Impact of the Internet on our Daily Life, Pros and Cons.
Once upon a time in Greece, lived a Great King, named Midas. He got the power of turning anything into gold, once he touches it; the famous "Midas' Touch"! The Great "Power"; the king got; made him greedy for Gold; and he, in a sudden turn of events, turns his only Daughter into Gold!!
Bliss of "Power" leads to wealth (Enhancement) & Prosperity; while its abuse leads to deceit and destruction. Similarly, Internet is a Tool, a Blessing, which could be used to the greatest of the benefits; if used with responsibility, safety, enough precaution & supervision. On the other hand, could prove Destructive, harmful (in terms of personal Loss of Data & Information) and wasteful (wastage of Time, Money etc.) on the contrary.
Internet: A Tool
- Initiated under a program by DARPA (NASA) for storage, sharing and Reuse of data by the American Defence agencies, Internet has been hailed as 'one of the biggest discoveries of Human Kind'.
- More than fulfilling the above requirements, it has given the human kind, a way of Storage of Data, Sharing of Knowledge; by means of information save din Digital Space (Servers) & hence taken us back to the basics of Life, i.e. sharing (& caring) of information, something which is a Prerogative of Life!
A Unifying Force
- Accessibility. Internet has made knowledge available to all. It has easy accessibility, & is economically & otherwise viable; thanks to the Leap in Science & Technology. From the Days, when it was seen as a resource of the rich; with the advent of Science & Technology, it has proven to be a Resource for all, thereby reducing disparities, & increasing the flow of Information.
- Unifying Force. Internet has enabled sharing of data& Information virtually defying Boundaries, thereby leading to a more connected world; a world that cares for the issues, thousands of miles away, separated by geographical boundaries, but held together by means of information shared over the "Optical Fiber"!
Empowerment
Internet as a Technology has enabled marginally sided, poor & downtrodden people get information. Information leads to Empowerment. We have seen poor students, devoid of means, getting benefitted by internet and pursuing their dreams of attaining knowledge, even with meager resources.
Remember: "Knowledge is power"; which when spread (shared) leads to the underprivileged get a taste of their Rights & hence get empowered in the process.
Powerhouse of Knowledge
None can deny the role of Internet in the research works & other advancements in Technology, by providing students and researchers a common Platform to share news, views & issues; i.e. data & information!
Emancipation and Humanitarian Advancement is yet another aspect and contribution of the Internet as Technology which has revolutionized the Society. Now people at the Remotest of the places can also think to access best of Medical attention and care by means of Telemedicine. Video Chats have made us feel more connected, and have helped in making connectivity during times of need, like a natural calamity easier. People at Remotest of places can access Online Education and receive Degrees from The Best of the Institutions by its use, thereby helping in universality of knowledge.
However, "With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility", & here it is preventing misuse and abuse of the Technology. With Technological advancement, flip sides are associated; & here in this case, it is multi-faceted. The extent could be minor, or in fact, catastrophic.
Attack on Privacy and Intimacy
Leakage of Information may lead to attack on intimacy and privacy of an individual or an organization. We have witnessed increasing cases of suicides, deaths and Youth going in depression; just because of suppression of our right; made vulnerable by Internet!
Internet may lead to making people vulnerable to crimes caused by leakage of personal data, as seen in case of leaked videos, images, professional and personal information etc. on the web.
Increase in Cyber Crimes & Frauds
With increasing use of Technology and more intrusion of Internet into our personal information, there has been an unprecedented jump in Cyber related Crimes; and Frauds related to economic matters. Other cyber-crime include hacking of personal information and data, spreading of Rumors, killing of individual identity by means of defamation etc. having very long term effects on individuals, societies and/or countries in some cases. In a recent event, we saw, fake and fraudulent propaganda videos shared on social media leading to mass violence in many parts of India.
Wastage
Internet, apart from being a resource, is a Technology; and hence its usefulness totally depends upon the matureness of the user. It is an Ocean of Knowledge; but an un-resourceful and un-inhibited use leading to abuse, may cause wastage of time & money (a national loss!!) Similarly all sorts of information are available, without censorship; and hence it is the children, who become vulnerable to wrong data. Hence selectivity and Censorship of data is another big issue.
However, Internet as a resource, has proved its mettle and worth as a resource, and acts as a unifying force, providing equal opportunities, irrespective of geographical boundaries, caste, creed, socio-economic status; for access of information and knowledge; leading to the development of an individual, a society, state or a country; its wasteful use has its own perils; which diversify from personal data & monetary loss, to loss of lives; even leading to war on cyber-space as well as creating administrative emergencies. As a boon it is helping create a parallel world devoid of barriers, based on the principles of e-governance, helping third world countries and developing nations come at par with the developed ones; with minimal resources, & hence providing an opportunity to enhance the standards of knowledge and touching the Lives of millions in the process!! Amen!!
Bhanu Pratap
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