Internet Is Good for Study - Essay Example

September 11, Internet is Good for Study Introduction Contemporary generation has acknowledged that the Internetis a normal part of everyday life. There are different activities that are being undertaken in faster and easier ways with the assistance of the Internet. As a global system comprising interconnected computer networks which use the standard Internet protocol suite to connect billions of devices globally, the Internet has come to revolutionize all facets of human existence, including studying. The relevance of this is that the Internet has become the most powerful innovation and can be very productive, when used positively. Statistics has revealed that global use of the internet as of 2012 have profoundly increased and where China ranked as the number one country with the highest number of Internet users and followed by the United States (Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users). The popularity of the Internet could be attributed to different reasons, depending on the profile of the users. It has always been acknowledged that members of the current generation, especially adolescents and young adults use the Internet for diverse purposes other than fact finding or information gathering. The popularity of social networking sites has significantly increased Internet usage through sharing of experiences, photos, events, and recent updates on the lives of friends, relatives, and acquaintances. From the study conducted by the Lebo, the Internet was found to be used for the following general purposes: fact finding activities, visiting social networking sites, playing games, watching videos, paying bills, and even purchasing products online (Lebo). Fact finding activities could already be classified as a general category for studying. In this regard, the current discourse contends that the Internet is actually a good medium for enhancing academic performance or in studying for the reasons that information is easily accessible; more people from all walks of life have immediate access to this technological medium; and studying through the Internet could be undertaken across time and geographic locations. A discussion of the reasons why the Internet is deemed good for studying would initially be provided. To present a balanced discourse, the views of people who contend that the Internet actually poses threats to learning and academic development would also be expounded. Thus, the next section would present a discussion on why the Internet could be detrimental to academic endeavors. The final section would weigh the arguments asserting the Internet as either beneficial or detrimental for studying. A recommendation and concluding portion would affirm the stand that, despite the contradictions, the Internet remains more advantageous for students today. Arguments Advocating that the Internet is Good for Study The Internet has been found to be used as a source of information (Lebo). As emphasized, “they can bring a whole world of information to the students” (Hughes and Fan 1). Across different academic levels, the Internet provides access to varied information which could even be translated in diverse languages, depending on the nationalities of the users. From the comprehensive study that disclosed activities on the Internet, it was revealed that "large percentages of Internet users go online at least weekly for basic information: 61 percent go online for fact-finding, and 43 percent for looking up the definition of the word" (Lebo 27). Rather than relying on the traditional dictionaries to looks into the meaning of words; or books to search on different topics as subject of the users’ research, the Internet proved to be a more accessible and reliable source of accurate information. Likewise, related to fact-finding as reasons for using the Internet, Lebo also indicated that information gathering was another specifically disclosed use: “forty-eight percent of users go online to look for news daily or more, and 66 percent of users go online for news at least weekly. Modest numbers of users go online at least weekly to look for jokes or humorous content (27 percent), to read blogs (25 percent), or to look for health information (24 percent)” (28). The traditional sources of news in broadsheets and from the television have actually been replaced by information found in electronic sources. Thus, it could be deduced that the Internet is a relevant and crucial source of diverse types of information that enhances the knowledge of the users. Aside from classifying the Internet as a source of information, diverse demographical profiles of users evidently prove it as a preferential medium for personal, academic, and professional growth. As asserted, more people from all walks of life have immediate access to this technological medium. From the statistics revealed on Internet World Stats, the profile of global internet users reveal diversity in cultural orientation: users from Asia comprise about 44.8%, Europe 21.5%, North America 11.4%, Latin America 10.4%, Africa 7%, Middle East 3.7%, and finally, Oceana and Australia 1% (Internet Users in the World). The statistical information confirms that a diversity in ethnic or racial orientation does not preclude access to information on the Internet. As such, more people are accorded with the opportunity to advance their knowledge on a wide array of subjects and disciplines that contribute to their overall development and growth. In addition, the study written by Lebo also revealed that Internet users have acknowledged that the Internet was a very important source of information (about 80% of users who are 17 years and above), when compared to other traditional sources: “television (66 percent), newspapers (55 percent), and radio (55 percent)” (50). Finally, another important facet that was revealed from the study was the assertion that information sourced online was perceived to be accurate and reliable by more than half of the Internet users (Lebo). The rationale for this particular perception could stem from the fact that due to the diversity and convenience in sharing and uploading information online, the ability to classify information as authoritative or reliable would depend on studies or published discourses that could be verified. Peer-reviewed sources and other scholarly works are considered reliable and credible sources of information that increased the accuracy of data presented online. Finally, studying through the Internet could be undertaken across time and geographic locations. There are increasing opportunities to pursue higher education through distance programs. These programs enable students from different backgrounds, ages, cultural and racial orientation, gender, and academic levels to enroll in courses offered online. It therefore accords comfort and convenience for students and other users who could be pursuing other endeavors besides studying. In addition, educational pursuits could be undertaken concurrently with partial employment or engaging in extracurricular activities and interests. Likewise, despite disparities in geographic locations, online programs and websites could be accessed 24/7 even in the comforts of the users’ home. Students from all walks of life could engage in academic endeavors through the Internet such as doing their research, composing essays, exchanging communication with instructors or classmates, or merely navigating to generate current updates on trends as well as on local and global news. This reason makes studying through the Internet convenient, highly accessible, preferred, and effective. Counterarguments: the Internet is Not Good for Study Presently, with the advent of online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, the effects of the Internet have not been wholesome, particularly on the school and college-going population. Despite all the benefits that have been attributed to the Internet, the Internet has brought about serious and several drawbacks in academic development and intellectual growth by curtailing studies and is therefore not good for studies. First, in order to appreciate the extent to which the Internet undermines studies, it is important to factor the extent to which the Internet allows and facilitates the liberalization of information. Because of the liberalization of information and internet-enabled information, it is possible for anyone to set up a webpage or website or a blog and post content in the same. All that one will have to do to open up a webpage and post material in it is to get the domain name; choose a web host and sign up for an account; design the webpage; test the website; and market the website. As such, virtually anyone can create a webpage and post anything on any field in it, the intellectual command and competence of the poster notwithstanding. For this reason, there are a lot of materials in the Internet which are passed on as facts but cannot pass credibility test. Others are passed on as truth, but are merely opinions. Some data are also touted as authoritative yet they are opinions of experts and non-experts. Since not all Internet-enabled or Internet-supported materials are not authoritative, there are a lot of information which are not worthy of credence and are academically misleading. For instance, presently, the Internet is now awash with materials which refute the reality of environmental degradation and global warming. Secondly, according to Ribes, it is a fact that learning through the Internet diminishes chances for exercising cognitive skills. This is because, the Internet avails virtually all information on any topic and in different language. This information can be accessed at the click of the button. The flipside of this development is that when students are given assignments and homework, they readily do the searches on the Internet and copy down, or paraphrase the concepts, ideas or information on paper. Even if the material copied down from the Internet may be accurate, this action is retrogressive in itself and also as a habit, since it denies students the chance to exercise their cognitive skills. The same also rids students of the chance to apply concepts they had been acquainted with in class, practically and theoretically. This kind of behavior also paves way for intellectual laziness. In the event that this practice is not extirpated, chances are high that students will not be predisposed to personal initiatives, deeper thoughts and reflection and retrospection. This is also the case since students will merely cram what has been availed in the Internet, without even analyzing or critiquing it (Ribes 265-6). Again, as if the foregoing barely suffices, the consideration of the concomitance between the Internet and sexual exploitation diminishes the ability to nurture studying abilities through the Internet. According to research studies carried out by the University of Florida, students who use the Internet two to three hours in a day are very susceptible to sexual exploitation. This is because, with the advent of the Internet, have come sexual predators who are able to manipulate children or students. In turn, sexual predation or exploitation brings about adverse effects on students’ mental and physical health. The magnitude of this problem is underscored by the fact that there are children or students who will not tell their sexual exploitation to anyone. This will propound the degree of mental anguish on the part of the student and thereby abating his chances for academic excellence. It is also true that all manner of literature are available in the Internet and pornography is not an exception. While it is true that students should not accept pornography and other forms of adult literature, there are no fast and hard rules to effect this fact. For this reason, a nine-year old learner can access content that is only suitable for those who are 18 and above, willingly or inadvertently. This development may pave way for moral corruption among learners. Moral depravity and academic development are mutually exclusive of each other. This is because moral degradation brings about psychosocial disorderliness while sound academic performance is a culmination of concentration, stable relations among the student, parent and teachers, and the student interacting well with his environment. Moral putrefaction hinders proper earning to a considerable degree. In a closely related wavelength, it is also significant that using the Internet also comes with sitting in front of the computer. According to Gautam and Kevin, this consumes a lot of time than opening books to read. This is the case since with the Internet comes many opportunities such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube videos and music, newspaper articles and Internet-enabled or virtual games. These are a great source of distraction to studies, especially due to the fact that studies sometimes appear laborious and monotonous and therefore require self-discipline. Not all have the grace or behavioral wherewithal to muster this self-discipline. Normally, the effects of time wastage are perceptible, until when exams approach. Students who have wasted time mostly find that they have a lot of work to revise within a short timeframe. This situation normally culminates into dismal academic performance which may also herald depression among students (Gautam and Kevin 427). It is also a fact that with the Internet being provided at learners’ disposal, it is likely that even after studies, students are likely to use the Internet as a form of recreation. Students may also use the Internet in-between studies to relax. This may disrupt learners’ program and expand the volume of time allocated for other engagements. The import of this is that students will be spending a lot of their leisure time seated at one place, in front of the computer screen. Thus, the student’s body will be subject to less movement. Lack of adequate physical activity and outdoor leisure features heavily feature among health problems and psychological stress. It is an unmistakable fact that health problems and psychological stress are fundamentally unsupportive to academic development and intellectualism. Again, because of the interesting features that the Internet brings, it is likely that even at night, instead of going to sleep, younger students (undergraduate and their younger counterparts) will choose to engage the Internet. This is especially if a student has friends available for online chats in Facebook, MySpace What’s Up or Tweeter. If this is done habitually, health-related problems may come up due to inertia, obesity and lack of proper sleep. Health-related complications serve as inherent and automatic impediments to studying and academic development. Interestingly enough and as previously stated, Internet-supported information may not be credible since they are normally not reviewed. It is therefore against this backdrop that online websites and webpage are always replete with misspellings, poor grammar and typos. In this light, even the English Spelling Society states that online social sites and websites have made incorrect spelling and flouting of grammar rules a widely tolerable phenomenon. While this may appear as a problem too mild to warrant worry from linguists and the intelligentsia to the average mind, the pitfalls that emanate from this development are riveting. Specifically, presently, 66% of people aged between 18 and 24 believe strongly that dictionaries should have different spellings. The crux of the matter herein is that the generation that has been reared with the Internet seldom question misspelled words (Nagisa 44-46). Nevertheless, the problem stipulated above is not limited to misspellings in WebPages. Instead, as people type at high speed in chat rooms or online social networks, the need to adhere to grammar and spelling rules are sidestepped. This has dire consequences. Linguists are now worried that the world is presently witnessing the side effects that linguistic variations are having on students or children who are born and bred in computer age. Refutation of Counterarguments The thrust of the counterarguments could be summed in terms of the detrimental effects of the Internet which includes too much liberalized ideas and information diminishes credibility and reliability; students were noted to be diminishing their chances for exercising cognitive skills; and the Internet exposes students to greater susceptibilities for exploitation (sexual, pornographic materials, and violence) and distractions (social networking sites, entertainment and online games). These counterarguments could be refuted simply by affirming that student are also taught to seek and use reputable sources through peer-reviewed journals and publications. Likewise, the wealth of academic and scholarly sources are available through the Internet; which enables students to apply cognitive and analytical skills, as required. The instructors could provide detailed instructions to students to ensure that reputable sources are used. In addition, the instructions could indicate the need to use cognitive and evaluative skills through more in-depth assessment of the assigned discourses. Finally, exposure to sites which could be detrimental to students (sexual, pornographic, violent materials) could also be appropriately addressed through security measures; such as the installation of software applications which block and restrict access to these sites. As to the access to social networking, entertainment, or online games, parental guidance could provide the needed control measures, through provision of time limits or monitoring academic progress through regular updates from the school. Recommendations and Conclusion After weighing the pros and cons of the argument which evaluates the veracity of the Internet as being asserted to be beneficial to studying, one hereby affirms that the Internet is still a good medium for academic endeavors. Advocates for using the Internet as source of information were supported through statistical information which attests that immediate access to reliable and credible information is made possible. Likewise, the use of the Internet extends beyond geographical borders of distance, space and time. Thus, students from across the globe could access information through the Internet regardless of their locations and the time frame. Before the discovery of the Internet, students’ research and studies were confined to the resources and time frame of university or public libraries. Thus, it limits the availability and accessibility to a wider range of different resources. As asserted, the Internet even facilitates access to scholarly journals and publications using the search engine. More credible and reliable resources on the topics of study or research could be accessed anywhere and anytime. The counterarguments were effectively refuted through emphasizing that the negative impacts of using the Internet could be appropriately addressed with the use of installing applications that bar access to sites that could jeopardize academic progress and performance. Concurrently, through proper guidance and advice from parents and academic instructors, students could be apprised of the need to prioritize completing academic requirements before engaging in other social networking activities. In every endeavor, it should be emphasized that too much use or consumption of anything is detrimental. There should always be balance in every endeavor that is undertaken – and this include the use of the Internet. Works Cited Gautam, Huded and Kevin, F. King. Foreword: Maturing Internet Studies. Northwestern University Law Review, 104.2 (2010): 427. Print Hughes, Ken and Yu-Ling Fan. "Why K-12 Schools Need the Internet." May 1995. University of Michigans Library Studies. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ylfan/k12.html. 19 March 2014. "Internet Users in the World." 2014. Internet World Stats. http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm. 19 March 2014. Lebo, Harlan. "Surveying The Digital Future." 2013. University of Southern California. http://www.digitalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013-Report.pdf. 19 March 2014. Nagisa, Moritoki. The Language Teacher’s Role in the Age of the Internet. Acta Linguistica Asiatica, 1.2 (2011): 39 – 52. Print. Ribes, David. Tying Internet Studies Together. Metascience, 17.2 (2008): 261 – 262. Print "Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users." 11 March 2014. Internet World Stats. http://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm. 19 March 2014. Read More