It is undeniable that the Internet has brought about significant change in society, propelling it from the age of industrialization to the networked epoch. Our contemporary Internet-connected society has risen thanks to technological advancements and some substantial sociocultural adjustments, such as the emergence of the I-centered societal structure that is modified by an elevated concentration on personal progress and a significant drop in general public understanding within the context of space, family, and sense of belonging in a broad sense (Barney 4). People can engage some of their connections utilizing desktops, smartphones, and iPad now that everyone in society is interconnected in a faster, more available, and more convenient way. Therefore, it is essential to note that the Internet has altered trade, schooling, governance, entertainment, and even how individuals communicate with their friends and family; it is now one of the primary drivers of societal development.
Nevertheless, the true significance of the Internet in society is that it allows individuals to connect with those important to them instantaneously. Social media platforms enable users to talk about their experiences and knowledge; they connect minded individuals immediately and without borders. Community spirit, societal institutions, companionship, family, and cooperation are societal aspects that have lasted from the dawn of time, and the Internet has liberated individuals from the traditional constraints such as time and geography, allowing society to prosper in a number of different ways (Barney 24). For instance, in November 2008, worldwide hours spent using social media outpaced hours spent in libraries, and the number of social media subscribers eclipsed the number of library users in September 2009 (Papacharissi 61). Nowadays, social media platforms are the preferred venues for all types of activity, both commercial and private, and this sociability has expanded considerably; however, it is a different type of socialization. Several People on social media access the websites regularly and socialize on various facets, but mainly on their selected dimensions. Digital life has become more social than the physical existence but is much less a virtual world than a true virtual world, aiding urban living and actual work.
Currently, people are becoming more at ease with the Internet’s multidimensional nature, and businesses, governments and non – governmental organizations are flocking to the platforms that individuals develop to promote the right to freedom of speech. In essence, social-networking companies offer participants space to freely and independently organize their identities and express their thoughts (Barney 18). Most users quickly depart platforms that aim to obstruct open conversation favouring warmer and less limited areas. The Internet’s alteration of socio-political activities may be the most striking embodiment of this newfound freedom of expression (Papacharissi 52). For instance, messages no longer travel purely from a few to a large number of people, with little interaction but slide from many individuals to the public interactively. Out of all the telecommunications technologies that the Internet has provided to society, it is crucial to highlight that it has compelled humans to seriously reconsider even basic daily practices such as taking classes and buying groceries; it has influenced the societal, economic system by encouraging business start-ups and e-commerce (Barney 10); and it has provided users with innovative ways to form versatile social ideologies.
In addition to its social-political and economic competitiveness in the society, the Internet has evolved into a critical tool for sending and receiving knowledge and understanding; it is not only a means of communication or a destination where outcomes can be accepted for publication, but it is also a means of collaborating with other individuals and groups operating on related literature and studies. The Internet has substantially impacted all educational levels by giving limitless learning opportunities (Barney 224). Many individuals feel that the future of education is an interconnected destiny because students and teachers may utilize the Internet to produce and share knowledge and build new teaching and learning methods that capture and stimulate students’ imaginations at any location on any platform. Since many students and instructors now operate collaboratively through a network to develop a transformative learning society, the Internet has accelerated intellectual progress and boosted the well-being of society around the world by interconnecting and motivating teachers and students. The Internet has provided learners to move away from their prior subservient form as simply receivers of information conveyed by traditional media and their teachers to an integral role, deciding what knowledge they get, how they receive it, and when they receive it. Students, as information recipients, can even choose whether or not they would like to be kept updated.
The Internet, like in education, is redefining the notion of cultural identity in society since it has made it easier to navigate a complicated world where cultural flows across boundaries are constantly increasing. Cultural globalization is already here; a grassroots campaign of cultural programs and projects is happening, and the ideas of territory, chronology, and space are losing their traditional connotations in human society. Again, due to digital resources, enormous areas of possibility started opening in the cultural arena, and the options for sharing a suggestion, a piece of expertise, or a work of art are increased (Papacharissi 54). Many people are wildly optimistic in the face of deniers who claim that the Internet is destroying culture. The Internet is pushing culture nearer to more people by making it more quickly accessible; it also encourages the emergence of new forms of creativity and knowledge dissemination (Barney 27). Some argue that the online world is a cultural artifact in and of itself, rather than just a technologically advanced world. Aside from its cultural impact, the Internet is extremely useful for development, which leads to advancement in all fields of endeavour through the invention of new commodities, ideas, and discoveries, the advancement of science and society, and increased well-being.
Works Cited
Barney, Darin. The Network Society. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2000: pp. 1-34.
Barney, Darin. Democracy, Technology and Communication in Canada. U of British Columbia P, 2013: pp. 224
Papacharissi, Zizi A. Converged Media, Converged Audiences, Converged Publics. Malden, MA: Polity, 2010: pp. 52-79.
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