why is there two “for” para. ? This is the only doubt i have.

Hi! I am definitely not that good or capable to reply you’er question but in my point of view I think we write 5 paragraphs from which,

1.Intro 2.Now it depends that are you going for the topic or against it. For example if you want to go against the topic so you will write 2nd and 3rd para for against points and vice versa. 3.Again if you go with against so you will write this para accordingly. 4.According to the example I have given we will write “f or ” the topic whatever it is. 5.Conclusion. I hope this was helpful. I explained it in the simplest words I could.

u will be given a choice of 3 which r argumentative, narative or, descriptive

If I would write this in my exams…I will get at least 19/20 by the ICSE Examiner…Lol

dear your sentence structure is not correct.

Exquisitely explained!

Commendable effort👍

This is really helpful..

how do I know from the question if I should write openion or argumentative essay

Good question, Answer: it will ask to state your opinion and there must be two sides, this would give you the judgement to chosse argumentative essay or writing atleast what im aware of doing 511 english as second lang. IGCSE CAIE, to test this view cheack the past papers of your subject code whether 500 first lang. Or whatever cheack the past papers avalable to test this view, normally multiple past papers

but can you tell me that what is the correct way of writing an Argumentative essay that what should be the best way to give a better starting and ending??

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• Essay Database >
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• Essay on Sociology

Internet More Harm Than Good Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Sociology , Crime , Society , Computers , Children , Cinema , Viruses , Internet

Words: 1700

Published: 11/15/2019

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1.0 Introduction

Since the invention of computers and development of internet, there has been an unimaginable transformation in our society. The internet has two characteristics that no other invention has; first it provides the most extensive source resource of information in the entire world and second it provides people with an interactive interface to instantly communicate with each other. In this new world of internet connectivity geographical separation is no longer a barrier, people can share information, their experiences, ideas, suggestions, and problems, try to exert influence and get fast responses and reactions from friends and strangers as well and feedback that is in many cases adventurous to the parties involved.

The internet serves as a tool of communication making it easy for individuals to communicate with each other in spite of the distance between them. It is also important as it give businesses a platform for business transactions hence boosting the world’s economy. A number of services are offered though internet for example buying movie tickets, hotel reservations, online banking and much more making life easier. It also contains a vast resource of entertainment materials varying from movies, video games, music and so much more. However, the internet has done more harm than good to the society.

2.0 Internet threats and crimes

One of the major internet threats is computer viruses; these are programs that infect a computer making it run against the users wishes and eventually damage other important computer programs. In addition computer viruses easily replicate themselves making it easy for them to occupy a large memory space on a computer which affects its performance and can damage important data and soft wares leading to a system failure. Though viruses can be transmitted through removable memories such as flash disks, the internet is the most common source of spreading viruses. The structure of the internet allows viruses to be transferred faster and more effectively. Most viruses are transferred from one computer to another through e-mails web links or when information is downloaded from the internet.

The internet posses a major security threat to its users as there are no limits as to who may access it, hackers and other unauthorized persons may find ways of accessing personal information of the internet users and are able to use the information for illegal purposes. If a hacker is able to obtain the personal information of a user he is able to use it to make online transactions, divert paychecks, and create false documents with the user’s information. Hackers may sometimes be able to access the data bases of major organizations and use them for their benefits; this poses major financial threats to the attacked companies. Internet users also tend to trust people they meet online which is not advisable, this is because some of the people using the internet do not have good intentions and a user can easily be tracked down from the information given to strangers which posses great danger to internet users.

Criminals use internet services to defraud their victims because it’s not easy for them to be tracked, internet frauds mostly occur though e-mail, chat rooms and websites. The most common frauds are purchase frauds where a criminal approaches a merchant and arranges a business transaction and then uses fraudulent means to pay for it such as fake or stolen credit cards. A criminal can also pose as trader who sells fictitious products that are never delivered to the buyers. Cyber stalking or bulling is also another form of cyber crime which mainly involves traumatizing of the victim. It can be characterized by false accusations, unwanted contacts, ordering embarrassing goods and having them sent to the victim’s place of work, this can cause serious psychological problems to the victim. Drug trafficking is also a cyber crime on the rise, this is because traffickers have realized that online communications are more safer for them than phone communications hence they have taken advantage of this loop hole. The internet has led to the development and rapid growth of cyber crime and it cannot be considered totally safe to its users.

3.0 Immorality and Cultural invasion

The internet has played a major contribution to the moral decadence of the society; this is because of the easy availability and access of pornographic material on the internet. There is unlimited resource of immoral material on the internet that is available to anyone who wants to access it including children who don’t even understand what sex is all about. Research shows that most of the sex crimes like raping, sexual harassments are committed by individuals who are highly exposed to pornographic materials. The availability of pornographic content to children has made them more curious and they end up experimenting what they see, this has so many consequences including: psychological problems and addiction to pornography which leads to withdrawal from people around them. Not only is pornography bad to the children but to grownups as well: it is one of the major causes of marital problems as partners who are involved in pornography viewing tend to lose interest in the real act and concentrate more on watching and this has contributed greatly to the high rate of divorce worldwide. Teenage boys exposed to pornography tend to be sexually aggressive and do not have respect for women in general. Pornographic sites have contributed to the development and spread of abnormal sexual tendencies and preferences like incest, pedophilic tendencies and prostitution. Pornography has a physiological implication on its viewers and it is addictive, it is cruel, degrading and humiliating but it is freely available and accessible on the internet.

The internet tends to portray the western culture as more superior and these in turn leads to the lack of appreciation for cultural diversity. The internet makes people to believe that true freedom is found in the west and many young people grow up with a negative view of their culture and aspire to migrate to the west in search of freedom. As the western cultures are strengthened by the internet others, particularly those from developing countries, are weakened by the internet.

4.0 Time wastage

5.0 Education and Health

Though the internet has been a major contributor to the growth and development of all disciplines of education, it has also had negative impacts on education as a whole. Students have developed spelling skills that are more dependent on abbreviating words and phrases, communicating through text based symbols and intentionally misspelling words. Students who are more accustomed to chatting on social networks find it hard to adapt to the traditional ways of communicating necessary to passing grades. Students also end up being lazy when it comes to doing research and term papers as most tend to look for easy ways out when doing their research papers and they end up not learning what they were supposed to learn by doing proper research. Most students submit plagiarized research papers from the internet hence lowering the quality of education and producing less competent graduates from universities which in turn affect the quality of human resource in the professional arena.

According to research the music and movie industries loose over five billion US dollars every year to piracy, this is because music and movies are easily uploaded and downloaded from the net and shared between countless people within a very short period of time after they have been made public. There are countless websites that are involved in pirating and sharing music and movies. The original owners loose out on these profits as pirates copy and resell their products. It is very hard to end piracy as it is carried out by thousands of internet users from all over the world. Pirated content is cheaper than the original thus making it more affordable and easy to sell since most people don’t want to spend much. The ability to listen to music and watch movie online for free is quickly substituting buying of the same.

7.0 Conclusion

Although the internet has made life easier for people in many ways it has many problems associated with it, this is due to the availability of a vast resource of information and ability to communicate without any barriers or limits. It can be accessed by all type of people including perverts, thieves, conmen, emotionally disturbed individuals and many more which leaves the internet users vulnerable to all this kind of people. The fact that there are different laws in different countries and the in availability of any internet governing body makes it hard to control individuals with such bad intentions. There is no specific body to control the way information is transferred from one individual to another over the internet or to limit what different age groups are able to access as there are different age groups in the society and some need to have regulations on the information they can access. The internet also does not have a mechanism to limit the amount of time an individual spends online, this make it hard for individuals to limit the time they spend online. In conclusion then internet totally changed the life styles of many people and though there are many advantages of the internet, it has done more harm than good to the society.

Works cited

Barak, Azy. Psychological aspects of cyberspace: theory, research, applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Bruhn, John G. The sociology of community connections. Switzerland: Birkhäuser, 2005. Diamond, Milton. Pacific centre for sex and society. 4 October 2009 . 18 June 2011 <http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/1961to1999/1999-effects-of-pornography.html>. Guangrong, Ru. "The Negative Impact of the Internet and Its Solutions." The Chinese Defense Science and Technology Information Monthly 5 May 1998: 10-17. Jeremy Hunsinger, Lisbeth Klastrup, Matthew Allen. International Handbook of Internet Research. USA: Springer, 2010. Khalid, Ruhi. "The Negative Impact of Using the Internet." Nd. crulp.org. 18 June 2011 <http://www.crulp.org/ITLPS/download/TheNegativeImpactOfUsingTheInternet.pdf>. Stamatoudi. Copyright Enforcement and the Internet. Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 2010.

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Internet Brings More Harm Than Good

Has the arrival of the internet done more harm than good?

All the Yes points:

The internet has become a major source of information for many people. however, online information …, everyone’s privacy is greatly harmed by the internet. we can quickly see what politicians and celeb…, you can choose any identity you want when you are online. many people hide behind profiles they hav…, many people are just addicted to the internet. they can’t stop browsing, they are hooked on gaming …, since the nineties, instant messaging and emailing has been used to extract passwords, bank account …, the internet has allowed big companies to capture a lot of business online while smaller, local comp…, all the no points:, yes because….

The internet has become a major source of information for many people. However, online information has usually not gone through the same checks as newspaper articles or books. There is a higher risk that some of the facts or quotations from a particular source in an article are false. Whereas newspapers might lose customers if people find out they gave been ‘selling lies’, a blog can be easily deleted. If people base their opinions on information they find online, they could well be basing their opinion on false facts. Since the internet gives equal space to material of greatly varying quality, this is a serious risk.

No because…

The internet gives millions of people access to information they would not otherwise have had, which is a huge benefit. And people who read the news online are not that easy to fool. Especially when you spend a lot of time online, you can tell bloggers who just want to shout from bloggers who carefully refer to their sources. The type of people this argument worries about are not the type of people that read high quality newspapers in the first place, they would read the trashy ones. The problem of bad information and news making is not unique to the internet; there are lots of trashy magazines as well. We learn in schools to double-check our sources and not believe everything we read, and we can apply that skill whilst surfing the internet.

Everyone’s privacy is greatly harmed by the internet. We can quickly see what politicians and celebrities are doing when the paparazzi posts news pictures online, but people can also see what we’ve been doing. Some sites store information. Some ask us to fill in information which can be sold to other sites for commercial purposes. Once we post something online, it is almost impossible to erase it from the net. For example, if I break up with a person, they can take revenge and post embarrassing photos of me online. There have been numerous court cases where a woman demanded that her ex remove some privately taken photos from a dating site, so that she would be left alone. Unfortunately, the law cannot protect your right to privacy in this area.

You are the first and most important person to protect your own privacy. Don’t fill in private information, if you don’t want people to know about it. There are laws protecting you from websites that just sell on your information, but if you give personal information out without being sure that it will be properly used you only have yourself to blame.

You can choose any identity you want when you are online. Many people hide behind profiles they have made up. They start making nasty remarks on public forums or chat rooms. They would never have normally said these things, but because they can hide behind an identity they start upsetting and hurting others. Even though other people can try to stop them from this behaviour, their warnings are not as effective as a warning from someone you know very well, like a friend, a parent or a teacher. The internet’s anonymity allows them to show sides of themselves that, for good reasons, they normally wouldn’t have shown. This increases the risk that, because they get away with it online, they show similar behaviour in their real life. This harms everyone.

Against this group of people who misbehave online is a group of people who have finally found individuals with similar mindsets. Not everyone likes the same things and the more unusual your preferences, the harder it will be to find friends. The internet has finally given many people a place where they can be themselves, and where they can meet likeminded people. It is a great relief for them that they do not have to fear being discovered by people they know. You cannot let a small group of badly behaved people ruin the freedom of many others. We should work on creating better policies to deal with rude people, but we should not go back to the old situation where people who are different in some way end up feeling isolated and lonely.

Many people are just addicted to the internet. They can’t stop browsing, they are hooked on gaming and they spend too much time indoors. Instead of going out for a walk or play outside, they sit behind their computers for hours. A sad consequence of the addiction is that they are so used to high speed information by just clicking on the next link that they can no longer appreciate a good book, or a nice conversation with a friend. By failing to take exercise they grow fat and unhealthy. Their family life suffers and their only relationships are online – they can’t cope in the real world.

There is nothing wrong with sitting indoors. It’s better to sit indoors and actively research and surf online than to sit in front of a television and passively take in what the TV company decided you should watch. 20 years ago people used to worry kids spent too much time inside watching TV, but viewing hours have dropped as people choose to use the internet instead. There are lots of educational games and news sites we can browse around and learn from in much more effective way than television could ever provide. Furthermore, many people keep up their social contacts online. Saying they cannot appreciate a nice conversation, or a good book is just a wild claim.

Since the nineties, instant messaging and emailing has been used to extract passwords, bank account details or credit card numbers. This phenomenon is called phishing. A phisher uses professional-looking websites and profiles, and tens of thousands of people have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to phishers. If we could better control who contacts us, this would not have happened on such a large scale.

It is unfortunate that people who are willing to help have been abused by others. However, there have been many campaigns that raise awareness about phishing. Governments and banks have provided guidelines about how to recognize phishers. We should firmly deal with the crime of phishing, but not forget how much easier our life has become now that we can do our financial business online and via bank cards.

The internet has allowed big companies to capture a lot of business online while smaller, local companies have lost out. And because the internet makes it easier to get work done abroad, jobs have left many western countries for low-wage countries abroad.

The internet has brought greater prosperity, allowing lots of different businesses to set up online. This has brought a lot more choice to ordinary people, and also driven down prices as people find it easier to compare different companies products. Small businesses can cheaply set up online and find a market for their goods and services. And by making it easier to work anywhere with an internet connection, it has allowed many more people to work from home and to share out projects with co-workers over the whole world.

Hey without the internet you wouldn’t even have this post plus without the internet everyone wouldn’t even know what is going on in the world and the information thingy everyone knows and should have been taught that you do not give random sources your personal information.

Far more harm than the good it provides. Agree with all the comments about how disruptive it is, but I also look at it from an analytical “insider” view. I have been in the tech business for 24 years. The first 10 to 12 were fun and exciting trying to discover new and better ways. However, I and many in the industry began to notice a shift. It grew and continues to grow too fast. Breakthroughs became hypertensous expectations, 8 hour work days became 24 hour workdays, recreation and family time disappeared, automation and access has made us gluttonous, text vs. talk has made us misunderstood and misrepresented, false or malleable information made us blindly biased, etc. etc.

It’s extremely dangerous! Someday soon, our reliance on it will come back to bite us. As we grow more dependent on it and integrate it into our daily lives, it’s vulnerability grows 10 fold. Used as a weapon of influence is scary enough, but I fear someday it will be radically taken over and we’ll all be held hostage or it will be shutdown with no recovery. When it does a global virus pandemic will be the least of our worries although is providing a mild glimpse into what it will be like. No medical or bank info, hospitals and power plants will be immobilized, shortages of everything, the list goes on and on. There’s no realistic expectation of how far we’ll be pushed back as civilized people. There are far more of us than ever before, with fewer skills than ever before to survive it.

But, maybe that’s what is required to rebuild and use it properly by future generations. More importantly to reunite us as family, friend and community and realize it’s value. Failure is the best teacher. This one will be monumental.

As someone who’s been around since before the internet, I can say that it’s brought more harm than good. Human social interactions have worsened in general: anxiety/depression is epidemic, social supports have broken down and stressful isolation has increased, courteousness has almost disappeared, people are too wired up to pay attention to each other and their environment, tech addiction is real and debilitating, people have lost useful skills and resilience, online discussions are predominantly toxic, a great many are falling for nonsense and conspiracy theories, youth are too easily and quickly radicalized (hate crimes, mass shootings, and terrorism are epidemic and normalized), fascism has spread worldwide, its helped elect many more dangerous populists like Trump/Bolsonaro/Duterte, its increased global energy use / resource extraction / species extinctions and worsened the likelihood of civilization surviving manmade climate change, etc.

Like any new technology, the internet has brought its own series of disasters; and like all technologies, it must be much more regulated to minimize its harmful impacts and potential to wipe us all out.

Hey, I do think that the internet is like a zebra. Some parts are a danger zone, and some are quite good! I’m doing a debate and I’m affermative for the internet causes more harm then good. Can I have a few pointers. Or rebuts???

Internet compresses time and space. It is widely known that internet has been perhaps the most technologic innovation in the field of communication. As everbody knows we should critically use internet to find information. Despite the general known benefits I find internet as the most dangerous thing. Moreover, we may as well list pages of drawbacks but I list only few of them.Reaching harmful information, cyber bullying, identify theft, armour and heroin using,hacking accounts…These can happen 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.Childeren are being cyberbullied too, their pictures are being used for it.This cruelty is absolutely wrong. In addition more identfy theft also steal key pieces of personally identiable informations. The information can be used to obtain credit, services in the name of victim,or provide the thief with false credentials. In addition to running up debt, in rare cases, an imposter would provide wrong identification to police, creating a criminal record or leaving outstanding arrest warrants for the person whose identy has been stolen.

What does being social actually mean? Well, according to the Macmillan Dictionary, being social is being in in situations and activities that involve being with other people, especially for enjoyment. Social networking sites do more harm than good. The negative effects social networking sites can have on individuals effects them emotionally, physically and mentally. This encompasses cyber bullying, the dangers of paedophilia, illegal activities which children can get involved with and the mental illness issues as a result of social networking sites. Social networking sites are harming society as a whole. I will explain how our ideals of “Social” have changed and how that changing, is harming our society.

Social used to be saying, “Hi, I’m Melanie, Nice to meet you. Want to go out for a cuppa coffee?” Now, our ideals have changed. Now being social is, “Oh look! Some random stranger friended me! I have such a social life.” But do you actually? See according to the definition I said at the beginning, being social is being in situations that involve being with other people. Sure, you can be in a very interesting conversation or situation on social media with other people, but when you’re in that interesting conversation, where are you actually? Are you at home, alone? Are you on the bus? Are you sitting at a restaurant, alone, waiting for your boss, or with your date? How about your friends, where are they? What are they doing? Let’s say you’re on a date. You and your date are sitting, side by side, texting. Maybe you’re texting each other, maybe you’re not. Either way, you’re doing what we nowadays see as social, but in reality, you’re doing the opposite. You’re being unsocial. But because we have changed the ideology around social, we don’t always see it for what it is. So here’s the hard facts, by being “social” to a bunch of random strangers on Instagram or snapchat, you’re ultimately being “unsocial” in the real world. And the real world is where it matters. Digital worlds don’t last, but the choices you make out here, in the real world do. Yes, there is a life outside your cyber walls.

Well said Melanie.

You have to be nieve not to see how different people are now.

Any reasonable person can see this…

Many are now sacrificing values…. sincere, meaningful and (memorable) engagement with family, friends, spouses and children, for distraction. It’s a massive hinderance and problematic to the relationships we have now.

I understand the positives and Im sympathetic for some people who can’t access information easily or meet others in extremely small towns.

Where to find the “middle ground” … I don’t know”

The main issue I have is the “dependency” on the internet and social media.

The Internet bring more good than harm for ordinary citizen, because it allow real speech freedom and knowledge sharing.

The Internet bring more harm than good for government and media authorities, because they are no longer monopolise knowledge and citizen’s voice.

Loss of privacy is big issue for Internet, but for ordinary people, it doesn’t really matter. Privacy is only a big issue for celebrities.

Its obvious that things are not always designed for a wrong purpose …….it depends how u use it .And when it comes to internet , it would be so ungreatful go say that it does more harm (for instance , people who are taking part in this debate are even able to do this via using internet). Its of great use until and unless u add a proverb ‘mis’ to it ( by yourself).

We would love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

The Internet has never bring more harm than good. If I may say, the Internet has achieve more then what it was created to for. Now when you count the number of continent we have in the world and you omit the Internet, then content is not complete. Now one can be in his or her apartment and travel through the world with seconds. We can say the Internet is 100% safe or good but due to ignorance, certain group of people have try to paint the internet black. The internet is my second love and it is totally cool. You hook up with persons you will not meet in real life and lot more.

Internet is doing more harm than good, do you agree or disagree?

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To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

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Does The Internet Do More Harm Than Good (Essay/Paper Sample)

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Does the internet do more harm than good

The internet is one of the most popular technological inventions of the 21st century, internet features facilitate several aspects of our daily activities. The arrival of the internet  has opened several opportunities causing significant impact among people. This essay disproves the fact that the internet brings more harm than good. Even though new inventions have both positive and negative impacts, the positive impact of the internet surpasses its negative impact because people can perform their daily duties with ease, therefore internet has done much more good than harm.

The advent of the internet has significantly changed the way people access, receive, retrieve and search for information. Through the internet, news travels faster than any other mode of communication. Current affairs can be viewed and discussed instantly using online platforms and actions generated immediately through blogs and many social networks. The internet is an ideal platform that distributes information to reach a wider audience, this means that information can easily reach more people within a short span of time.

People are updated and well informed about what is happening around the globe without having to wait to read newspapers. Millions of websites are available, giving people the chance to perform most the activities online without moving. People have the chance to shop,  transact business, learn, play and communicate online. In addition, the internet is much cheaper and faster compared to other modes of communication.

The internet has brought more benefits and greater prosperity by allowing businesses to be set up online. The online business provides choices to consumers and has driven down prices.   People can easily compare prices on different products in one platform. Small businesses have made their mark by easily penetrating the market through the internet. It’s easier to work anywhere at any time with a simple internet connection. Many parents prefer working from home that has been made possible by the advent of the internet.

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The internet provides people with unique shopping experiences whereby one can purchase things with ease. The internet also provides easy access to knowledge, whereby one can conduct an online research or engage in distance learning using internet facilities. The Internet has provided jobs opportunities many people who  with limited movement, especially those with physical disabilities.

Through the internet, life has been made easy, people can perform many tasks within the shortest time possible. For example, instead of queuing at the bank, one can easily access his bank statement using online banking services from anywhere. The Internet is a time saver. The internet comes with numerous benefits  because people can connect in a way they could not have imagined.  People can easily stay in touch with friends and reunite with lost friends and relatives.

It is true that the internet comes with negative consequences, however the internet is the most important gain in the 21-st century.  Because of the above reasons, I do agree that the internet has numerous benefits than harm as it makes life easier. The internet is a useful tool depending on how we use it, when used appropriately, users can perform numerous task via internet. The Internet has given many people the chance to do unimaginable things that were considered impossible before its inventions. People have the chance to shop, transact business, learn, play and communicate online thanks to the invention of the internet.

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• 12 May 2024

Is the Internet bad for you? Huge study reveals surprise effect on well-being

• Carissa Wong

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

People who had access to the Internet scored higher on measures of life satisfaction in a global survey. Credit: Ute Grabowsky/Photothek via Getty

A global, 16-year study 1 of 2.4 million people has found that Internet use might boost measures of well-being, such as life satisfaction and sense of purpose — challenging the commonly held idea that Internet use has negative effects on people’s welfare.

US TikTok ban: how the looming restriction is affecting scientists on the app

“It’s an important piece of the puzzle on digital-media use and mental health,” says psychologist Markus Appel at the University of Würzburg in Germany. “If social media and Internet and mobile-phone use is really such a devastating force in our society, we should see it on this bird’s-eye view [study] — but we don’t.” Such concerns are typically related to behaviours linked to social-media use, such as cyberbullying, social-media addiction and body-image issues. But the best studies have so far shown small negative effects, if any 2 , 3 , of Internet use on well-being, says Appel.

The authors of the latest study, published on 13 May in Technology, Mind and Behaviour , sought to capture a more global picture of the Internet’s effects than did previous research. “While the Internet is global, the study of it is not,” said Andrew Przybylski, a researcher at the University of Oxford, UK, who studies how technology affects well-being, in a press briefing on 9 May. “More than 90% of data sets come from a handful of English-speaking countries” that are mostly in the global north, he said. Previous studies have also focused on young people, he added.

To address this research gap, Pryzbylski and his colleagues analysed data on how Internet access was related to eight measures of well-being from the Gallup World Poll , conducted by analytics company Gallup, based in Washington DC. The data were collected annually from 2006 to 2021 from 1,000 people, aged 15 and above, in 168 countries, through phone or in-person interviews. The researchers controlled for factors that might affect Internet use and welfare, including income level, employment status, education level and health problems.

Like a walk in nature

The team found that, on average, people who had access to the Internet scored 8% higher on measures of life satisfaction, positive experiences and contentment with their social life, compared with people who lacked web access. Online activities can help people to learn new things and make friends, and this could contribute to the beneficial effects, suggests Appel.

The positive effect is similar to the well-being benefit associated with taking a walk in nature, says Przybylski.

However, women aged 15–24 who reported having used the Internet in the past week were, on average, less happy with the place they live, compared with people who didn’t use the web. This could be because people who do not feel welcome in their community spend more time online, said Przybylski. Further studies are needed to determine whether links between Internet use and well-being are causal or merely associations, he added.

The study comes at a time of discussion around the regulation of Internet and social-media use , especially among young people. “The study cannot contribute to the recent debate on whether or not social-media use is harmful, or whether or not smartphones should be banned at schools,” because the study was not designed to answer these questions, says Tobias Dienlin, who studies how social media affects well-being at the University of Vienna. “Different channels and uses of the Internet have vastly different effects on well-being outcomes,” he says.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01410-z

Vuorre, M. & Przybylski, A. K. Technol. Mind Behav . https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000127 (2024).

Article   Google Scholar  

Heffer, T. et al. Clin. Psychol. Sci. 7 , 462–470 (2018).

Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L. & Booth, M. Comput. Hum. Behav . 104 , 106160 (2020).

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Enda's English Notes

Junior and Leaving Cert English Notes

Debate: The internet has done more harm than good

Good afternoon, my name is Bill Myers and I am here to argue for the motion, “the internet has done more harm than good.”

As I stand here before you, I notice that there are a lot of students in the room who are twitching nervously as they try to deal with the fact that they haven’t sent a snap or checked their Facebook in at least three minutes.

And that’s my first point today. As a generation the internet is to blame for our addiction to electronic devices and social media. How often have you looked at a group of young people standing together and noticed that they are staring at their phones?

Previous stereotypes of teenagers painted a picture of dangerous groups lurking on street corners in a menacing fashion. The only danger the present today is to themselves, as they walk in front of cars and into poles, oblivious to the outside world, enthralled by what their friends have just eaten for breakfast.

However, if that was the only danger that the internet presented my argument would be pretty weak. Unfortunately this is not the case. The internet is as dangerous as the war torn streets of Syria. That may sound like hyperbole but both places put lives in danger and all of you sitting in front of me know the danger I speak of.

Cyber-bullying is one of the most dangerous aspects of the internet and there is not a county in Ireland or a country in the developed world that has not been touched suicide, suicide caused by the internet.

Our own county has had its fair share of tragedies as a result of cyber-bullying and that people will still argue that the internet is the greatest invention of the modern era. How would you feel if it was your brother, sister, cousin or friend? Would you still think that the internet is great?

IN 1991, the Berlin wall fell to the ground signalling an end to tyranny and injustice, marking a significant step for equality and banishing prejudice, racism and xenophobia. Many thought that the world was advancing that we were becoming more tolerant, able to live side by side with those of different colour, creed, sexuality and nationality. Then along came the internet.

The internet has become a breeding ground for racists, xenophobes and homophobes. And like vermin that infest buildings, these people are infesting our society with hate and the internet gives them a platform to air their despicable views.

The KKK disappeared in America as it wasn’t socially acceptable to air their views in public but now the internet has allowed them back out of the closet and their views are infiltrating the minds of the general public. Just look at the issues that dominated the last American presidential election, hell, just look at who they elected. If the Berlin wall signalled a new era of equality, what does Trump’s proposed wall stand for? I think you know the answer and I think you also know Trump would never have been elected without the internet. If that’s not an argument to banish internet, I don’t know what is.

But look at the advantages in education I hear you cry. Well if the internet was actually used for educational purposes I would concede this point. The technology we have on our phones is similar to the technology that send Neil Armstrong to the moon, yet we use it to look at videos of cats and send pictures of our latest hairstyles. So the question is, is the internet educational or does it stop us learning? How often have you went to your room to study and ended up spending hours online doing nothing? Yeah me too.

Another negative aspect of the internet is that today’s children are paying the price for our fascination with technology. Kids can’t hold pens as they are too used to swiping tablets, kids are becoming more and more obese due to the fact that instead of playing with their friends outside, they’re inside glued to a screen.

This also leads to social exclusion. The paradox of the internet is that it gives us more and more ways of communicating, yet we talk less and have one of the highest rates of depression in the developed world. And this leads me to my next point; depression.

Who doesn’t feel bad when they check their Instagram and Facebook accounts and see ‘perfect’ people staring back at them? Those mature enough to know that these pictures have been photo shopped are fine, but spare a thought for the kid who looks at these and says to themselves, “why can’t I be like that?” And that’s what’s happening across the world. It’s no coincidence that these same people are being targeted by advertisers offering diet pills, miracle creams and all sorts of ‘health’ products which will help them achieve the ‘perfect’ look.

People have died because of this. Yeah the internet is great.

To conclude, I want all of you to think about what the internet has done for you. I’m sure there are positives in your life brought about by the internet but are they worth the negatives?

The internet has given oxygen to racism, xenophobia, homophobia and made the world a more narcissistic place. Do you really think that the internet is great? I think it has done more harm than good and if you look deep down, you know that too.

• How does the writer employ the elements of speech writing in his speech? Explain your answer with detailed reference to the speech.

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