The Internet has indeed changed our lives upside down, of course in a positive manner. There is no room for any debate here. In fact, it is the only preferred way of communication for the majority of the population. Apart from communication, it has become a part of our life, right from checking for the current news through booking tickets for a film.

Some of the positive effects of Internet:

You learn a lot by actually doing it – This is very true in the case of Internet. Children, while playing a good amount of time on the Internet, also learn a lot. They learn how to surf the internet, which in turn, helps them to improve their knowledge and self-confidence. The other advantage is that they improve their typing skills without even going to any typewriting institute as done in the olden days.

Faster communication – The Internet, being a multi-disciplinary tool, can be used for not only creating data but also as a tool to communicate with someone living almost in a remote corner of the world within seconds. Apart from text data transfer, tasks like video conferencing, online presentations, etc. are done so easily and consequently, it has become the preferred option for individuals as well as corporates as the main mean of communication. Many commercial organizations are linked, which helps them to act faster at times enabling them to save time and money.

Social contacts – The Internet has helped to interact with specific “requirement-based” communities without any geographic hindrance. Charitable organizations, blood banks, etc. can be contacted at no time when the need arises, and the globally connected societies share new technologies and knowledge without being restricted to move around only in specific environs.

Online shopping – The Internet has helped us to carry out all our shopping requirements sitting at home.

Work at home culture – It has become a reality for housewives and retired people to work from home using the internet, as plenty of online jobs are available these days. This not only keeps them active during day times but also enables them to earn some money to support their families.

Access to information - Through the Internet, we get an opportunity to have easy access to any information. Online reference books are available to browse, and this form of searching is a lot cheaper rather than buying books in reality or visiting libraries in search of them. Besides, online information is up-to-date as actual reference books tend to become outdated after a few months. In today’s world, a large quantity of data can be uploaded or downloaded, and we can have our library at home in line with our requirements.

Social communication – New scientific based developments continue to grow in the information technology, which inevitably transforms the mode of communication among the younger generation. The Internet has indeed eliminated all kinds of blockades in the communication scenario. The conventional hassle of time and space do not exist anymore, and the faster development of Internet has created room for new ways of communication, i.e. mobile internet. 

The far-reaching internet connectivity facilities via smartphones have resulted in the increasing usage of mobile phones. People prefer to operate their smartphones to stay online whenever they feel like doing so. It is fair to say that people who are staying away from this remarkable transformation are totally unaware of what they are missing!

With the multiplying usage of Internet in our daily lives, the information technology has moved way forward from the old industrial concept to networking era. The internet has changed the functioning of business organizations, the Government, educational institutions and most importantly our way of interacting with our loved ones.

The Internet has changed our communication patterns with our family members and friends as well since everybody is accessible in a simpler and faster way and in today’s world no one lives without a mobile. A major part of our communication with relatives and friends living in far away places is through laptops and smartphones only.

It should be accepted, however, that the Internet has produced a lot of negative effects also. Teenagers and children are addicted to the Internet and they spend most of their time in front of the monitor. They lose precious time which could have been used for other productive things. Online frauds and cyber crimes are alarmingly increasing.

The positive points, however, take precedence over the negative impacts and with the incredible technology growth that takes place in today’s world, the Internet has become a part of our life and just cannot be stopped.

To conclude, the Internet has undoubtedly changed our lives, and it has to be considered as one of the key factors for the social transformation.