Internet: a boon or a bane?

With the advent of the Internet, life has been made easier with quick access to information and the number of tasks that can be performed online. But is it only convenient or are there any negative effects associated with its use?

Undoubtedly, the Internet has many positive effects as Internet search engines have advanced to provide quick information retrieval systems providing access to any kind of information for internet users within a very short time.

In addition it has paved the way for some of the most effective means of communication among people, including email chat and Skype. It has also enabled businessmen to do online transactions with their clients and customers without meeting them.

In addition to these, it has also allowed the exchange of ideas and materials among scientists, university professors, and students. It has also provided servers, resource centers and online tools for their research and scholarly activities. Moreover millions of books, journals and other material have been made available online through the Internet which have enabled people to learn all sorts of new things.

 Along with these positive things, the internet can have negative effects, too. one such negative effect is the misinformation that it may provide. Many people trust the Internet for information. Students use it for research to help them with their homework while adults use it to find information on things, such as medical or financial advice. The Internet, for all its wondrous abilities, is still unreliable due to bogus sites and misinformation. Addiction to the internet is another negative effect.

Many cases have been reported where the addiction to online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and online games have affected the studies and day-to-day work especially of students. Moreover, the convenience of the Internet has allowed people to become less active.

As people are able to shop online, and with the amount of time they spent on checking emails and surfing the World Wide Web, they have become less active causing many health problems. Sociologists have also warned about the gradual decrease of interpersonal relationships among family members due to excessive use of the Internet.

Among the negative effects, cyber bullying is another aspect which cause stress and anxiety to many victims. Sometimes people are robbed of their identities and their possessions through the Internet. Theft is easily committed by experienced computer hackers. Therefore the negative effects of the Internet on privacy have become a major threat to its users. Many users of the social networks such as Facebook expose their privacy not knowing of its adverse effects. Sometimes they are exposed to the entire world without their knowledge or consent which can lead to disaster Many such cases have been reported recently Therefore, the users of the Internet have to be aware of its proper use in order to minimize its negative effects.