Week one Task 2 part b) Different views on the internet

The internet has had a large impact on us as a society like many other forms of 'new' media it has its posatives and negatives. It has influenced people in many different ways numerous people rely on it alot whilst others rarely ever use it.

One of the posatives is the fact that its a quick and easy way to communicate with friends and family no matter where they are in the world you can keep in touch with them as often as you like by either email, chatrooms, msn messenger or networking sites like facebook and myspace. It is less costly and you can still have a conversation with them for aslong as you want like you would face to face or over the phone. You can also contact somebody on the other side of the world by sending and email or a message and then they can look at it when ever they want. We don't have to becareful what time we send it like we would if we were ringing somebody up on the other side of the world. I have family and friends in austrailia and a friend who has just gone on her travels and i keep in touch with them a lot my leaving messages on facebook or sending them an emai. Its good for work purposes wether you are at university or college or in a job. I do a lot of my research on the internet into topics i need to learn about and i use emailing for keeping in touch with tutors. Many business people send important information to the employees or colleges by emailing one another.

The internet is usefull for booking events or transport etc in advance you can book holidays, day trips and also search for the best deals by just sitting in at home rather than going to search around.My dad has booked most of our holidays on line rather than going out to a travel agent. People often do there shopping online and then get it delivered to their home this is useful for people who say can't get out the house for certain reasons like older people, or disabled people by shopping on the interenet they can still have the choice to look around and choice which goods they want to consume but do it by the click of a button rather than taking it off the shelves.

However inspite the fact that there are a lot of posatives to having the internet there is the downsides aswell. There is the problem of security and fraud as financial information can be often stolen this has lead to the fact that now we often have to type in many passwords to keep our information more secure. Many people have online banking and give their personal details and credit card details out which peolple can get access to and can start creating things in your name. People often worry about this so would prefer just to go into their local bank or shop.

Viruses can also occur on your computers which can delete a lot of information and files so people get worried that their computers will be ruined if they visit certain websites and click on certain thinks that flash up on your desktop.

Another moral panic is consumerism as there is a decline in shopping on the high street as people arn't browsing around the shops anymore they are just doing their shopping on line and staying in the comfort of their own home especially in winter when the weather is bad they can get everything they need from ording online. Many small shops have closed down as they arnt busy enough. Travel agents don't have very good business as people just book their holidays on the internet. I know many of my friends order their food shopping online from tescos rather than looking round the shops as they find it easier with the busy lifestyles they lead. They can order online at night after work whilst watching the television. Does anybody else shop online or do they prefer going out to the shops?

Childrens safety can be a major issue due to paedophiles as young teenagers are always logging onto these chatrooms and talking to people who are strangers. Often children will be talking to adults for instance who create a fake identity and claim to somebody they say they arnt. They use the internet to get close to children and get to know them then ask to meet up with them face to face this can be dangerous as many children are naive and will go along with it. Parents should be aware of this and stop their children from entering these sites.

As these chatrooms are now available for individuals to meet new peoeple and get to know them they are lacking in real life communication and feel that they dont need to go out and socialise as they can sit at their computer and do so they are dependant on their online friendships. This could be a problem for young people later on in life when they start work and have to communicate with people in person rather than over a computer.

What are other peples thoughts on the internet?