The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Internet

The Internet has been invented in the nineteen seventies

by the U.S. Department of Defense. Large amounts of secret information

were spread over thousands of computers instead of using only one, out

of security reasons. From then on the Internet developed further and

further into the worldwide network it is today. Across the globe

millions of people are connected to the Internet and use it to share

information and communicate. It is used in business, education,

journalism and in many more places. The Internet has brought lots of

good. People can send messages, letters, documents, pictures, and even

sound to anyone around the world. Every individual can put his or her

ideas on the Net and they are available to whoever wants to read them. Corporations can send orders and pay

checks with the one single click with the mouse. But despite the many

advantages the Internet has given us, it also brought some serious

disadvantages with it.

One very important disadvantage of the Internet is that it is

addictive. This is so serious that it is considered to be a real

disease. Psychologists speak of the Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAS).

Internet addicts use the Internet to escape from problems of everyday

life. Serious cases report of people staying online for six to ten, or

more hours a day. They feel anxious or irritable when offline, and

often have a disturbed relationship with friends or relatives. There

are some help offering sites on Net, which is quite ironic of course.

According to one of those sites, netaddiction.com, there are five

different types of addiction:

* Cyber-Sexual Addiction - Individuals who suffer from Cyber sexual

addiction typically are either engaged in viewing, downloading,

and trading online pornography or involved in adult fantasy

role-play chat rooms.

* Cyber-Relational Addiction - Individuals who suffer from Chat Room

Addiction become over-involved in online relationships or may

engage in virtual adultery.