12/6/11

Final: Where there is light, there is shadow.

3. Write a blog post that focuses on separate examples of what you feel to be both the best and the worst aspects of the internet. You are welcome to use sources from the Scoop It channels or any other sources you find to be credible. You will be expected to provide two sources for both your best and worst example. If you use a source that is not available online, you will need to cite it at the bottom of your blog post in MLA format. 

 Internet is such a wide world -- maybe greater than the real world we live in. Huge amount of people go online everyday, and a lot of information are added at the same time. I use the Internet almost everyday for research, and getting in contact with my friends. Internet is very useful and convenient that nowadays, most people do not realize the scary part. Just like we say "where there is light, there is shadow", even if the positive aspects are very visible, there are negative aspects of Internet at the same time.

 


 One of the positive aspects that I think of Internet is that we are able to access a lot of information. If there are words we do not know, just go online, and we can get the answer. For example, go to dictionary.com for definitions of words, look up in our friend wikipedia for basic information about anything, or if you want to know how to make french toasts, just type it in google, and you will get the answer. Internet is very useful, that you can access a lot of information. It makes my life easy doing research for essays and papers for school. However, as stated here, if you use the information online in the wrong way, you will definitely get the wrong outcome.

 While being able to access a lot of information can be a positive factor, it can also become a negative factor at the same time. People can research and get information about making and accessing something outlaw. There has been incidents even in the peaceful country, Japan, regarding people sending handmade bombs to other people's houses for revenge. Not only you can find the process and photos, but you can even find videos regarding how to make bombs too. Also, Internet provides address and call numbers to some Japanese yakuza offices and drug dealers. Some teenagers think it is fun to access them without realizing that they are dangerous. Being able to access a lot of information would not always lead to positive outcomes. As stated on this website, although some say it was accidental, have accessed some sites that 'kids' are not allowed. Internet may be a very useful source of a huge amount of information, but they are at the same time, a very dangerous and influential source.
Edward VIII Post Box
Edward VIII Post Box by Pimlico Badger CC Licencing

 Another positive aspect of Internet is about being about being able to connect with your friend. By using social networking services such as facebook or mixiyou are able to find your friends easily online. One of my professors use facebook for getting in contact with his students and commenting on their works they upload. I thought that this is a very convenient way of getting in contact with a lot of people at the same time. Also, some of my friends use social networking sites such as ameba blog to find new friends with related hobbies and interests. Since her hobby was somehow 'interesting', not much of her friends in school had the same hobby. However, through social networking, she was able to find new friends. This is the 'successful' way of using social networking or Internet world, but this is only one part of examples.

 While being able to connect with friends, it is dangerous that  you are providing personal information online.  For example of facebook, a lot of people show their names, photos, school, and on. Also, My friend once told me that he is worried about using twitter. He said that "if I tweet where I am, wouldn't someone follow me like a stalker?" (It was interesting that the person who said this was a man) I thought this was true. Some people upload photos along their tweets, and that can easily show where he/she was and is there. In addition, as there are websites like this, people must remember that kids who are surfing through Internet just from curiosity are the prey for some strangers online. I remember, back in elementary school, my friends were talking about online chatting with a person named 'stranger' and they were having fun talking to them. My family did not own a computer back then so I did not understand what they were talking about, but as I think back today, I feel very scared. We must rememmber that people you interact online are not always good people.

  Since our family did not own a computer, my thoughts about internet were always 'scary' until I actually used internet for myself. I was surprised to know that there are elementary kids who are already using internet for themselfves and playing whatever games online. Recently, I feel that internet is very useful and full of great information. However, when I research about it like this, I realize that it is a dangerous world. Where there is light, there is shadow -- internet may be very useful and good, there surely are negative points about it.

No comments:

Post a Comment