What caused the internet to exponentially grow into people’s lives during the past 20 years?
From about sixteen million users of the Internet in 1995 to the three billion users in present day, the accessibility of information has never been easier. The social web and mobile technology are two possible reasons why the Internet has become the force it is today (Internet Growth Statistics). In 2012, a survey regarding attitudes towards the internet found that eighty-three percent of people believe the internet to be a basic human right. This is a shocking statistic, although looking more deeply into the survey’s findings it is more understandable. Eighty-Nine percent of people believe that the Internet is a network for freedom of expression (Key Findings).
From personal experience I believe that the Internet can further enhance the quality of life of an individual. Browsing through the Internet may lead to new ideas, serves as a public forum, informs, and can even motivate at times. More than ever before, it is easier to see how other cultures are by looking at people’s accounts on programs such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… McLuhan’s Global Village has certainly become the status quo. More than an investment, the allure of the Internet seems to be how it plays on people’s emotions. The connectedness of the Internet, as a medium, provides comfort. “I think there are people who find it very difficult to tolerate time without using digital technologies like smartphones or other ways of connecting via the Internet,” Marc Potenza, a psychiatrist at Yale and the director of the school’s Program for Research on Impulsivity and Impulse Control Disorder says. (Is Internet Addiction A Real Thing?)
“For people living in homogeneous communities, the Internet provides opportunities to find information about people of other religions, and to interact with them personally,” Allen Downey, a computer scientist at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts said.( How The Internet Is Taking Away America’s Religion.) The role of Internet is increasingly playing a huge part in our lives and now with voice recognizing systems like Siri they can also help us get information, almost as we were getting it from a friend. People regard simplicity highly, and simplicity is a hallmark of the Internet.
-AhmedAhmed
Works Cited
ArXiv, Emerging Technology From the. "How the Internet Is Taking Away America’s Religion." N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb.2015. <http://www.technologyreview.com/view/526111/how-the- internet-is-taking- away-americas-religion/>.
"Internet Growth Statistics - the Global Village Online." Internet Growth Statistics – the Global Village Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm>.
"Key Findings." Global Internet User Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.internetsociety.org%2Fsurveyexplo rer%2Fkey_findings>.
Konnikova, Maria. "Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?" N.p., 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/internet- addiction-real-thing>.
"Marshall McLuhan Foresees The Global Village." Marshall McLuhan, The Global Village. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ii_mcluhan.htm>.
What caused the internet to exponentially grow into people’s lives during the past 20 years?
From about sixteen million users of the Internet in 1995 to the three billion users in present day, the accessibility of information has never been easier. The social web and mobile technology are two possible reasons why the Internet has become the force it is today (Internet Growth Statistics). In 2012, a survey regarding attitudes towards the internet found that eighty-three percent of people believe the internet to be a basic human right. This is a shocking statistic, although looking more deeply into the survey’s findings it is more understandable. Eighty-Nine percent of people believe that the Internet is a network for freedom of expression (Key Findings).
From personal experience I believe that the Internet can further enhance the quality of life of an individual. Browsing through the Internet may lead to new ideas, serves as a public forum, informs, and can even motivate at times. More than ever before, it is easier to see how other cultures are by looking at people’s accounts on programs such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… McLuhan’s Global Village has certainly become the status quo. More than an investment, the allure of the Internet seems to be how it plays on people’s emotions. The connectedness of the Internet, as a medium, provides comfort. “I think there are people who find it very difficult to tolerate time without using digital technologies like smartphones or other ways of connecting via the Internet,” Marc Potenza, a psychiatrist at Yale and the director of the school’s Program for Research on Impulsivity and Impulse Control Disorder says. (Is Internet Addiction A Real Thing?)
“For people living in homogeneous communities, the Internet provides opportunities to find information about people of other religions, and to interact with them personally,” Allen Downey, a computer scientist at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts said.( How The Internet Is Taking Away America’s Religion.) The role of Internet is increasingly playing a huge part in our lives and now with voice recognizing systems like Siri they can also help us get information, almost as we were getting it from a friend. People regard simplicity highly, and simplicity is a hallmark of the Internet.
-AhmedAhmed
Works Cited
ArXiv, Emerging Technology From the. "How the Internet Is Taking Away America’s Religion." N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb.2015. <http://www.technologyreview.com/view/526111/how-the- internet-is-taking- away-americas-religion/>.
"Internet Growth Statistics - the Global Village Online." Internet Growth Statistics – the Global Village Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm>.
"Key Findings." Global Internet User Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.internetsociety.org%2Fsurveyexplo rer%2Fkey_findings>.
Konnikova, Maria. "Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?" N.p., 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/internet- addiction-real-thing>.
"Marshall McLuhan Foresees The Global Village." Marshall McLuhan, The Global Village. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. <http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ii_mcluhan.htm>.