Embracing Internet Has destroyed Social Norms The advancement of technology has made it possible for people from different areas to be able to connect easily. It is the advancement of Internet that has made globalization a reality and also helped to increase and improve the level of investments in different countries. The fact is that Internet has brought about good effects on the community and especially in the business sector. The cost of operating a business from one region to another has been significantly reduced. It has now become easier for people to meet and connect.
Approximately 3 billion people spend several hours of their day on online platforms either conducting business or simply communicating with their friends (Carr). Many young people including students spend four to five hours of their day on online platforms. Imagine what the world was like before the invention of technology, it seems as if it was gloomy right? Well people loved and lead their life in a normal way before the advancement of the Internet. Now imagine spending a day away from the devices that allow one to access the Internet, it would seem impossible.
This is an indication that while the Internet has brought about positive impacts on other fronts, it has destroyed social norms. Celebrities have disregarded their rights to privacy and made their lives public so as to keep in touch with their fans. A celebrity such as Beyonce creates what has come to be commonly known as “buzz” to alert her fans what she is up to. The problem does not stem up from Beyonce deciding to make her life public but rather the effect that he presence online does to her fans.
Since the establishment of the Internet, there has been a rise in the number of social platforms where people can oin and connect with friends. The average teenager spends up to six hours on their phones looking at the updates from their friends while uploading theirs (Graham, Dutton and Castells). The time spent on online platforms denies the individual an opportunity ti connects with people in real life. People tend to forget who they are in real life and focus on their images online. An individual that spends so much time online lacks the social skills required to make them succeed in life. The Internet has led to the collapsing of relationships. It has now become easier for people to meet new friends on online platforms.
The patience that is required to build a long lasting relationship is no longer there. Traditionally, people would spend days and even months trying to get to know each other. This was not done over the phone but through face-to-face interactions that made it possible for people to learn each other. This helped to grow the relationship from one level to another. However, the Internet has made it impossible for people to connect in real life. People are excited to meet other people online and they spend hours chatting on these platforms but never really get to know the person they are chatting with (Parasar).
It becomes hard for such individuals to held real discussions when they meet face to face because they have become used to chatting online. The reason why many relationships are failing is because people have lacked the patience required to nurture a relationship. The Internet has led to the erosion of a foundation upon which a relationship can be built. People are quick to walk away from relationships and even marriages because they accessed information online on how to deal with their relationships. Communication has been greatly affected by the advancement of the Internet.
People have become more comfortable with expressing their emotions on social platforms than they are on face-to-face interactions. The advancement of the Internet has also led to moral decay. Over 65% of children below the age of 15 have access to Internet enabled devices (Carr). With the availability of Internet, children are now able to access materials that might affect their development. Many children access gaming sites where they play violent games that affect their views on the issues affecting the society.
Picture an eleven-yearold kid being allowed to play a game where they chose he weapons that they will utilize to eliminate their enemies. An individual might think that this is a harmless game but continued access to such games will make the child see violence as the only means of solving conflicts. Other kids become out of touch with their feelings and are not empathetic towards people that are victims of violence. In many cases, such children grow up to become perpetrators of violence. There are pornographic materials that children can access online.
Teenagers especially that do not know how to handle the changes that are occurring on their bodies rely on online sources to gather information. The rise in teenage pregnancies is due to the fact that parents have neglected their children and allowed them to gather information about sex from online platforms. Children as young as ten years old are engaging in sex because they do not know the dangers of early sex they end up contracting diseases and others becoming pregnant. The society has become unable to deal with the negative effects of the Internet.
If any case they have resulted into encouraging their kids to gather as much information as they can online. The cost incurred by being on the Internet is high. An average youth spends five hours online and in many times doing nothing constructive. Imagine what one could accomplish in five hours. In five hours one can study for a test, in five hours one can volunteer for community service, one can also use the five hours working on a project. There is simply too many things that can be accomplished in five hours that can be beneficial to the individual both financially and socially (Parasar).
The time wasted on online platforms costs an individual opportunity to carry out roles that could propel them to success. The Internet in many countries is not free and therefore one has to spend money to access it. The amount of money that spends in a day on Internet is saved up for some months could enable one to be financially free. Some people end up doing chores so that they can have enough money to access the Internet. In conclusion, it is a fact that the Internet has changed the world. Communication has become easier and people can now connect with each other easily.
However, it is the Internet that has led to the destruction of social norms. There is no more privacy as individuals have decided to make their life public affairs. The family setting is failing due to the Internet and the children are losing their morals due to the content they access online. Being able to have the Internet work for an individual instead of an individual working for the Internet will enable them to save their wealth and time. Therefore, individuals should not over rely on the Internet.