The Internet. Although its prominence in our lives is questioned by many (particularly those in older generations), it has become a staple of modern society. It's nearly impossible to go a day without interacting with the internet in some way shape or form. So what is it about the internet that makes it so amazing?
1. It Keeps Us Connected
The Internet connects us. It's as simple as that. No matter how far from our loved ones we may be, various websites, apps, and programs allow us to stay in touch with them. For example, when I was studying abroad in Canada, my cell phone didn't get service and I was effectively cut off from my friends and family back home. Thanks to the Internet, I was still able to message and even FaceTime them. Now that I'm home, I am able to use it to stay in touch with the friends that I made while I was abroad.
2. We Can Be Exposed To New Things
Whether it comes from searching for something specific or just coming across something new while scrolling through Facebook, we can come across new things at any time. These things can be concepts, ideas, or products. Sometimes, we can even find something that we have never heard of that we end up loving. For example, I posted a Tweet asking for book recommendations. I received many recommendations at least eight different people, and all of their recommendations were books that I had never heard of and that I would have been unlikely to encounter on my own. In addition, I was listening to a Podcast that I was streaming online and one of the hosts recommended a book that I had not heard of before: The Martian by Andy Weir. Being a book in the sci-fi genre, it's completely out of my normal reading realm, but I was completely hooked from the first page. Of course, we can encounter some bad things as well, but how badly we are affected by them is completely dependent on us.
3. We Can Easily Find Entertainment
With streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu becoming increasingly popular, it isn't difficult to find something to watch. Both of them give us thousands of movies and television shows that are available at our fingertips, so we are not wanting for something to entertain us. Even if we're searching for free entertainment, YouTube videos and Twitch livestreams of every kind are available. As I'm writing this article, I'm watching one of my favorite YouTubers/livestreamers, Lucahjin, play a video game live on Twitch. I, along with the hundreds of other people watching, are thoroughly entertained and having a good time bonding over this experience that would not be made possible without the internet.
4. We Can Make New Friends
When I was younger, my mom always warned me to be careful about talking to people on the internet. They could be pretending to be someone just to get you to trust them so they can get something out of you. Heck, my grandma says the same things to me now. However, this isn't always the case. There are often people who are genuine in the way they interact with you. Some of my closer friends from high school were friends that I met online. One of the friends that I shared some of the most fun experiences of my life with was a friend that I met online. Sure, you should exercise caution when interacting with others online, but don't let that deter you from reaching out and making new friends.
Are there negative aspects to being so reliant on the Internet? Sure there are. However, they can be overlooked to see the benefits that the Internet supplies us with. Not only can we stay connected with old friends from far and wide, we can also make new connections and friends. We can discover new things that we may not have known about otherwise. The Internet is truly one of the most amazing technological advances in recent history, and we are lucky to have it.
