The third industrial revolution, also known as the digital revolution, revolutionized the world. The cloud, the internet, and even the smart device that lets you access both was also invented during the digital revolution. In this decade, the advancement of technology has increased dramatically. Everything can be done literally with a few clicks with your fingers on your phone, ordering food to ordering new clothes, it can all be done online. The traditional way of thinking has completely changed. There are multiple different arguments regarding the internet and technology. Many people may argue that the change is good for the people while many argue that it is not good, and many are in-between. There have been many studies that were done to prove whether the internet has a positive or negative impact. I believe it can go both ways since the internet can be a useful resource while also being problematic since it can also be a distraction.

Many argue that children are being harmed the most by the internet. To oppose this claim, Linda Jackson, a professor of Psychology at Michigan State University and Principal Investigator for the HomeNetToo Project, worked with her colleagues on the research project called, Alexander von Eye and Frank Biocca,HomeNetToo. Her colleague Alexander von Eye earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Trier, Germany, in 1976. He has held positions at the University of Trier, the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and the Pennsylvania State University and is currently at Michigan State University. One of the other members of the project is Frank Biocca and he earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1989. He is currently SBC Chair of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at Michigan State University. The project was to evaluate the effect of the internet on children. In the survey, 117 adults and 140 children in low income and medium sized urban community have participated. The project lasted for 18 months. After the research, the result was supporting the internet. The findings indicate that the use of the internet does not have a negative effect on children but has had a positive effect on their academic outcomes. Children who used the internet more showed greater gains in GPA and reading test scores — but not math test scores — than did children who used it less (Jackson et al). The use of internet is helping the children improve their academic performances. Well if you are on the internet, you are always reading a text no matter where you are. This maybe the reason the children’s skills are improving. Overall, there is a positive impact for the use of internet among children.

Many people will agree with this but will still oppose the internet having a positive impact. Giancluca Quaglio, works for the European Parliament Liaison office with US congress, stated in his writing about the internet that the “articles focus on major privacy scandals and security breaches, the proliferation of fake news, rampant harmful behaviours like cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, revenge porn, the exchange of child porn and internet predation, internet addiction, and the negative effects of the internet on social relations and social cohesion.”. Internet is a place where a lot of shady business happens. Many people’s lives have been ruined or even taken away due to the internet. Recently there was news about a Bangladeshi university student getting killed. His name is Abrar Fahad, 21, studied at Dhaka Bangladesh University of Engineering (Buet). He was killed by his fellow students in his dormitory because of the comments he made in his social media. All he did was criticize the Bangladeshi government and they weren’t very happy about that. This is a prime example of how the internet has ruined people’s lives. The brutality that comes with voicing opinions that challenge popular view led to tremendous hate towards Abrar. In this case the internet has been used as a platform to spread hate that led to an innocent person’s death which clearly signifies a misuse of this tool. The internet’s purpose in no way is to spread hate towards over political view, but it is to rather share ideas safely.

There is an internet website called “Dark Web”. Dark web is a part of the internet that showcases illegal actions. You can buy credit card numbers, all manner of drugs, guns, counterfeit money, stolen subscription credentials, hacked Netflix accounts and software that helps you break into other people’s computers. Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-founder of keeper security stated in his article about dark web that you can “buy login credentials to a $50,000 Bank of America account for $500. Get $3,000 in counterfeit $20 bills for $600. Buy seven prepaid debit cards, each with a $2,500 balance, for $500 (express shipping included). A “lifetime” Netflix premium account goes for $6. You can hire hackers to attack computers for you. You can buy usernames and passwords.”. None of these activities are legal. They all fall under “identity theft”. There are a lot of more criminal activities going on the dark web. Using dark web may sound easy since it operates just like a normal web, but it is far from easy. People have to learn how to go on it and use it. Well, people should not use it at all since it is illegal and law enforcements are taking extreme measures towards the dark web. Internet can be a very nasty place sometimes.

I believe that the internet is not at fault, it is the people that uses the internet. Originally internet was meant to help people not the other way around. It is the way of people’s mind works. Over years there has been numerous news about how the internet has positive impact and equally how it has negative impact on the society and the people. Internet can be in a various form such as informative, harmful, etc. It is only a matter of how people decide to use it. For example, we are able to come across all the activities happening all around the world through all the media post shared by the people and reading news online. Also, there are multiple organizations that are fundraising for good causes and we are able to help them out by going to their websites and donating. It is the decision people make and the path they choose to go that impacts the people either positively or negatively. For example, going into the dark web is a choice and you are not being forced to do so. Criminal activities are restricted and a choice by person. It is the actions that make the internet look like it is at fault. This leads to the question of whether the impact of the internet is positive or negative. Internet is a platform for us to use. It is lifeless and it is not forcing us to do things. It was created by us and we are the one who add the contents that it pertains. The contents include things like dark web, news, articles, etc. It is our actions that can make the internet beneficial or harmful for us.

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