Impact of the Internet

The Impact of the Internet on People

By: Danyell Smith

April 28, 2006

ITEC 2215

Saturday Class

Professor Alicia Davis

The Internet has had a large impact on businesses, countries, and individuals. The Internet first started out as a research tool for Universities and now has become the "information freeway". The Internet has created problems for some companies and has helped other companies. The Internet has caused problems with individuals but has also helped many individuals.

The research on sending information from computer to computer began in the 1960s. The United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) funded the research project known as ARPA. In the 1980s, large commercial companies began to use TCP/IP to build private internets. The ARAP investigated hypertext and created tools to allow users to browse menus. In 1989, the technologies were put together to for the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web was opened to public use and became a huge success in the early 1990s.

"Within a few years, the Internet will turn business upside down. Be prepared-or die, says Matthew Symonds". (The Economist) The companies have made businesses, such as Amazon.com and eBay, a great deal of money. Through Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) a customer can go through a pick what they want without getting out of the house. An individual is able to find almost anything he/she wants or he/she can request anything they want off the internet. The Internet has helped companies' lower costs of their goods across the board. The companies can enter new markets, create more sources of income, and redefine partnerships and relationships. With access to online services, the smaller companies are able to project to a bigger audience. Stockholders in companies are able to access the finances of the business online and many companies are able to attract new stockholders and investors through posting their financial statements online.

The downside of the Internet for business is the increase of identity thief, hackers, and dissatisfaction with the product. Customers are more vulnerable to having their information stolen through online transactions in the 1990s. Security measures and consumer awareness has decreased the access to the information over recent years. Hackers that hack into websites and change the prices of products are also a problem. The business may not know of a price error until the purchase has been processed. The company may have time to cancel the orders but they still lose the money in the time it takes to cancel orders. Customers who order products online maybe dissatisfied with it or it may not be what they thought. In most businesses, a refund or exchange is no problem. But when dealing with auction sites, the person gets or does not get what he/she ordered. Another downside to having an E-Commerce business is the creating and maintaining of the website(s). The individual(s) have to taken in consideration many factors. The person must come up with whether or not to outsource his website to be maintained and updated. The person must hire people to be able to place the products and descriptions online. The success of an online business is creating and maintaining a user friendly website and being unique. Businesses are able to even hire employees by viewing resumes online to find the best candidate for a position. The business owner can also find help with any aspect of his business through sources such as online banks and investors. The business owner can even talk to other business owners and individual to get additional ideas.

The internet has helped many individuals also. Many people find the love of their lives online. Some people find other family members and lost friends. The Internet offers many services for use by an individual. It offers dating advice, relationship advise, instructions on how to complete a project, and even classes. People even have chats with strangers on anything they want. Colleges and Universities are offering complete degrees online without having to get in the classroom. This allows individuals to advance their careers and even start new ones. Doctors are able to communicate with each other through a secured connection about a patient. Doctors are able to send images and medical records through online sites and some doctors maybe able to treat a patient's symptoms without going to an office. The help the Internet offers to people is endless. People also enjoy the Internet for online games, downloading music, and watching movies.

There is also a negative impact to the Internet for individuals. There are many stories in the news that show how easy it is for adults to meet children. There are stories of people who go missing or murdered because they met someone on the internet. There are websites that show a depressed individual how to commit suicide and murder. Many negative website are easy to access and there are others that have to same interests. Psychologists are studying "Internet Addiction" to see if it can be classified as a real addiction. Addiction is defined as "a compulsion or overpowering urge to use a substance, regardless of potential or actual harm." In this definition "Internet Addiction" does not seem to be a real disease, but some people see it as a real problem. "Some psychologist have inferred that desktop Internet access in the workplace transforms some employees- particularly those with a predilection toward addictive behavior- into Internet