The 19 advantages and disadvantages of the Internet

A review of the advantages and disadvantages of the widespread use of the Internet in our lives.

The birth of the Internet has brought about a revolution in the way we live in our society, to the point of being an almost indispensable tool for a wide variety of tasks or even simply in our social life.

There is no doubt that we are facing an element with great power, but the truth is that its use is not without risks and it is possible to find both positive and negative aspects. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of the Internet? Let's see it...

Internet and networks

The uses of Internet nowadays are multiple, from the search of information to the contact between people, happening through the leisure, the investigation or the teaching.

The term "Interconnected Networks" comes from the English term for "Interconnected Networks". This instrument emerged at the end of the sixties in the United States with the purpose of allowing different universities and the Department of Defense to share information. As time went by, this invention spread to the rest of the world and little by little it incorporated functionalities as computing and computer programming advanced, until it became what it is today.

But as with any technological innovation, or as with any instrument, its creation involves both opportunities and risks depending on the use that is decided to give it.. In this sense we can determine the existence of both advantages and disadvantages, some of which we highlight below.

Main advantages of the Internet

The Internet is an instrument whose creation has allowed a lot of innovations and changes in the way we relate to each other and to the world, and it even seems to have affected the way we perceive things.and even seems to have affected our way of perceiving things.

Its creation, expansion and popularity is due to the fact that using it brings us a series of advantages that make our lives easier. Among its many advantages we can find the following elements.

1. Access to information

One of the great advantages of the presence of the Internet in our lives is that thanks to it we can access a large amount of information from a Wide range of sources. a large amount of information from a wide range of sources in a simple and almost immediate way. in a simple and practically immediate way.

2. Communication

Another of the main and best-known advantages of the Internet is that it allows us to get in touch with people from all over the world. no matter how far away they are, as long as they have access to the network.

This makes it easier for people who live far away or who have to go abroad to live or work to maintain fairly frequent contact with their loved ones.

3. It breaks down barriers and facilitates the rapprochement of positions.

The existence of the network of networks is an opportunity to learn and be able to observe different ways and perspectives of understanding, thinking and living life with respect to practically any possible subject.

In this sense, it also allows us to relax our cultural barriers and learn to accept and learn to accept different visions beyond our own or those of people with a context similar to our own. In other words, it allows us to bring positions closer together.

4. Reduces the need for presence

The existence of the Internet has meant that it is no longer necessary to carry out procedures in person that previously would have required a large investment of time and the need to travel to and stay in that place. This allows us to to optimize our time and take advantage of it to do other things..

For example, it is no longer always necessary to meet to discuss an issue, stand in long queues to book tickets, make an application or file a complaint or claim.

In fact, it also makes it possible to work from home or to take distance learning courses with a certain degree of convenience.

5. Freedom of expression

Although depending on the country and the policies that exist in this regard there will be more or less difficulties, the Internet is often a space in which very different people are able to express themselves in different ways. a space in which very different people are able to express their position on a specific topic.to a practically anonymous level if you know how. An example of this can be seen in cases of countries living under dictatorships and totalitarian political regimes.

6. Allows collaboration between people

The Internet not only allows access to information or communication, but also offers a framework in which different people can collaborate to achieve a specific goal.

For example, at the study level, it allows group work to be carried out in which all those involved can follow the status of the project at any given moment.

It can also be applied at the work levelIt can also be used to jointly build some kind of action or intervention. It also allows, for example, the creation and financing of projects for which there are no resources, such as crowdfunding.

7. Increases options and avenues for learning.

Beyond the mere search for information, networks have also enabled the generation of new avenues or alternative methods for learning. new ways or alternative methods for learning.

For example, watching a YouTube tutorial or some kind of more visual example of a task to be performed can make it easier to learn something that through reading or a purely verbal explanation can be complicated. This element is especially important in the case of people with special educational needs.

8. It makes management and organization easier

The presence of the Internet and networks has, partly as a collateral effect of all the previous elements, better management and organization of our time and activities.. Both planning and searching for information as well as carrying out procedures and formalities is accelerated.

9. Increases divided attention

Internet and information and communication technologies have an effect even at a functional level. People who could be considered digital natives have been found to have a greater capacity for divided attention. have a greater capacity for divided attentionthat is, to pay attention to several types of stimulation at the same time.

Disadvantages and risks of its use

As we have seen, there are many advantages and opportunities offered by the Internet. However, this does not mean that this tool does not have a dark side: there are major risks and disadvantages in using it.

1. Cybercrime and fraudulent uses

One of the disadvantages of the Internet can be found in the fact that although it offers many opportunities to make our lives easier, it also allows other people to try to take advantage of this instrument in order to gain profit or gratification at the expense of others through this medium..

Some examples of this can be found in cases of cyberbullying, threats, harassment, identity theft, phishing, scams, theft of information and bank accounts or even grooming or attempts to approach minors for sexual purposes through deception.

2. Information overload

We have already said that one of the great advantages of the Internet is that it allows access to a large amount of information.

However, this aspect has in turn a negative reading, which in turn becomes a disadvantage of the Internet: there is a huge amount of information to which we can resort, with sources that can be erroneous and even offer contradictory data..

Thus, finding really reliable information on the networks is a challenge and implies the need to train oneself in the search for really valid and reliable information.

Also, this large amount of information can become saturated, not knowing where to turn and what to do with it.

3. Threat to privacy

The Internet allows us to connect with each other and share a large amount of thoughts, data, photos and information with others. But while at first this may seem desirable, it can also be a window to the can also become a window to external eyes for the violation of our privacy..

Without going any further, our data is trafficked by a large number of companies that use it, among other purposes, to offer us their products in the most attractive way possible or to know our position on certain aspects. Even at the labor level, many companies seek information on networks (including social networks) about candidates for their jobs.

Not to mention that interested third parties and strangers may know much more about us than we would allow in real life.

4. Distance, cold and impersonal contact

If as an advantage we commented that the Internet facilitates communication between people, the truth is that on the other hand this contact is usually much colder and more distant than the one that would be carried out face to face. This favors a much more superficial contact with others, something that can make it difficult toThis can make it difficult to develop social skills in the real world.

5. It can serve as a method of avoidance

A possible disadvantage of the use of the Internet lies in the fact that since it allows the realization of activities or contact with others in an immediate way and from the supposed security of our homes.

This convenience may mean that people with some kind of difficulty or problem, such as a social phobia, do not have to expose themselves directly to a social group, not have to expose themselves directly to a feared situation.This is something that, if maintained over time, maintains the problem as it can become an avoidance mechanism, something that makes it difficult to overcome their fears.

6. 24/7 contact

Another disadvantage is that the Internet is available on more and more devices (computers, cell phones, televisions... even watches and refrigerators) that we use constantly in our daily lives. Although it is not impossible, most of us are constantly connected to the network..

This means, especially in the case of social networks, that we can be called or contacted at any time and place, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In other words, unless specifically sought, there are very few opportunities to be "offline".

7. Decreases frustration tolerance

Just as we mentioned earlier that the Internet facilitates the creation of understandings between different perspectives and can increase the ability to attend to several stimuli at the same time or carry out more operations at the same time, it should also be noted that the immediacy of the Internet means that we have become accustomed to the fact that we have become used to the Internet. has meant that we have become accustomed to having everything here and now..

This implies that we are not used to waiting, which means that in the case of digital natives, for example, there is a tendency to have a lower capacity for tolerance to frustration and delayed gratification compared to previous generations.

8. Depends on the state of the network

In addition to the above, a further disadvantage can be found in the fact that its use depends to a large extent on the state of the network. depends to a large extent on the state of the network, the connection, the upload or download speed or even the presence of electricity..

Any failure in any of these elements may hinder a comfortable and efficient use or even make it impossible.

9. Addictive potential

An increasingly frequent problem of the period in which we find ourselves is the growing prevalence of dependence or addiction to new technologies, mostly based on the use of the network. This can create a pathological need to use networks (especially social networks) to check if something has happened, to see if someone has spoken to us or to find a way to entertain us, and if we are unable to access them, this can lead to anxiety and withdrawal symptoms. can lead to anxiety and withdrawal symptoms..

It is not that the Internet or its use is harmful or addictive in itself, but that the way we use it can lead to a dependence on the network.

10. Decreases physical activity

Finally, another element to highlight is that the predominance of the Internet in all areas of life and the fact that its use usually requires a rather sedentary posture. a rather sedentary posture means that the level of physical activity we engage in has decreased to a great extent, something that can have numerous implications for both physical and mental health.

Bibliographic references:

• Badger, E. (2013). How the Internet Reinforces Inequality in the Real World. The Atlantic.
• Comer, D. (2006). The Internet book. Prentice Hall.