Internet

What started off to be a useful and friendly way to get connected with people around the world is turning into a major problem. The Internet caused many issues in today’s society in the last decade or so. With the advancement of technology, these issues are increasing significantly. Since the Internet was introduced, people are less likely to engage in leisure activities outside and rather stay inside, in front of their computer, where some might call it “internet addiction”.

The article we have chosen is called “Don’t be a virtual ass, rush out this second and get a life” (Lunn, 2008). The article talks about a British couple, David and Amy Pollard, who got divorced because David “cheated” on Amy on Second Life, a virtual world on the Internet. Amy discovered that David had been paying virtual prostitute for virtual pleasures for his character, where Amy called it “unreasonable behaviour” and the “ultimate betrayal”, however David claimed he did nothing wrong. It is hard to determine who is right and who is wrong. According to Lunn (2008), he thinks that Amy might have been overreacted because a virtual world is just like an imagination, where it will never come true. Lunn (2008) also questioned what is considered “appropriate” or “inappropriate” in terms of Internet usage and is there a “line” between reality and virtual life? Since Amy spends as much time on the Internet as David, it might seemed to her that their virtual life is as important as their reality life.
This behaviour can be seen in a large number of the population around the world who spend most of their time on the Internet (Telegraph Media Group, 2010). A recent article suggested that people would give up their freedom and go to gaol rather than not having access to Internet (Kennedy, 2012). The real problem is that people rely on the Internet too much and the more people are using the Internet, the more isolated an individual feels if they are not using it. The Internet is an extremely useful way to connect with friends and relatives and for education purposes, however some use it in a different way, for example: cyber bullying, resulting in negative consequences. There are many suicide cases that are linked to cyber bullying and the use of Internet. A recent victim of cyberbullying suicide is Erin Gallagher, who took her own life in October 2012 after “vicious online bullying” (Mosbergen, 2012). The article also reported that she was being bullied at school, indicating that Internet is not the sole reason for the negative outcome. Although, the Internet is a major part of most people’s lives, it is the individual’s choice to use it responsibly. Paul Miller, a writer, who disconnected from the Internet for a year explained how he felt “left out” and had more free time than when he was on the Internet. He was able to achieve many things without the Internet, including write a novel and read a number of books (Kelly, 2013). Even though without the Internet, people will look for something else to do to overcome boredom like turn to drugs or partying.

Overall, the Internet can affect the society negatively, however, if they use it responsibly, it can be a very useful tool. It is also the users’ responsibility to prioritise what is important in their lives.

Reference List

Kelly, H., 2013. Disconnected: My year without the Internet. CNN, [online] 10 May. Available at <http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/10/tech/web/paul-miller-internet-year> [Accessed 23 May 2013].

Kennedy, J., 2012. Tim Berners-Lee: people would go to prison rather than lose internet. Siliconrepublic, [online] 24 April. Available at <http://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-media/item/26869-tim-berners-lee-people-wou> [Accessed 21 May 2013].

Lunn, S., 2008. Don’t be a virtual ass, rush out this second and get a life. The Australian, [online] 18 November. Available at <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/wry-side/dont-be-a-virtual-ass-rush-out-this-second-and-get-a-life/story-e6frg71o-1111118062655> [Accessed 12 May 2013].

Mosbergen, D., 2012. Erin Gallagher, Irish Teen, Commits Suicide After Battle With ‘Vicious’ Cyberbullying. Huff Post, [online] 29 October. Available at <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/erin-gallagher-irish-teen-commits-suicide-battle-cyberbullying_n_2040850.html> [Accessed 22 May 2013].

Telegraph Media Group, 2010. Children ‘would rather explore the world virtually than travel’. The Telegraph, [online] 29 April. Available at <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7651663/Children-would-rather-explore-the-world-virtually-than-travel.html> [Accessed 21 May 2013].