The Internet was first developed in 1957 as a communication resource for the military Defense Unit. Since then the Internet remains to a service of communication that is now provided to all people with the access of a computer. Over the past several years the Internet has developed and expanded into an endless resource of information and knowledge. With billions of Internet users present in the world today, the idea of living life through the computer is not as uncommon as it used to be. Today people have the opportunity to experience relationships and receive an education through the computer. Although the quality of this kind of life is available, one may ask how realistic and healthy is it. Through the Internet, the process of gaining the products of life is non-existent. For example, I remember doing book reports and the process and experience in which it created. I would set aside at least a few hours of a day to go to the library, and work with a Liberian as a team in order to locate the information that I needed. I would then travel through an array of books to my destination. I would search through a few books on the same topic located right next to the book for which I had been looking. After finding several books with an array of different information I check them out, return home, and enjoy. Some may say that the Internet could have saved me the time it took to locate my resources. However, the process I went through socially, mentally and physically are aspects of life created through an experience, which the Internet cannot provide. Although the services provided through technology have brought society closer together, it has also pushed it farther apart. Consequently the Internet may be viewed as a positive influence however, it has had a great effect on education, psychology and social issues in society, that have been negative overall.
The process of education involves sharing knowledge through communication to another individual/s. The means through which education is provided has changed tremendously in the past few years and continues change today. Through technology, education is viewed by the US Department of Education as "no longer confined to it's campus or shaped mainly by it's own traditions, it's academic community and faculty, it's libraries and any other source of knowledge or by any other tangible factors."(Hallak 3) Education without tangible resources is an education that is more widely available to students. When time and distance are variables that are no longer present in obtaining information student's nation wide can receive an education. For the first time students have more flexibility and options in making a choice as to where, when and how they receive their education.
Conversely, some may say that education has been made easy. Students and teachers are no longer are required to travel to a classroom to meet or verbally discuss topics face to face. The communication between teachers and students has been minimized to almost nothing but reading and writing. Although reading and writing gets the job done (as far as sending information and receiving it) there is a large gap in the communication of the material as far as human expression is involved.
For example an aspect of human expression is sound. Sound is an important aspect of learning. The sound, pitch and tone of a voice or an environment aids in teaching as well as discovering the thoughts, ideas and feelings of another individual. Sound has a profound effect on the human psyche. One is soothed by the sound of the ocean, warmed by an old friends voice and startled at a clap of thunder. Learning in a classroom environment is greatly influenced by sound. Teachers use the sound of their voices to present information in a specific manner. I have had teachers raise their voice in fury when discussing a disturbing topic such as racism, or soften and focus their tone of voice while reading a passage from Maya Angelou. Teachers use the power of verbal communication to express the feelings behind the information that they teach. Through the voice of the communicator students can feel the meaning and representation of the words. This way of communicating provides a lesson beyond what reading and writing can offer.
Receiving an education through the Internet involves reading words on the screen and typing in words to represent one's thoughts, feelings, and personality. Words become an individuals' only means of expression. This challenges the writers' proficiency in the use of words, grammar and syntax. The Internet assumes that each individual is an English speaker with reading and writing capabilities. This assumption is not realistic. The fact is that society is not made up of just English speakers. " World wide, 1 person in 10 speaks English, yet 80% of websites are in English." (Hallak 6) This system of education discriminates against non-English speakers. Although English is the primary language in classrooms, there are accommodations for non-English speakers such as ESL, bilingual teachers, and peers that speak the same language. In learning to use the Internet one has to be able to read and write English. For individuals that cannot read English, or are illiterate, the computer is not an option for communicating. " There are approximately 880 million illiterate adults, most of whom will never turn on a computer or read a help manual." (Hallak 5) The evolution of education on the Internet provides countless resources. This is a type of productive education never seen before but only accessible to individuals that speak, read, or write English.
During my research I noticed several articles on how to teach classes using the Internet. These guides focused on teaching teachers how to teach through the latest technology available. In my experience most of the teachers that I have worked with are between the ages of thirty and fifty years old. These individuals were taught how to be the most effective teachers in a classroom environment, not over the Internet. In the past (not so recently), traditional teaching included a classroom with teachers and students with computers being a rare sight within schools. Teachers who were not brought up on computers are now expected to be proficient in the use of technology; so much so they can teach classes through it. Many individuals criticize teachers and feel as though the reason that technology and education hasn't reached their full potential is due to their lack of knowledge on the teacher's part. Elizabeth Buchanan describes the difficulties in presenting this new idea of teaching to teachers " from my personal experience teaching the use of instructional technologies are often "dumped" into the school with little or no additional training or staff to aid in the integration process." Expectations of teachers are changing rapidly. Being a teacher in a traditional learning environment is not what it used to be, teachers are still teaching but how and where they deliver the information is very new, so new that teachers and their students have to almost be taught simultaneously in order for technological education to work.
There are several areas in which the development of the Internet has influenced the interactions between people. Depending on the length of time one spends on the Internet, and for what purpose determines what social effects can occur. Presently on the Internet one can do a variety of things including, shopping, listening to music or talking with a friend or relative and receiving an education. Today with so many options on the Internet, an individual can live a balanced life with out leaving their environment. This may be considered convenient however; it is proven to be unhealthy. Several studies have focused on the importance of social involvement and the effects of its deterioration. An article from "American Psychologist" describes several areas in which the Internet has effected social involvement. Research has shown that " In the past thirty five years there has been a broad decline in social participation and civic engagement in the US Citizens vote less, go to church less, discuss government with their neighbors less, are members of fewer voluntary organizations, have fewer dinner parties, and generally get together less for social purposes." With the rate of these types of engagements declining, the strength of society is decreasing from lack of communication. When individuals are involved in their surrounding community, such as volunteering at schools and keeping the area safe, there will most likely always a positive result. Without the involvement of the community, society and the people that create it will inevitably be affected.
When using a computer as the means of social interactions, individuals limit themselves as to how much they can benefit from being a part of society. Studies and research have shown a direct correlation between the psychological well being of an individual and the use of the Internet. " As the use of the Internet increased, the participants reported a decrease in the amount of social support they felt and in the number of social activities they were involved in. They also reported being more depressed and lonely".(Scherlis 1020) Communicating socially through the Internet deprives an individual from genuine social relationships. Psychologically, life without types of social interaction can be very isolating. Think about the several positive social interactions can occur while actively participating in society. For example, when a driver smiles and waves at you go first, or the produce manager at the local market recognizes you and asks how you are. These positive ways of communicating are few of many situations that occur in society each day. Although communicating occurs through reading and writing it lacks the feeling and emotions delivered through traditional social involvement. It is not possible to give a hug to a crying friend, a passionate kiss to a lover or a hand to a relative who has just lost their husband unless that person is physically involved. Regardless one's mastery of the use of language, these gestures and what they represent can not be placed within words.
Time spent on the Internet affects the social relationships outside as well as inside of the home. Children, parents, husbands and wives take away time from one another in order to indulge in what the Internet has to offer. I visit my family every so often and when I arrive at my mothers' house I am usually greeted with loud hellos, hugs and kisses. Last weekend, when I arrived I opened the front door yelled out my hello. I was surprised to have been greeted with silence. From a distance I heard my mother and sister call out. They were both in their rooms fully engaged in front of their computers. I found my mom greatly frustrated and cursing (something she never does) at her computer hoping that that would fix the problem. I could see that she was not in a welcoming mood. My sister was in her room looking for apartments on the Internet and quickly tried to suck me into helping her look. I escaped quickly enough and realized that the power of the computer had changed my home into a foreign environment. My trip home didn't feel as it had every other weekend for the past three years. The attention from my family that I was used to receiving had been redirected into the computer.
For families, the Internet can be a powerful influence. When children have questions about sex, drugs, divorce or life in itself, they are no longer limited in where they have to go as far as answers. Although parents are an option for answers to questions the Internet can be anonymous and non-judgmental regarding the questions asked. This environment is "safe" for a child to explore ideas and questions that a parent may find embarrassing or inappropriate. However, in this process a parent's chance of communicating with one's child is taken away. In the past there were questions in which children could only ask of their parents. Now there is another source of answers out there. Answers most likely delivered far from the way in which a parent would choose. Another example that comes to mind is the communication between married couples. I have heard of several situations in which woman join chat rooms to discuss and research on marital problems. Instead of communicating with their husbands about problems they are determined to find the answer to their marriage problems on the Internet. Although these are brief examples their nature is all the same. The lack of communication between individuals can greatly affect any relationship. The Internet provides another means of communication that has the potential to greatly effect communication between families.
When I began my research for this paper I had decided that I was going to write about the positive and negative aspects of the Internet. Through reading a variety of different material from several different perspectives I soon discovered that the Internet revealed very few positive attributes. There is so much continuous hype through the media on the advancements of the Internet and it's resources. Through my research I noticed that the Internet continues to develop at a rapid rate. If everyone involved in its progression could slow down for just a moment, they too may find several concerns as to how the interment negatively effects our lives. While growing up during the time in which the interment became a large part of society I have personally felt the effect. I have, and will continue to, experience the change and lack of communication that occurs with family and friends. The method in which I receive my education continues to become less personal as teachers take a step back and computers jump foreword. Computers are not a choice, they are a required form of communication in today's world that suggest we could all learn a great deal from sitting at a computer, alone.
Hallak, Jacques. " Global Connections, Expanding Partnership and New Challenges." U.S. Department of Education. September 20, 2000.
Buchanan, Elizabeth. " The Social Microcosm of the Classroom." CPSR Newsletter. December 1997.
Scherlis, William. "Internet Paradox, a Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well Being." American Psychologist 53 (1998): 1017-1031