How the Internet Affects Our Lives: An Urban American's Perspective

As someone who spends a significant time of my day on the Internet—at least nine hours, five or six days a week — I often reflect on how this time affects my life in ways not quite obvious. These reflections also lead to more questions about the effects of technology in general on our traditional ways of thinking. While I do not have all the answers, there are certainly a few things I've noticed about these effects. Some are “good” and some are, perhaps, more sinister. Still, I cannot help being a staid proponent of technology in all of its manifestations, especially as an urban American whose life veritably depends on connectivity. Here are a few basic pros, in which the Internet enriches our lives, and, of course, the cons, which hopefully will serve more as warnings than as wholesale criticism.

Pros

Widespread, easy access to information
This is the most obvious advantage of the Internet, but I firmly believe that it cannot be emphasized enough. Access to information has leveled the playing field for so many throughout the world, especially since a solid Internet connection is getting cheaper and cheaper to access. The biggest disease throughout the world is ignorance. The Internet actively combats it.

Efficiency
Another pro of the Internet that has influenced our lives on a global scale is specifically in the running of business, governments, and other organizations. While this effect isn't necessarily manifested on a personal level, we can see very clearly how all businesses and governments are “going mobile.” And this does have an effect on how we operate, since everyone works, or at least aspires to.

Cons

Information overload
One thing I've noticed while surfing the Internet is the mind-boggling speed at which information, from various sources, is delivered and processed through our minds. While quick, easy access is a blessing, the other side of the coin — information overload — is a very serious danger.

Decreased social skills
I've heard from many that people who spend much time on computers (i.e. software developers, computer scientists, etc.) lack social skills. While I don't think this is necessarily true because it's a generalization that seeks to marginalize a specific group of people, the Internet does present the danger of personal isolation. We, of course, already know this, but I don't think most are aware of how grave this danger is. Spending time on the Internet, especially when communicating with strangers, exacerbates loneliness, although it does seem to alleviate it at first. As a wired generation, we cannot forget the importance of in-person human relationships.

Death of the expert
The Internet is a vast compendium of millions of voices, all dying to be heard. While one could argue that the astronomically increased numbers in the blogosphere advocates a democracy, there exists a fine line between a democratic system and mob rule, so to speak. Now, academic credentials are no longer as relevant, since no one has to rest on laurels or other distinctions in order to be granted authority. To me, this is a very negative consequence of the Internet. However, we can avoid this trap by doing thorough research, which takes a lot of time, before believing anything that the online platform presents as fact.

This guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley, who writes on the topics of online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.