How the Internet is changing the world and what the future might be like

How the Internet is changing the world and what the future might be like

Introduction

Internet is an interconnection of computers worldwide used for the transfer of information. Protocol suites interconnect them. Webs view the data transferred through the Internet. Information that can e shared include texts, videos, audios such as music, photographs and links. Internet development is dated back to tosed 1960s. J. Licklider ta specialist in computers visualized a galactic network with many interconnected computers used for sharing and transferring information (Mosco 3). He developed a way in which the information could be shared by use of packet switching. Over the past years, the Internet has proliferated with a tremendous effect on the entire world, which includes its population (Patel and Sunil 89).  Over three billion people access the Internet, and over four billion people do not have access worldwide. Since the Internet is still growing, it has vast potential. The primary purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of the Internet on the world, both positive and negative and show what the future of the Internet will be.

The

Internet has several uses in the day to day activities of people. In a way or another, with or without notice, we do use the Internet. This can de direct or indirect. Internet can be used for fun or entertainment, for travel and to gather information to expand one’s knowledge. Communication has been improved by the Internet, making it easy for all people around the world to communicate freely and easily. The transmission may involve computers, mobile phones, and emails.

Internet is used to provide online services. One can book flights and restaurants online. Its save’s on energy and time and its convenient. An individual does not have to go to a restaurant to buy food, they order online, and the package is delivered to their homes and offices. Online banking is another online service that makes use of the Internet. One needs not to go physical to a bank to withdraw or deposit any cash. It is done at the comfort of their homes or offices. Online banking is faster as compared to going to the bank which involves long queues. Most government services have been digitalized and are accessible via the Internet.

Education has largely been impacted by development and advancements in the Internet. Education has been made easy as almost all information required is available on the Internet stored in logical pools or cloud storage (Miller 34). Internet provides a varied form of information. A student can read online books, watch videos related to the subject matter they are interested in and can practice on the Internet to sharpen their skills. The Internet allows learning to take place without an actual classroom by having online tutors and learning done via E- portals. Online degrees are being offered. Students in a particular country can undertake an online degree in any country of choice without being there in person. Students from different universities or schools can share information via social platforms like WhatsApp and telegram.

The emergence of the Internet has broadened the employment opportunities for the entire population and more especially the youth (Hauptman 153). Internet cannot run on its own but requires experts to run the system. Computer scientists is a profession like any other which deals with computers and the Internet. Computers, like any other machine, are prone to breaking done and thus, need a specialist to troubleshoot where the problem might be and make necessary changes. Internet provides an online platform for doing business. This provides a means of livelihood for dome people in society. Advertisement is another way in which the Internet can generate income for a person. A computer can not run on its own, and it requires instructions in the form of software to run, software developers have work to do.

Despite the numerous advantages and uses of Internet, there are drawbacks. Loss of socialization skills is attributed to excessive use of the Internet. People focus on communication behind the screen and forget about the importance of one on one or face to face communication. People cannot express their views coherently in public or in gathered because of addiction to internet communication where no one is seeing them (Miller 34). Children prefer playing online games as compared to physical exercise. Staying indoors for long without exercise plays a significant role in the increase of obesity in children.

Another negative impact of the Internet is the lack of security and privacy. Lack of security is attributed to cybercrimes. Development and advancement in technology increases or worsens cybercrimes. Examples of cybercrimes are cyberbullying, revenge porn, stalking, harassment among other involving a perpetrator and a victim (Hauptman 153). The information stored on logical pools on the Internet is prone to hacking and stealing of personal information. The passwords used for security purposes in laptops, phones and computers can be hacked leading to loss of valuable information. Viruses are another threat to the Internet. Data can be corrupted by viruses leading to massive losses.

The future of the Internet is bright. Internet of things is one of the things anticipated in the future. Its has started to take effect but not fully developed. Internet of things allows objects, computers, people, animals, appliances to be interconnected allowing data transfer without requiring an intermediate like a human or computer. With the advancement of Internet and technology, machines and robots able to perform sophisticated and intellectual tasks are replacing manual labour. This directly leads to loss of jobs for the average citizen. For example, a hectare of tea that is picked by twenty workers done for a full day, can be carried out by one single machine covering the same area within two hours (Patel and Sunil 89). The health sector will improve with the advancement of the Internet. Use of micro-implants in conjunction with Internet of things improve patient treatment and control or prevention of disease.  In the case of outbreaks, real-time data is captured, which guide outbreak identification and treatment. By the year 2030, Elon Musk, who is the Space X founder, is on a mission to inhabit mars. Internet will be required for communication of planet Mars and Earth.

Conclusion

Internet is an interconnection of computers mainly for communication and transfer of information. Each person is directly on indirectly affected by the Internet in their daily activities. Internet can be used for various purposes ranging from communication, fun, online services and education and also associated with privacy and security issues like cybercrimes. The traditional form of communication is also greatly affected as most people prefer communication over the Internet. The future on the Internet has a positive impact like improving the healthcare system and detrimental impact lack loss of jobs due to the use of machines.

Work Cited

Patel, Keyur K., and Sunil M. Patel. “Internet of things-IOT: definition, characteristics, architecture, enabling technologies, application & future challenges.” International journal of engineering science and computing 6.5 (2016): 89

Miller, Michael. The Internet of things: How smart TVs, smart cars, smart homes, and smart cities are changing the world. Pearson Education, 2015: 34

Hauptman, Robert. “Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet Age.” Journal of Information Ethics 26.2 (2017): 153.

Mosco, Vincent. “The History of the Internet under Surveillance Capitalism.” (2019): 1-5.