The Internet is a global communication network that allows the interconnection between computers for the exchange of information.
The ease of access to information, to content on different topics and in various formats, seems to be a great opportunity, but it can be counterproductive in some cases.
Therefore, it is important to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the internet to understand how we can take better advantage of it.
Internet Definition Global network for the exchange of communications and data. Advantages Speed in communication. Access to multiple contents. Dissemination of own content. Process simplification. Massification of knowledge. Collaborative spirit. Interaction with interest groups. Generation of new jobs. Access to new entertainment formats. New social dynamics. Disadvantages Use of personal data for unknown purposes. Stimulates sedentary lifestyle. Digital crime. Online bullying. Invasive advertising.
Spam.
Fake news. Exposure to inappropriate content. It can generate addiction. Limit face-to-face communication.
internet advantages
Thanks to the internet, it is possible to take advantage of and enjoy content on the web. These are some other advantages of its use:
1. Speed in communication
The speed with which we can access information has progressively increased over time thanks to the internet.
Communication possibilities are increasing, having gone from traditional mail to email, or from telegrams to video calls.
This new way of interacting has had a profound impact on daily and organizational dynamics, which are now influenced by immediacy.
See also Difference between internet and web.
2. Access to multiple contents
The Internet allows access to content on a variety of topics through the web. From news information to very specialized topics, scientific, humorous, cultural, entertainment, educational, recreational content, etc.
This expands the options available and gives users much more freedom to choose what interests them. In the past, on the other hand, traditional media set the tone with respect to the content that could be received.
3. Dissemination of own content
Another advantage of the Internet is the possibility of sharing your own content.
With the invention of the web in the nineties, the possibility of generating and transmitting hypertexts was born, giving users the opportunity to create and disseminate their content. From blogging platforms such as Blogger, through Instagram stories or YouTube channels.
The Internet helped users abandon the role of passive receivers to become senders and receivers of messages simultaneously.
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4. Simplification of processes
The Internet has contributed to substantially improve daily and organizational processes that have an impact on the quality of life and social evolution.
For example, the possibility of buying online, managing businesses, hiring staff remotely, having management systems that allow updated company data, etc.
5. Massification of knowledge
One of the most significant advantages of the Internet has to do with the fact that it allows access to knowledge without geographical limits.
A person with a computer or mobile device with an internet connection can learn about multiple topics, generate new skills or improve existing ones no matter where they are.
With the Internet it is possible to receive or teach distance classes, access remote libraries, tutorials, manuals, technical or scientific reports, etc.
This advantage has been used as a tool that is now essential in educational processes, especially in places with difficult geographical access.
6. Collaborative spirit
The Internet has prompted the creation of projects that require the work of groups of people around the world, who are motivated by a common goal.
One of the most significant examples of this type of initiative is Wikipedia, which brings together the work of thousands of people who create and edit the content that is housed in this emblematic encyclopledia. on-line and free.
7. Interaction with interest groups
The possibility of interacting in real time with people from anywhere in the world has generated thousands of groups with multiple interests.
From animal aid organizations to technical discussion groups, through clubs of different kinds (anime, videogames, etc.).
8. Generation of new jobs
Advances in technology driven by the creation and evolution of the Internet have driven the creation of new jobs.
This expands the possibilities of training and specialization, as well as making the job market grow in general terms.
The profiles linked to programming, analysis of big datauser experience design, SEO and marketing digital are highly valued nowadays. They have become new academic alternatives to traditional professions.
9. Access to new entertainment formats
From television, radio and the written press, we have moved on to content in streamingthe podcast and online news, whose transmission is possible thanks to the evolution of the internet.
Although these formats are created on the web, they depend on the internet to be shared.
10. New social dynamics
The possibility of holding a work meeting by video call and remote work (home office) are two of the most relevant possibilities that the Internet has generated.
These changes have an impact both on the organizational environment and on people’s quality of life, generating new social and labor dynamics influenced by the use of the Internet.
Disadvantages of the internet
The violation of privacy and digital insecurity are two new problems generated by the use of the Internet and new technologies, as detailed below:
1. Use of personal data for unknown purposes
Most of the applications that we use on a daily basis request a large amount of data in exchange for optimal performance (access to the microphone, location, photo gallery, phone data, messages, etc.).
However, in most cases there are no clear guidelines regarding the use that companies make of users’ personal data.
Many times this information is sold or used without the authorization of the users, which implies a clear violation of privacy.
2. Stimulates a sedentary lifestyle
Today, the Internet is a means of work, entertainment and shopping, among other uses.
This stimulates social isolation and a sedentary lifestyle, since it is not necessary to leave home to have access to goods or services that previously required a minimum of displacement.
3. Digital crime
With the Internet, new forms of crime also evolved, which is why today cases of Internet fraud are very common.
One of the oldest techniques that is still used today is the phishing. C.It consists of sending emails or instant messages that seem reliable to obtain confidential data, especially bank passwords.
4. Online bullying
One of the downsides of the internet that has become more apparent in recent years is online bullying, or cyberbullying.
Today, practically anyone is susceptible to harassment, which can consist of insults, threats or exposure of personal data through the Internet.
However, it becomes much more evident in school-age boys and girls, who are subjected to public ridicule by classmates or close friends.
It is a practice that can have very serious consequences for those who suffer from it, since it can lead to suffering from emotional, psychological and even physical disorders.
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5. Invasive advertising
Invasive advertising is an annoying practice for Internet users, and potentially harmful for the web pages that allow it.
Advertising can cause a considerable drop in traffic (users stop visiting the page to avoid advertising), and other such sites could be penalized by search engines.
6. Spam
Another disadvantage of the Internet has to do with spamemails or unsolicited messages, and that are generally repetitive.
He spam is used by some companies or individuals as an advertising strategy, but it is also a means to transmit viruses or make phishing.
7. Fake news
The fake news or false news is information that has been manipulated, misrepresented and even invented for a specific purpose.
With the use of the Internet, it has become very easy both to create false news and to transmit it, so it is common for content of this type to go viral in a few hours or days.
Although you can try to reverse its effect (by denying the alleged news or correcting it), the truth is that this measure does not usually have the same impact that the false news generated.
8. Exposure to inappropriate content
Users can find any type of content on the Internet, including material of a violent, degrading or inappropriate nature, which may be available to minors.
Each platform has its own policies to try to regulate this type of content on the internet. But the reality is that the amount of content of this type that is generated every day is so large that it is very difficult to control its dissemination in real time.
9. It can be addictive
The Internet, with all the facilities it offers, can cause users to become dependent.
This is highly harmful because it isolates the person from the real context, affecting their work, family and personal environment. In addition, this situation can stimulate the appearance of other conditions, such as depression.
10. Limit interpersonal communication
The excessive use of the Internet is generating a decrease, and sometimes disappearance, of communication in the offline world.
The use of devices such as the mobile phone generates a self-absorption of individuals that prevents them from communicating efficiently with the outside world.
And this can lead to family, work or relationship problems, since communication with others digitally takes precedence over face-to-face contact with the immediate environment.
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