A world with the Internet
The Internet is not just a word, but a world today. The internet completes our lives, provides ease in our daily work and helps us to understand things that are beyond our understanding. Every day, the internet encourages us to do more or to expand our intellectual horizons, but is the internet making us more independent or dependent? Do we have a social life these days? Are we living two lives because of the Internet?
A throwback world
There was a time nearly 20 years ago when we only heard the word “Internet.” We hadn’t experienced it that much as we are experiencing it these days. People used cellphones, but there was no internet; that world was full of manual things; and people trusted in themselves and each other. Those days, they didn’t depend on any gadget that used the internet to do the work for them. There was a lack of awareness of the internet at the time, and things were not fully computerized like they are today. Is today’s fully computerized world making people gadget dependent and distrustful of one another?
Studying these days
Earlier, when the internet was not part of the education system, at that time, education was completely different. Solving study-related problems was not easy. We had to look up solutions in reference books or go to the library, search for books on those topics, and find the solution or gain an understanding of those problems.
In the current education system, the way of studying has completely changed. Solving problems is not a problem anymore because the internet makes things easy for students. Now students do not go down the long path that we followed to find solutions. Instead, they simply search for the solution on the internet. This saves time, but on the other hand, the internet is stealing the chance to explore many things, which comes in the path of solving problems. This way of learning makes students quantity-driven educated, not quality-driven.
These days, online education is taking the place of traditional classroom learning. Both systems have some limitations and benefits. Online education has opened the doors of education in every corner of the world. Everyone can get educated, but it depends on the internet connection. If students face any network problems, then they can not attend the classes, might not access study materials, or will not be able to submit assignments. Traditional classroom learning provides face-to-face interaction between teachers and students as well as fellow students. That provides more motivation, encouragement, and a sense of direction, which are basically missing in online education.
Research says online students easily quit the classes because they are self-motivated and have self-direction. The reason behind this could be anything like the instructor is not good, or the material is beyond their understanding, or they are having some network issues. In traditional classroom learning, if the students want to quit classes during the initial days, with this thought, they will rethink and continue the classes because of the instructor and fellow students. Here, the instructor provides direction and motivation, and fellow students provide the learning environment that gives them the courage to pursue the class without having any doubts.
The influence of social media
Social media comes along with the internet. This is a virtual platform where we connect people and make friends with them. We can see their posts, pictures, and overall lives, and they can see ours. These days, the impact of social media is at its peak. People love to post each and every moment on social media. Others may also do some activities for the sake of a post by seeing a friend’s post. These events are causing them to brag to the outside world about how amazing their lives are, but is this true or fabricated? Is social media forcing us to live two lives?
Teenagers are highly influenced by social media in pandemic times. They got mobile phones or laptops for their online classes. One recent study says that these days, teenage students are less social compared to college students. They spend most of their time on social media. Teenagers who used to play with each other once they got back from school are now sharing memes about nostalgia. Yeah, seriously. I mean, they forgot that they are still kids. On the other hand, these teens reported being cyberbullied at least once. It indicates that adolescent boys and girls have access to something that is beyond their comprehension and difficult to control. They need to raise awareness first. Like, Is there any need for social media in this age? Is this a time to make real friends or virtual friends?
Social media offers a way of earning as well. These platforms help people to make money with their knowledge and skillset and to start a business as well. It gives people a chance to do something for a living, and that is a great use of the internet and these platforms, I would say.
A new work culture is emerging.
At the time of the pandemic, we saw how the world adopted a new way of working. In the past couple of years, we have seen a new work culture emerge around us. Working from Home or Remote Work are not new concepts to us, but how they become a part of our working lives is something we had not anticipated.
This new work culture is possible only because of the internet. Apart from the tech world, other areas like marketing and sales have also started exploring the options that help them grow with the internet. Working online is good for business as well. According to the research, remote workers feel more productive because of fewer interruptions, a quieter work environment, a more comfortable workplace, and avoiding office politics. These all lead them to better mental health.
Today’s life
Today is the time where we can do anything with the help of the Internet. We can track our health activities, purchase our daily needs with one click, make payments, and do bank transactions with one single click. All these things are possible with the Internet, but weren’t we able to do these things earlier? Or how were we getting things done earlier?
We never considered it, but by doing these things with the internet, we are living a life with fewer connections. Somehow, the internet, while making us gadget dependent, has also made us people who live an isolated life. It’s strange that with all of these social media platforms, people are now more lonely than ever.
The bottom line is that the Internet facilitates work, but it is not necessary to follow that path in our lives because some old and traditional ways of doing things still help us to get our work done while also making us more social. In today’s time, the internet is there, but we have our own choices on how to get things done, so choose wisely.
“Today, the Internet rules the globe, but don’t let it rule you.” — Abhishek Swarnkar
