While reading The Curious Researcher, I began to think about the different ways to find a topic to write about. The internet was in the list of suggestions and I found that that was usually the only source I ever use to look up topics. I can not even remember the last time I researched something in an actual paper book. It is so much easier to type away and find the book online. So many other resources about a topic that you would not be able to find in library are found with a few strikes on the keyboard.
The internet is a fairly new technology, but most people wouldn't be able to picture their lives without it. As I sit typing this I am on my laptop with my phone right beside me. I can not even imagine the countless number of times I have reached for these devices in order to use the internet. Our generation in a way is almost addicted to the internet. A normal day for me begins with a check of the weather online and then a quick check to my emails.
I never thought about how ridiculous it is that I am so reliant on the internet until my Microeconomics class. On the first day my professor asked the class how many of us would give up the internet for the rest of our lives for a million dollars. A million dollars is a lot of money but no one in my lecture hall of four hundred would raise their hand. Think of your life without Google. All the information you need is directly at your fingertips and the internet only costs pennies to work. Internet is essentially priceless to today’s society.
So many everyday tasks require the internet, but it is hard to decipher whether or not this is a bad thing. For example, Florida State runs on the internet. From reading assignments to taking test, this all can be done and is sometimes required to find or do online. Blackboard is a site that can handle all the needs of students and professors without the need of ever using paper. Some classes are entirely online and require zero face to face interaction Imagine for one day that Blackboard went down. Would Florida State be able to function as efficiently? The answer is no. The use of paper in the classroom is almost obsolete and without the use of the internet most classes would not be able to operate properly.
Now imagine that for one day the internet went down or crashed. Not only would our generation not be able to update our glorified Facebook pages but on a bigger scale, businesses and all online commerce would come to a dramatic standstill. The devastation caused by one day of halt would take a lot of time and effort to recover from.
My questions to the class are: Have you ever realized how reliant you are on the internet? Do you think it’s a problem that our world today sees the internet as an absolute necessity?
I for one can admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with the Internet. I seem to use everything as an excuse to go online: if I have homework that may involve an actual book, I'll use the Internet instead; if I am bored, I'll use the Internet; if I cannot sleep, I'll use the Internet; if I want to seem busy, I'll use the Internet. Though the Internet is a great resource that gives us close to anything we could ever want to know, it is problematic. To use myself as an example, I prefer to stay online rather than dealing with social interactions. With the way society is going with so many advances in technology, we are becoming extremely anti-social - why bother with talking to someone when you can just text or email them? It could also be seen that the Internet is decreasing our intelligence in the fact that it does not take much effort to type in a few words into a search engine and getting all the information we need. When compared to the days when research called for hard-covered encyclopedias, we are getting so much less out of the knowledge, though we have better access to it.
ReplyDeleteTo think that people in the past never had to use the internet to relay information to each other or gain new knowledge on something never truly understood is fascinating to my mind as our generation is more adapted to using the internet as a way of communication and building of knowledge. Just recently I discovered information about Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension on the internet because of my curiosity on the disease. It's amazing how doctors had to actually write down their research and draw out what the anatomical structure of a human with PAH would look like without useful software many use now from the internet. I also recently cut down on my use of the internet only using it when needed for school work, or to gain more insight on a particular subject. Not using the internet for useless searches and videos has helped me gain control of my physical life. I can now do more extracurricular activities instead of looking up a cute video of a cat yawning or other unproductive activities that require a Wi-Fi connection. I have to say it is not easy the first few days of no internet for non-school related uses but it is more healthy on my social and physical health.
ReplyDeleteI guess I never did realize how reliant I am on internet. I use it for almost everything, money, studies, entertainment, and communication. Personally I would be in a lot of trouble if the internet went down. I believe that almost the entire world has started to move towards electronic and internet storage and operation. If the internet went down the whole world would be in chaos because everyone is dependent on it.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is something that I can honestly say I cannot go a day without. I am often checking my e-mails or my tumblr account or my twitter. I rely on the internet so much, I don't know what I would have to do if I had to give it up. I am kind of conflicted with my thoughts because I know that I am obsessed with the internet but I do think that it can become borderline unhealthy. Many people replace actual human interaction with their computers. I use the internet for entertainment and also my school work. I am checking blackboard all the time for assignments and messages from teachers. I also use the internet for research. I can't remember the last time I actually went to the library to look up a source. I find everything i need on the internet and I don't know where i would be today without it.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely reliant on the internet, but I also realize the possibility of not having access to it. Society as a whole has formed to it as an aid to efficiency and prosperity. Communication, intelligence and the global economy of today is entirely possible through the internet. Our parent's generation is stuck in a huge conundrum between the pros and cons of the internet. They feel as if socially our society has suffered because of the internet, damaging the personal relationships that were once gained from person to person interaction and now everything is done from a computer screen. What they do not realize is that they are the seed of this technology, a generation that was hungry for new technology and for giving their children the "better life". Yes, the internet has become a necessity, but it is the product of a world that is constantly growing and improving. I don't think dependency on the internet is a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet is something I could live without. Growing up in the middle of the forestry, we do not have, still do not have, and will not have for another 5-10 years, high speed Internet access. That being said, I had dial-up which is the only Internet that we could use other than sateillite Internet. Everyone knows that slow Internet speeds are a pain to deal with so I avoided getting online any chance I could and did whatever homework I could without the use of Internet. However I still did not go to the library much to use books to do research. I just found a high speed Internet source in order to complete my assignments if absolutely necessary. Now being in Tallahassee I have access to high speed and I am always on it because it is there and it is easy, quick entertainment and access to just about anything that you want so right now I am addicted to the Internet. However when going home to visit, all that Internet access is taken away. So I think that I would still be able to function without Internet access and smart phones. It is a luxury to me.
ReplyDeleteI think people nowadays are very dependent and reliant on the Internet and many young people cannot fathom a life without Internet and smart phones. We think it is an absolute necessity. We think that all of this is a necessity to function in society now, but I don't think it as much as we think it is. People were able to function without it and businesses functioned fine without it. Yeah, it is helpful and allows process to flow smoother and more efficiently, but everything would not fall apart without it. All of this technology has only evolved within the last several decades.
I am so glad, that this topic was brought to attention. I had thought about this numerous times and I’m so glad that someone else has noticed it too. I noticed this a lot when I would hang out with my friends, and their IPhones, and how much they would freak out when they would lose the Wi-Fi connection and they would have to go a whole two hours without seeing their Facebook account. I have noticed that I am incredibly reliant on the internet, but I don’t really feel like that’s my fault. Growing up, most people were blessed with wireless internet and every electronic device known to man at their fingertips. In my household, things were much more different. We didn’t get wireless internet until two years ago. We didn’t have it where I live, because it is so far from town. When we started off with the internet, we had the dial-up connection -the one that nobody remembers- the one where the phone line was then taken up when somebody connected to the internet with that wonderful beeping dial-up tone. I lived in a family of six people and with so many people, one learned that there was always somebody who needed the phone or the computer, so we adapted quickly knowing that if you got the internet you had to do your work and do it quickly before somebody placed a call that booted you off. There was no time for dilly-dallying around and wasting time exploring websites.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t really start using the internet until my sophomore year of high-school. All my papers I did, I used tons of books for a reference. It was when I got to my sophomore year, that teachers started telling me that I couldn’t use an encyclopedia as a reference anymore, because they were too outdated and I needed more modern information. I was never dependant on the internet, until school made me that way.
The internet has been made a necessity to us due to the society we live in. People don’t talk anymore, they “chat”. We don’t send friends letters; we post things on their walls. We don’t go on trips to see distant friends, we Skype. Society is changing and its citizens have to change with it too in order to be functional in society. If you wanted to look at a restaurant menu for takeout, they don’t have ads in the Yellow Pages anymore, and a lot of them don’t have websites anymore either. No, instead we look to Facebook and we follow that weird black and white ink blot that takes us to a business’ homepage. It’s ridiculous the way we have to rely on the internet. If one day it was taken away from us, our society would crumble. There would be mass panic (and nobody would be able to check the news because their news apps wouldn’t work). I would be really afraid to be around when that happens, because there are no limitations to what people will do in order to have the internet at their fingertips.
I could not even imagine life without the internet! As you mentioned, we use the internet for everything whether its for school or just personal reasons like Twitter. The internet helps cut down time, like for instance could you imagine if your math professor had to grade each and everyones math exam? Of course not that would take forever. So instead the math exam is online! As I have gotten older, I have realized how much I depend on the internet. I don't really know if that is a good or bad thing. It's crazy how much our lives would suck if the internet were to ever crash! Us American and other people around the world put so much into the internet whether its your banking information, or power points for the days lectures and even the economic crap! I do think its crazy that the internet has become such a necessity but I don't really know if it's a good or bad thing. With out it, we couldn't do our normal activities for the day.
ReplyDeleteImmediately after reading the first paragraph of this blog, I could relate. It is so much easier to use the internet rather than going to a library searching for books! Our generation truly does seem to be addicted to the internet (and technology in general). They’ve even come out with new phone cases for iPhones that make your phone water resistant… my friend was texting me while taking a shower just to prove that it could be done. Texting in the shower, though? How outrageous is that? I really liked the question of “would you give up the internet for the rest of your life for one million dollars?” I can take a guess that no one would give up internet. I think the internet and its capabilities are truly wonderful things that have changed the way we live for the better. However, I think our reliability on the internet, especially for social networking and engine searches, has become a little bit ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI have for sure noticed that the world operates by the use of the internet, and to me, that is not necessarily a problem. I won't be a hypocrite and admit that I check Facebook, twitter, email, google, and stumble upon at least once a day! It does not mean that I am sucked in by the internet, but it helps me keep in touch with friends at different school or family back home. It is a genius invention and has revolutionized the world no doubt about it. It has made communication faster and business more prosperous. There are websites dedicated to selling products and shipping them out in days. It used to take weeks maybe even months to deliver messages or items because of lack of travel and communication. On the other hand, I do think people should pay less attention to the internet and spend some time outside or reading an actual book.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I tried my best to make the internet important to my family. I would come home from elementary school and try to make the best of what I had before me. Back then, The internet was still very shallow. AOL pretty much dominated the industry and dial-up was standard. I would log in and go through little flash and shockwave games in my spare time, Instant message fellow classmates, and read a few things going on around the world. These activities can easily be mimicked outside of the internet, it just takes more time. Unfortunately this world moves really...really fast. That’s why we simply can not operate without it. The speed of the world is catered by the internet and the internet caters the speed of the world.
ReplyDeleteI say all this because It’s not that I do not want internet, I love the internet and I feel it’s a wonderful tool for society, but I wish as a global society, we would just slow the fuck down. Everyday, we try so hard to cram in what we can, to learn all we can, to do everything we possibly can because one day tomorrow won’t be there. While it’s true you might not have tomorrow, you should take time to indulge in today. Look around you when you walk to class, don’t just plummet through the crowd to get to english. People used to take their time on the internet just like they had before when they were writing a letter. Emails were very proper, and forums still proved intellectually stimulating without the use of shorthand (“u, ur, etc.) But what can you do?
TL;DR The internet has sped up society and maintains our chaotic frantic lifestyle that in my opinion is obnoxious and not worth while.
If I took a day and counted how many times I use the internet for business, communication, and entertainment, it would probably be around 300 to 350 times a day. Having a smart phone gives you the ability to do things like read online news articles any time on the day. The internet has integrated itself into society better than any other creation in history. It is a foundation for communication and business, while also containing unlimited forms of entertainment. In a way the internet is like the matrix. A large majority of the world is connected to it, and the power of the internet is easily underestimated. December 2010, Tunisia saw the effects of all out revolution that was organized on the popular site known as Facebook. It will be interesting to see what effects the internet has on the world in the next twenty years.
ReplyDeleteI realize how attached I am to the internet and technology multiple times a day. I rely so heavily on my iphone that it would be a huge inconvenience for me to go out in the day without it. For me it’s not so much about the facebook and social networking, but being able to be in instant communication with people at the touch of a screen. I am able to check my email and see what time my practices are or what work out I have that day, check my bank account for money, or check the weather to plan a weekend at the beach. Being able to have the internet so handy has saved my butt on multiple occasions.
ReplyDeleteInternet is a very important tool in todays society. It's to the point where its hard, maybe even impossible to be successful without the use of the internet. You can do everything. The internet allows people to communicate in different nations and does so in a matter of seconds. Without the internet the world would move a lot slower, in the sense that things would get done slower in the every day world. The internet used to not have such a huge impact on society but now it does, everything is done on it. Without the internet the world wouldnt get things done as quickly.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I have a question do first thing I do is go to the internet. I socialize through the internet, I learn through the internet and I also express my feelings through the internet. I think the internet is a great thing however it is hindering our generations intelligence, in my opinion. Espcially the attention span we have. Everyone is now making a big deal about SOPA but really would it be that terrible to have certain contents blocked or censored? This world is too attached to the internet.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that I'm "reliant" on the internet, but I certainly do enjoy it and find it to be an advantage. It's convenient when it comes to finding information for school assignments or for personal matters such as paying bills and shopping. I don't think it's a problem that our world sees the internet as a necessity. To me, it's just all about balance. Some people tend to abuse it and use it for everything (even social life); while others use it efficiently for work/school and research. My major is technology related because I know that eventually computers are going replace humans in many fields. I personally love the internet and computers since they can help us advance and grow as a society when they're used to their full potential.
ReplyDeleteUs as a society isn't neccessarily reliant on internet but it makes our everyday lives much more easier. Despite the fact that yesterday wikipedia was blacked out and many people said they couldn't do their research papers, I see it as more of a joke.
ReplyDeleteIn the past couple years, as I have started to write longer papers, and got a smart phone, and these things have made me realize how addicted I am to the internet. I use my phone everyday to check my emails, look at my facebook, or even move money to my debit card. The internet helps me out so much with class work, I can't imagine having to write a research paper without being able to look up sources online which has helped me save so much time. I don't think its a problem that its become so prevalent in everyday life, its just what humans have gotten use to. It saves us a lot of time and its become second nature for people to use it. It would be extremely difficult for our society and most of the world to switch back to non-internet use, but possible, so I don't think its a necessity.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, yes, I have realized I am dependant on the internet, but I think I could live without it. I honestly only use it to write papers, do homework, and sometimes to interact with my friends. But it hasn’t gotten to the point where I couldn’t live without it. I don’t have a problem with looking for books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. On the other hand, our world has. The internet is man-made, and over the years everything has become easier thanks to its existence, and I believe it would be very difficult to go back to the days where it didn’t exist. Like you said, the cost of the internet crashing down for one day would be too expensive and unimaginable.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, yes I have realized that i am quite dependent on the internet. If I'm sitting at home or in class and a question pops into my mind, i just look it up on my phone or computer. It is so easy to just google the question or if i had an email that i need to check info on.. its right on my phone. The world would not be able to function without internet. If i got asked the same question i probably wouldn't take the 1 million dollars because in reality, the internet is what helps me with everything i need and gets me through the day.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is coming up on its 20th birthday here in just a few years (and that is the internet being open to the public). So yes it is not old but it isn't new either. Our generation has grown up on computers. I've used one almost daily since i was 4. I wouldn't say that i am addicted to the internet, but i spend on average around 8 hours a day on the internet. And no i wouldn't take a million dollars to give up the internet. It has taught me more than i can even begin to think about. In my opinion it is the best resource for learning today, especially in a short period of time. I completely disagree with you that FSU couldn't run for one day without BB. One day wouldn't be a problem at all. Teachers could deal with that no problem. Now if the internet "went down" forever then there would be a period of time where the school would need to re-group, but it wouldn't be a problem. The world turned the same way it does now without the internet, so we'd be alright. I realize everyday how much i use the internet. I honestly believe that i've hurt my eye sight because of how much I am on the computer, but have yet to get it checked out. And it is not a problem because it really isn't a necessity, it is just the easiest and fastest way to get a great amount of knowledge. Like I said before, the world spun just the way it does today when it didn't have the internet.
ReplyDeleteI have always been aware of how reliant I am on the internet. It is crazy to think that we are the generation who just can't seem to put down their iPhones. Personally, I find this to be awful. I was sitting with a group of friends at a coffee shop one day and I noticed that every single on of them had either a computer or a phone; their eyes fixed upon their screens. I was the last to arrive and when I sat down suddenly I found that I was talking to myself. No one was responsive, no one could have a decent conversation. It got to the point where I had to complain about how incredibly drawn they were to their technology. In the end, only one decided to put away their phone and have a decent conversation. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer conversing than posting a new status or watching endless, and might I add sometimes pointless, youtube videos. I don't call this relying, I call this overusing. With all the new technology coming out these days it's hard to resist. Everything is easier and more efficient. While, yes, sometimes it is nice to send out an email at the exact moment you want to from your phone, sometimes we seem to forget to take a breath of fresh air and come back to reality. The internet is a wonderful tool; a wonderful tool that needs to be used in moderation. If not, our society is completely lost without it.
ReplyDeleteI do realize how dependant I am on the internet, it would be very hard for me to go a day without it. The internet is also vdery important in the world, without it almost nothing could be functioning properly. I don't think that it's a bad thing that we view internet as a necessity. We are just using technological advancements to try and improve everyting in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI feel I could manage without the internet pretty well. I would have difficulty on research projects, but other than that I would have no problem doing things the old fashioned way. I am happy to admit I almost never get on Facebook. I prefer to talk to people over the phone or face to face to find out about them.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I am very dependent on the Internet. To me, it is very convenient, its having a plethora of information at your fingertips. It is a way to stay connected, not only with your friends and family, but also with the world. I rely on the Internet for most of my information, I keep my friends and family informed with what’s going on in my life and I use it to stay updated with what’s happening around the world.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think that the amount of Internet use is such a problem, because it does save us a lot of time and energy, yet I do believe we spend more time socializing on the Internet than we do in the real world. It is rare now-a-days, when someone doesn't have a social networking site like Facebook or twitter. I for one don't spend most of my time on these networking websites, but I know many people that do. I primarily take advantage of the Internet for schoolwork and such. The Internet has made paying bills to taking test so much more convenient. I believe the Internet has benefited us in more ways than not. If the Internet were obsolete in the world, would it affect us? Probably not. Past generations have lived without it before, but now that we’ve used it, it certainly would be difficult to do without. Although, it isn't a necessity, it makes our lives easier and it’s an extremely useful resource.
In todays modern age almost everyone with access to a computer is addicted to the internet. I can admit that I am addicted to the internet; I continuously check facebook, twitter, emails, and pinterest every five seconds between my iphone and laptop. I do not think that the internet is a bad thing and I don't see a a problem with it being a necessity. The internet has provided many useful opportunities to the worlds, even here at FSU from blackboard to taking tests online at the university center.
ReplyDeleteI am very reliant on the internet. The internet is my savior, my lifeline, my source of entertainment and my resource for studying. All of my emails, contacts, pictures, papers, notes, bank accounts, and songs are all in my computer backed up to the internet. It is a problem that our world today sees the internet as an absolute necessity. We depend so much on the internet that we have forgotten how to look facts up in encyclopedias and in libraries. Also, some doctors’ offices use the internet to keep patient records. If the internet were to crash the majority of our lives and the lives of many professionals would be at a standstill. Relying on anything too heavily is bad.
ReplyDeleteI am quite reliant on the internet for my daily life. If at the end of my day I was not able to go back to my apartment and sit down with and ice cold glass of sweet tea and play Battlefield I would be not happy. I know that sounds dumb but in all seriousness more people use the internet for leisurely tasks like gaming or Facebook than we do for actually meaningful work. The internet is also the fasting growing medium for small business, it would kill out economy to lose it or even have it censored (SOPA PIPA). The internet is the single most important resource in a first world society.
ReplyDeleteAs you are, I am very reliant on the internet. I too check the weather forecast EVERY morning before leaving for class. I don't know what I would do without the internet. I control my classes, my banking, communication with family, medical information...everything. I have a summer internship and we are very reliant on the interent with marketing our products and handling our clients. Even though everything is backed up, it just takes one server or even a mix-up with internet connections to set-off an office wide panic and lead to unresponsive phones and ultimately unfinished business. I do not think the internet is a problem. I think when you say 'internet' you sort-of mean technology as a whole. For that we are at good stages with technology. I do think when technology starts to become overwhelming (technology in which the item does not need to be programmed by a person, pretty much a Terminator thing. I think that is totally possible in the future.), then we need to take a break and step back.
ReplyDeleteI am reliant on the internet for anything school related, from online quizzes to submitting assignments. But that is not the only thing I rely on the internet for. I use it as a time killer when I am bored, I use it primarily as my research tool for school assignments, and as a means of communication with my family back home. I do not think it is a problem that we are so reliant on the internet. It is a great tool that can be used in unlimited ways. It would be as if it is a problem how reliant we our on medicine, it is a advancement for the human race, it is here to help so might as well take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteI am entirely reliant on the internet to live out my everyday life. From the time I get up till the time I go to sleep I wouldn't be surprised if a quarter (maybe more) of that time was either spent on the internet or interacting with something that is reliant on the internet. As to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, i'm not completely sure. on one hand, the modern worlds obsession with the internet seems in some ways just as crippling as a drug or alcohol addiction. At the same time, the internet has brought the modern world so far in the last few years and it doesn't seem like there's any end in sight. I suppose if I were to pick a side I would say the internet does more good than bad. The vast amount of information available on the internet eliminates not only the need for so much paper, but also allows people access to information never available before, allowing people to learn and advance much more efficiently than ever before.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have realized how reliant that we have become on the internet, and to tell the truth, its not a bad thing at all. In fact, the positives outweigh the negatives. Having this "addiction" to the internet allows everyone's lives to run so much more efficietly and effectively. I dont understand why anyone would not love the internet. Personally, I'm on the internet almost every minute of everyday; excluding the time in classes of course. It helps me get my work and research done way faster than I would without the internet and if it saves me time, thats all I care about. Time is money, and I love money, so I love the internet.
ReplyDeletei would like to say that I'm not reliable on the internet. if the internet never existed i would be ok with it. i didn't have cable until i was a freshman in high school, i turned out just fine and if school didn't require the internet i would probably use it twice a month. it is a problem that our children will not know how to do things without the internet. my children will most definitely learn the necessities of life without the internet.
ReplyDeleteWell right now it is absolutely necessary. We could have a journal, but I personally like the blogs more. I think I am a little too reliant on youtube especially. I can be on youtube for several hours a day just watching random videos. I never really sat back and thought about how much I do it because going on the internet to me is like walking to class or getting something to eat. It is, especially nowadays, an essential part of my day.
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