Introduction
The internet is probably one of the most outstanding technological innovations throughout the history of humanity because it affects virtually all aspects of life. The internet has been used to revolutionize how the world operates, especially with the automation of traditional social, political and legal systems. For instance, the processing of tickets, payment transactions, purchases, conferencing, shopping, and similar activities today, are all done online. The evolution of the social networking site is strong evidence of how the internet has taken the world by storm, with major social sites such as Facebook, posting a record of 500 million users across the globe (Facebook, 2011). The numbers rise by the day.
The internet is the tool that has transformed the world into a global village, through numerous information and application systems, ranging from global news, knowledge wealth, communication access, and other platforms. However, with the invention of the internet, many people have come out strongly to detest its use, citing several disadvantages brought about by its applicability. This is the reason why there has been restricted use of the internet in some areas such as the Middle East where the internet has been termed a danger to social cohesion (Ham, 2009, p. 461).
However, in the Western world, the internet has been openly embraced in education, politics, commerce, and other functional areas of life, but they’re still are some critics existing in the Western world who advocate for a ban of internet usage. The internet has therefore come with its fair share of controversies and appraisals and in this light, this research paper seeks to explore its advantages and disadvantages, with a special touch on political, ethical, and legal impacts of the internet on society.
Advantages
On the social front, the internet has been able to improve the quality of entertainment especially because it currently provides users with several multifaceted types of entertainment (Buzzle, 2010, p. 2). For instance, many users can download games, surf the web, and do other activities that were normally not possible with traditional sources of entertainment such as the television and the radio. For adults, the internet, through the chat feature, has enabled users to meet new people and date, for virtually no fee. This feature has especially been commended because it breaks the barrier of meeting new people in the real social setting (Buzzle, 2010, p. 2).
On the political front, the internet has been quite useful for many users because many now have access to information regarding anything under the sun. Such information can be easily sourced from search engines such as Yahoo and Google. Most importantly, users can obtain information regarding existing laws, government activities, government services, political manifestoes, political systems, trade fairs, and virtually any political issue in the globe (Buzzle, 2010, p. 3).
On an ethical front, the internet does not discriminate against people in terms of service delivery and information access because most of its services are free and applicable to all. This is a great advantage, especially when compared to the real-world setting where most services are handled by people who are often prejudiced on racial, religious, class, and gender lines. The internet has therefore provided an opportunity for all types of people to get products and services in a free manner.
Moreover, the fact that most services on the internet are free is a huge plus in its usability because, in the real world, not many services (like communication services) are free. For example, sending an email is free but sending a letter through the post office is not. The internet, therefore, eliminates any possibilities of unscrupulous businessmen financially exploiting people.
Disadvantages
On an ethical front, the internet has increasingly created an unmanned channel through which the theft of personal information thrives (Buzzle, 2010, p. 7). For instance, many users have increasingly experienced instances where their names, addresses, credit card information, and other personal information have been used without their consent. Also, one of the most common challenges attributed to internet use is access to pornographic or other morally inappropriate content. This problem has been cited as most dangerous to children’s wellbeing because it may affect their mental development (Buzzle, 2010, p. 3).
Also, on an ethical front, the internet has increasingly exposed users to viruses, malware, and spyware attacks. These kinds of attacks have often resulted in an attack on users’ computer systems. In severe cases, these attacks have resulted in several financial and emotional implications, in the sense that, computers crash and users increasingly get frustrated by the negative impact of viruses on the operational speed of their computers.
These sorts of attacks have also been used by some people to get information from a user’s computer without their consent. Sometimes, these attacks result in increased instances where information stored is eventually destroyed. Most, unfortunately, virus and malware attacks are not preventable, no matter how much a user tries to avoid them (through antivirus programs and the likes) (Buzzle, 2010, p. 7).
From a legal perspective, the internet has created a lot of legal problems because through its use, there has been an increased need to formulate new policies and laws to govern its use. Such has been the trend noted with cybercrime (Bidgoli, 2004, p. 264). The protection of intellectual property through legal means has also been complicated by increased use of the internet because there have been increased instances of plagiarism and other professional crimes which have been greatly facilitated by internet use (Bidgoli, 2004, p. 264). This sort of problem has created an increased need to formulate laws that protect intellectual property.
Conclusion
Technology has revolutionized the way the world operates today. This study points out that the internet has several positive and negative aspects to its use, but from a personal point of view, the disadvantages of the internet outweigh its advantages. This fact is only true when analyzed from an ethical and moral point of view (Ham, 2009, p. 461). The disadvantages of the internet outweigh its advantages because the internet has practically broken most ethical and social structures that control the functioning of the moral and ethical systems of different communities (Ham, 2009, p. 461). In other words, most of the things that were previously considered discrete are not.
Restrictions that were also applied by parents in the family setting (for example) have been broken down by the internet, and this is why there are increased concerns of children watching inappropriate content on the internet (Ham, 2009, p. 461). This increased sense of freedom and liberty that the internet brings, cannot in any way support an upheaval of moral principles in society. This is true because high moral standards and ethical standards can only be realized through restraint (Ham, 2009, p. 461). The internet does not support this.
References
Bidgoli, H. (2004). The Internet encyclopedia, Volume 1. London: John Wiley and Sons.
Buzzle. (2010). Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet. Web.
Facebook. (2011). Statistics. Web.
Ham, A. (2009). Middle East. New York: Lonely Planet.