Introduction
The internet is arguably the most influential invention made in the last half a century. This creation has had immense impact on the world with person’s personal and professional lives being influenced by this innovation. The internet has invaded most aspects of human life with its use spanning from industries as diverse as health care provision to mining and manufacturing.
This wide application of the internet has made it hard for people to envision a world without the internet. For most people, it would be impossible to operate efficiently if the internet was not there to provide quick and effective communication. However, the internet has contributed to some negative outcomes in society due to its attributes of efficiency and ease of information provision. This paper will argue that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented.
Impact of Internet on Society
The information available on the internet has contributed to the rise in violence in our society. The internet contains a wide array of information on all topics. Some of the information contained pertains to violence and how a person can engage in acts of violence. There are websites that offer in-depth information on how to create a homemade bomb or even how to convert a handgun into a semi-automatic weapon.
This information has been used by various individuals to carry out acts of violence against members of the society (Schmitt 1). In the recent Boston bomb attack, the perpetrators used the internet to gain information on how to turn pressure cookers into deadly bombs that were used to carry out the terror attacks. The Norwegian terrorist, Anders Breivik who killed 77 people and injured at least 110 more is reported to have used the internet in his preparation for the brutal attacks.
Proponents of the internet argue that individuals with violent tendencies will find a way to carry out attacks even without the help of the internet. They argue that a person who wants to commit a crime can get the information they need from books or use traditional weapons such as guns and knives. While this is true, the internet has made it easier for the violent people to access dangerous information with little effort. This has increased the danger that such individuals pose to our society.
The internet has contributed to making the world an unsafe place by making it easy for international terrorists to operate. The prevalence of global acts of terror in the last decade has made international terrorism the greatest danger to world security.
Terror attacks in major cities such as New York, London, and Madrid have caused world leaders to recognize the devastating effect of international terrorism. The internet has assisted in the growth and development of international terrorist organizations. Schmitt reveals that the internet plays a role in the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists in countries all over the world (1).
For example, radical clerics have been known to post radical sermons online and gain many followers all over the world. The radical messages have contributed to the prevalence of “home grown” terrorists who communicate hateful messages through the internet. In the Boston bombing incident, the two brothers are reported to have been influenced and radicalized by the Islamic Cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki whose sermons provided the motivation for their deadly attacks (Schmitt 1).
The al-Qaeda terror network is known to use the internet extensively to spread its hateful messages and inspire acts of terrorism against Western targets. Without the internet, terrorists would not have such an efficient medium through which to spread their messages. It is therefore conceivable that the world would be safer without the internet to facilitate the spread of international terrorism.
The internet has given governments the tools with which to engage in pervasive surveillance of their citizens. While we live in an open community where freedom is guaranteed, the government may want to keep track of its citizens. In the past, attempts by the governments to engage in surveillance have been met with resistance.
However, the internet has provided an efficient and cheap means for the governments to track people and keep records of their communication often without their consent. By gathering information from sources such as Internet Service Providers, search engines, and Social Networking Sites, the government can build profiles of individuals and invade privacy. A report by the CNN ominously warns that thanks to the internet, “our surveillance state is efficient beyond the wildest dreams of George Orwell” (Schneier 1).
The internet has made it possible for a person’s private information to be accessed and stored by third parties. The US government has engaged in spying activities on its own citizens without their consent or knowledge. The internet has therefore contributed to the dramatic infringement of personal privacy by the government and made our society less free.
The internet has played a part in the prevalence of moral decay by providing individuals with decadent material. The internet is the largest repository of information in the world. Among this information is material of a questionable moral caliber such as pornography. A report by the BBC states that four in every ten individuals who use the internet are subjected to pornographic material (1).
This report is corroborated by the fact that the pornography industry has grown into a multi-million dollar industry with many pornography websites appearing online. Pornography is damaging to the society since it leads to a pervasion of sexual acts and promotes acts of violence such as rape.
Reports indicate that many convicted rapists and child molesters cite pornography as a trigger to their damaging actions (BBC 1). Proponents of the internet argue that there was still decadent material in the society before the invention of the internet. They claim that photographic material could be obtained through magazines and even bootleg tapes. These claims are true since offensive material has been in the society since the invention of the printing press.
However, the spread of this material before the internet was restricted and it occurred in a regulated fashion. A report by the BBC reveals that since the arrival of the internet, “pornography is far more readily available and less regulated” (1). Without the internet, it would be harder for people to access pornographic material. The society would therefore be protected from the negative effects of this decadent material.
A case for the Internet
Advocates of the internet assert that is has contributed to the growth and development of society. Industries and Businesses have benefited from improved efficiency and effectiveness due to the internet. Increased productivity in organizations has resulted in economic growth, which is a desirable outcome for the society.
The internet has also enhanced scientific research and innovation by making it easy for various professionals to work collaboratively through the internet. It has increased the research abilities of various professionals therefore contributing to the development of our society. Knut asserts that the internet has served as an enabler for all forms of innovation in the society (1). This positive attributes of the internet are all true and the prevalence of the internet has greatly affected societies and the economy.
However, it should be noted that innovation and research would still have occurred even without the presence of the internet. Economic growth and prosperity was in action for decades before the advent of the internet. What the internet has done is increase the rate at which economic growth and technological advancement has taken place in society. It would therefore be wrong to assume that there would be no development if the internet was not invented.
Conclusion
While the internet has been hailed as the “most important technology” developed, it has led to much harm to society. This paper has argued that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented. To buttress this assertion, the paper has highlighted how the internet has contributed to the rising insecurity and violence in the world. The internet has made it easy for international terrorism organizations to expand their influence.
It has noted that governments can infringe upon the freedom of their citizens more efficiently because of the internet. The paper has also highlighted the contribution that the internet has played to moral decay. However, the paper has also acknowledged the positive contributions that the internet has played in society. Even so, the positive contributions are outweighed by the negative influences that the internet has had. It can therefore be declared that the society would be better off if the internet had never been invented.
Works Cited
BBC. The internet and Pornography. 2011. Web.
Knut, Blind. The Internet as Enabler for New Forms of Innovation: New Challenges for Research. 2011. Web.
Schmitt, Eric. Boston Plotters Said to Initially Target July 4 for Attack. 2013. Web.
Schneier, Bruce. The internet is a surveillance State. 2013. Web.