The advantage and disadvantages of Internet

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet
According to Radu (116) internet is one of the most commonly used global networks that connects billions of computers. Approximately over one hundred and ninety countries are linked to the internet in their attempt to exchange data, business news, or any other similar opinions towards development. According to the latest Internet Live Statistics of 2015 it gets projected that internet users are around 3, 179,035,200 globally. This estimated number represents almost forty percent of the entire global population. It got indicated according to the statistics that China is the leading country with many internet users. They are followed by the United States and India respectively.
Hunsinger et al., (147) argued that the Internet has become one of the great channels of communication that enrich people with different ideas in various fields. This versatile facility makes it possible to complete numerous tasks within the shortest time possible. One can, therefore, work conveniently on a preferred task by simply having a few clicks on the computer. The internet makes it possible to complete the daily work and services that require a detailed research and formalities that should get accomplished beforehand. The advancement of technology has made everything available on the internet. This facet ensures that an instant solution gets reached when one search on a particular issue online.
As much as there are numerous advantages of the internet, it is also characterized by certain disadvantages.

These defects range from the communication through the web, side effects on family issues, poor conflict resolution, loneliness, and addiction caused by repeated usage. The paper will project some of the outstanding advantages as well as the outrageous disadvantages that get attributed to internet usage.
BENEFITS OF THE INTERNET.
The internet in school: Hunsinger et al., (147) posits that other than just communicating with the fellow students internationally, a student still attains several significances while using the internet. For instance, students gain vast experiences and ideas while chatting with others. Just like any other individual, they become exposed to numerous ideas about other people’s cultural system. The internet has been instrumental in connecting the school and home environment. Radu (116-123) projected that this aspect gets the parents involved in their children educational affairs as they can access the school libraries from home.
This phenomenon creates an interactive learning environment where both parents and teachers communicate freely. Conversely, the internet also makes it possible for teachers to adjust flexibly to various teaching and learning methodologies and strategies to ensure they reach every student’s need in a classroom. It has created an interactive teaching and learning service where individual teaching techniques get applied a factor that always ensure success among the learners. The Internet benefits the facilitators as they can teach simultaneously in more than one geographical area without moving physically to those places.
What should get embraced is the fact that the internet keeps students abreast of the world affairs. In this context, it confines the world in the classroom (Radu 116). Notably, the value that internet holds on students is not only attributed to the vast wealth of knowledge but also how it facilitates the learning process for the students and learning institutions.
Again through the internet both teachers and learners can search the information with ease. They can get lots of facts on every subject on the planet from the web server on the net. This aspect is possible with the help of search engines (Hunsinger et al., 147). Ideally, the internet is one of the technological communication advancements that should get embraced in any liberal learning institution and teachers should integrate technology in the process of teaching and learning.
Online payment: Lee (45) explained that since the advent of the internet, people have been able to pay their bills online on the selected items online. This practice gets done through searching related websites that provide numerous options as per individual expectation. One is free to choose the convenient options that will satisfy their needs. One can buy the merchandised goods and services from a functional business website. This aspect is comparatively cheap as the customers will be required to pay for the services through any convenient payment methods (Lee 46). This system is always quick and easy to use by any individual globally.
Many banks embrace the online banking system that enables their customers to withdraw automatically irrespective of their geographical region. One can transact and transfer the amount to his account without any added fee for the transaction. Additionally, online payment is considered to be safer than depositing the bank check. The Juvenile strategy and research projects explain that this method reduces the identity theft that is nowadays common whenever one sends a bank check through an email.
Hospitality and Tourism industry: The rapid development and advancement in computer and telecommunication networks has made many nations a real world worth residing. This factor gets facilitated by the reliable internet that ensures dissemination of valid information from one place to the other (Lee 46). The internet makes it possible for the network communication satellites to provide accurate and faster information about the trending events in each and every nation globally. The internet provides easy access to the resources as well as the direct linkage from its users. It contributes significantly to tourism and hospitality industries. It promotes the booking system of hotels, airlines, car rental, and companies in the tourism sector hence making the services closer to the users.
With the help of internet and search engines, an industry can promote their tourist sites as well as the trending factors in such sites (Radu 116-119). It acts as the medium for developing the tourism sector by shedding some light on the best places to visit during particular periods. Therefore, it enlightens one with familiar features of the area of interest before the visit (Lee 46). It is fundamental in conducting business in our contemporary tourism and hotel industry since it promotes tourism services, sales and enables the online booking of the prestigious hotels before the traveling date. Ideally, advancement in the internet has helped traveling agencies to create unique identity a factor that enhances efficiency and promotes value-added services.
Employment opportunity: Another outstanding importance of internet since its inception gets attributed to the possible chances it offers for the jobs. Many careers have been opened to the public, to help raise their living. Web designing, programming, network administration, and computer engineering are some of the job opportunities that benefit employers. Interestingly, nearly all the companies would like to have a website that will promote their products, and this requires well-trained web designers. Again it has given rise to the online jobs that help housewives and physically challenged individuals to earn a living. Online jobs are nowadays easy to access with the assistance of the search engines (Radu 117). For instance, the online writing jobs has created employment for almost a third of the entire population in nations that practice it. For this fact, the internet has helped raise the standards of living among many individuals to an extent that it also boosts the country’s economy.
Entertainment: The internet is one of the entertainment sources where many individuals can download movies and watch sports globally. Internet users always view global news through the installed Television channels. It can, therefore, be instrumental during leisure time as one can get engaged in chat rooms with others. In this context, one gets to relieve themselves from the tedious work throughout the day. It also eradicates depression among the teenagers as they get ample time to reduce stress.
Organizational importance: in the political and government organizations, it gets evident that the internet has been instrumental in improving their communication as voters can access online information about the ideologies of a given political party (Hunsinger et al., 147). This scenario gets mostly explored when elections are nearing. Voters can then align themselves with a particular political system that share the same ideologies. Again other organizations such as business firms have also recorded tremendous advancement with the help of the internet. Freire and Manuela (276) highlighted that business firms usually use the internet to learn about the trending and emerging issues in the competitive business environment a factor that always makes them stand a better chance of fair competition with other firms. This phenomenon keeps the organizations abreast of the technological advancement that may hinder effective performance (Freire and Manuela 276). Organizations, therefore, employ the use of the internet to meet their customers’ expectations.
Disadvantages of the Internet: There are also some outrageous disadvantages of the internet in various fields. For instance educational, business, and personal experience. Below are some of the excessive disadvantages of using the internet.
Disruption in the nation’s economy: The frequent usage of the internet can have effects on the economy of the country. For instance, in a case of any undesirable change in the system, the bank can lose billions of dollars within a short span. Investments that one accumulates over a span can be disrupted just within a day in case of any abnormal change in the computer system.
Theft of personal identity: Axelrod (256) stated that those individuals who use the internet for online banking or social networking put themselves at a risk. Details such as names, address or debit card numbers can be used to access one’s particulars in an obscured manner (Axelrod 257). Hackers devise mechanisms to send scam in emails in the form of attachment so that they can use the information for their personal gains. This illegal activity may also land one in serious trouble since hackers may decide to commit a crime with one’s identity.
Viruses and other malware: Axelrod (258) stated that viruses are those malicious programs that attack the computer whenever individual links get clicked. They can eventually cause harm to the computer and hence lead to a total loss of valuable information stored on the computer. This aspect is very costly.
Internet addiction: Internet users get addicted to the internet. This factor sounds bizarre, but the fact is that some users spend more than the recommended time on the internet. This aspect may affect someone’s social interaction. Internet addiction is seen to be one of the causes of obesity which eventually lead to diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome (Axelrod 257). Some people usually have their eyes hurt because of sitting for quite some time in front of a computer while browsing the internet.
Pornography among the teenagers: The internet has all the information one can ever need in life. This has its side effects since the teenagers also get ample time to watch the inappropriate age contents such as pornography. This factor can be detrimental to a child hence lower their efficacy in academic excellence.
Social disconnection: Freire and Manuela (276) propose that the internet does not provide a direct communication between people. In this case, communication is always expressed in a written form. Lacking the personal interaction leads to loss of social skills and hence creates biased in the information given. Other media of communication have therefore proven to be reliable than the internet. The aspect of social disconnection makes it impossible to solve conflict among the individuals. Internet communication has led to the separation of many families a factor that has resulted in depression among the children of the divorced parents.
Conclusion
Despite all these challenges that get attributed to the usage of internet, it is still true to argue that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The internet gets seen as the primary source of detailed information and leisure that is adopted by the entire global population. One should use it as recommended and discreetly as there are various disadvantages as well. The internet should get embraced in every sphere of life as it brings the world’s reality to us with simply having a click on our keyboards. It has become one of the easiest, convenient, and secure ways of communication and in doing a comprehensive research hence it gives us the hope for tomorrow. Some of the advantages of internet one can acknowledge includes, online education, customer services, business promotion, and secure communication, and source of education for both the younger and the older generation.
Works cited
Axelrod, Evan M. Violence Goes to the Internet: Avoiding the Snare of the Net. Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, LTD, 2009. Internet resource.
Freire, Mário M, and Manuela Periera. Encyclopedia of Internet Technologies and Applications. Hershey: Information Science Reference, 2008. Internet resource.
Hunsinger, Jeremy, Lisbeth Klastrup, and Matthew Allen. The International Handbook of Internet Research. Dordrecht: Springer, 2010. Print.
Lee, Ook. Internet Marketing Research: Theory and Practice. Hershey, Pa: Idea Group Pub, 2001. Print.
Pirolli, Peter. Information Foraging Theory: Adaptive Interaction with Information. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Internet resource.
Radu, Roxana C. The Evolution of Global Internet Governance: Principles and Policies in the Making. Zürich: Schultess, 2013. Print.