The Internet: A Double Edged Sword?

The internet … a recent technological innovation that has changed the world forever. Never before has information been so vast, as if almost endless, or so easily accessible. The internet makes things possible today that were not even thought of 15-20 years ago. Even with such a great technology, questions still exist on whether or not the internet is a good or a bad thing. How could something so helpful be thought of as a destructive tool? In Lee Siegel’s Against the Machine, we observed Siegel’s introduction into the internet world. Perhaps some criticism of Siegel’s original works caused him to write a book in the demise of the internet? While some may say that it is ridiculous to think that the internet does more harm than good, does Siegel have a point?
Siegel defines the success of the internet behind the idea of its “convenience”, and who can blame him. The ability to log on to an internet site to search for any sort of information or pictures gives people the everlasting ability to constantly expand their knowledge. The internet has undoubtedly made certain procedures much easier and quick than in the past, these procedures would still have occurred regardless of whether the internet was around or not. While I am an avid fan of the internet and all that it has to offer, I can not deny that I can see some disadvantages to it as well. Such advances in the world of technology as the internet and cell phones have taken away from some essential parts of life. The people of today live a much more inward life. Interactions with people have turned into Instant Messaging or E-Mails or any other sort of internet communication, rather than face to face conversation. Of course, this makes things easier, but is that necessarily better?
No one can deny that the internet is an integral part of our present culture. Without it, some people may not even be able to function. One flaw I see with the naysayers of the internet lies in the internet itself. This application is simply a tool. No one is making anyone use it or do certain things on the internet. I agree when Siegel states that ‘we can either passively allow it to abstract our lives or guide it toward the fulfillment of its human promise.” Furthermore, “the choice is ours.” Today’s society carries an enormous privilege by having the internet. The internet itself is not harming society; it is the people who let the internet take their personal lives over.
For some people, the internet allows them to live more ‘freely’ because it essentially masks the individual’s self. All that people see on the internet are pictures and words, not the actual face of the person. Some people simply can not carry themselves normally on an interpersonal level and more or less depend on such tools as the internet to function. These people truly benefit from the internet, but on the other side they are almost ‘giving up’ at a part of their life. Without the help of the internet, they can not express their true feelings. Regardless, these people have forfeited to the internet and in some way forfeited to being in the public eye.
Quite simply, the internet has changed the way that we live and will continue to change it in the future. The opportunities created by the internet are endless, but we can not let the internet take over our lives. Even has E-mailing and other internet communications continue to grow, people still need to be able to function when standing face to face with another individual.