Since the introduction of the internet, people have been able to achieve a lot by saving more time and using fewer resources. The internet brought with it sweeping changes across all industries and changed the way we do things. But with all the changes, there were benefits and shortcomings among them.
Pros:
1. Allows for real-time communication: The internet has brought about speed as a major factor which is very vital in terms of communication. Through such means as email and social media, you can send and receive messages almost instantaneously which makes communication real-time.
2. Get more done in less time: The internet brought with it some level of speed that had not been experienced before. For this reason, people have been able to get more done within a very short period of time thanks to the internet.
3. Availability of information: The internet is averse to almost all information about everything. Through search engines such as Google, users are able to search and retrieve information about anything in the world.
4. Allows for easy connection of people often: The internet was a tool that redefined the information age. People are now able to connect with friends and family more often thanks to real-time communication.
5. Faster transactions: The internet has enabled online transactions that take relatively no time to complete. Through online payment platforms such as PayPal, we are now able to complete transactions faster and pay for whatever we want within the shortest time possible.
6. Avails opportunities to freelance: People are now making a lot of money on the side thanks to the internet. The internet has opened up opportunities to freelance through doing short gigs on the side and getting paid for them.
7. It is effective for advocacies and causes: The internet has a very wide reach of people across the world. For this reason, they have been able to provide an ideal platform for people to advocate for issues that affect people across the world.
8. It allows for remote access: The internet can literally be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as there is an internet connection. This has allowed people to easily work from some of the most remote places in the world without the need to be physically present in the office.
9. Makes shopping easy and convenient: The internet has come as a darling to many who love shopping. Through the internet, people can now be able to order their goods and even pay for the goods upfront through multiple channels.
10. It is an easy avenue for entertainment: The internet is the easiest avenue for entertainment. People can now download movies and songs from the internet freely and even watch multiple entertainment videos from the internet.
Cons:
1. Decreased privacy: The internet has also come with reduced privacy. Through the internet, people’s profiles especially through social media can be accessed by everyone which leaves people exposed.
2. It is addictive: The internet has become addictive especially through the advent of social media. As people continue to spend more and more time online, they become addicted to the trappings of the internet which may lead to wastage of time.
3. Internet dependence has lessened productivity: The dependence on the internet means that people have become less and less productive since they believe everything is now available online.
4. Multiple expenses initiated by the internet: The internet has brought with it several transactions especially through the many eCommerce sites online. The transactions may be fast but they are surely expensive since they are many in number.
5. Can lead to easy exploitation: People are left vulnerable always when they are online. People have been exploited through con artists who masquerade as other people.
6. Widespread audience may be negative: The internet provides a very wide audience that may not always be a positive thing. The wide audience may lead to a negative outcome where people may be exposed to some dangers.
7. It encourages pornography: The internet has encouraged pornography over the years. Most of the X-rated movies are available on selected internet sites which may lead to the degradation of morals.
8. It may lead to religious radicalization: The internet in the 21st century is dangerous especially with the coming of terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. This is a clear avenue for people to be radicalized and lured into terrorism.
9. It exposes children to vulnerabilities: The internet has exposed children to vulnerabilities since they are able to see what adults are doing in a different part of the world and tend to copy these habits.
10. Shortened attention span: The internet has led to reduced attention span among many people. People can no longer concentrate for long periods due to the continuous shift of the internet pages from one page to another.
