This research examines the Internet and focuses on the negative aspects of the Internet on both an individual and societal level, including increased isolation of individuals and increased economic costs to society. Included also is an evaluation of the supposed benefits of the Internet and whether those are benefits to society or whether these benefits may actually mask negative effects.
The Internet encompasses the World Wide Web (Web), file transfer protocol sites (FTPs), newsgroups (electronic bulletin boards) and gopher sites (often used for government sites and one of the first widely used ways of accessing the Internet) (Stoll 43). Taken as a whole, the "Internet" connotes the interconnectivity of computers, information services and electronic mail services. From a single computer terminal or personal computer, individuals on the information superhighway are able to connect to a variety of other electronic resources for entertainment, information or to conduct business; most of these connections take place over telephone lines (Allen 1). Today, most users do not consider connectivity costs which once prohibited heavy use of the Internet; such costs are typically borne by companies or subsidized by the government through educational institutions (Stoll 19). Even in those situations where individuals pay for connecting to the Internet, there may be a flat-rate subsidized by advertising paid to the company providing the connection.
The telephone system that connects the world was originally developed to enable people to talk with other people not in the same physical location. This service was offered by companies who saw the service as a way to generate revenue and make a profit. Facsimile machines made it possible for machines to communicate with machines, but the printed word was still the medium of choice. The computer age also introduced the use of telephone lines to send bits of data, although voice and data ...