The Internet: Good or Bad?

Our modern world is more or less centered around the Internet. It’s almost impossible to define the 2020s, even the 2010s, without mentioning the worldwide web at least a few times. It is undeniably in the running as one of mankind’s greatest inventions. In our fast paced world, the faster your internet service provider, the better. Invaluable services such as Time broadband package Malaysia Jom Apply is now a need and a must-have, not a frivolous want.

However, after living with the internet for around two decades, the negative repercussions have sometimes seemed to be more prevalent than its counterpart. Are its benefits really worth its drawbacks? Let’s take a look at both and make up our own minds.

The Good

• Enables easy learning

Search engines such as Google are now a Godsend to humanity. Every information is literally at the tip of our fingers. Are you wondering how long the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Second lasted? All you have to do is whip out your smartphone, type in her name to the search engine of your choice and voila! You have your answer.

• Allows connection without borders

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook as well as video conferencing platforms such as Skype enables us to talk and connect with anyone across the globe with absolute ease. Gone are the days of letters and postcards that took weeks or even months to arrive. If you want to talk to someone, just open the social platform of your choice and message them. They’ll receive your message and reply to it within seconds.

• Makes life easier

Every benefit of the internet truly boils down to one thing: it makes living more convenient. Communication, learning, shopping, selling, creating, consumption; everything is so much easier now through the gift that is the worldwide web. You don’t even have to leave your house now to buy things such as groceries or clothes. Online shopping exists! How can you not love the internet for this?

The Bad

• Cyber crime

Even though the internet has eased our day to day lives, it has also made committing crime so much easier as well. It’s strange that the use of the internet has never been more widespread yet knowledge of internet safety is at an all time low. It is now so easy to get your exact location from metadata in the pictures you post, allowing stalkers or people with bad intentions to find you effortlessly. Not to mention identity theft that could lead to you losing all your money and assets. The internet is a scary place.

• Spreads misinformation

Even though it’s easier to access information in this day and age, the internet is also rife with wrong information that could be potentially dangerous if taken seriously. Fake news about important, sensitive topics trend every day. Particularly for the less internet savvy, it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate between facts and falsehood. It’s of no consequence to read false news about a celebrity. It’s another matter entirely to read falsified political documents and take it as the truth.

• Mental health issues

The rise of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram adds fuel to the fire for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The self-esteem of an average individual is at an all time low thanks to the masses constantly comparing their lives to the lives of rich and famous people. After all, the lifestyle of the one percent has never been this visible before. This truly causes more harm than good.

Nothing good comes without its setbacks. Our job is to take the good with the bad and learn from both. Whether or not the internet provides more bad than good, the way we use it ultimately decides its value.