Role of Internet in Modern Era - Research Paper Example

Research Paper Table of Contents Introduction 3 Importance of Internet 4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet 5 Role of Internet in Modern Era 6 Ethical Debate Caused by Internet In terms of Information Privacy of the Users 7 Conclusion 11 References 12 Appendices 14 Appendix 1: Increased Usage of Internet 14 Appendix 2: Increased Rate of Crime Rates 15 Introduction Internet is fundamentally viewed as a strong network of different interlinked computer networking, which is broadly available to the users or the general public. Moreover, it is also regarded as a global network that connects a large number of computers and plays a decisive role in exchanging valuable opinions and facts. It has been apparently observed that internet plays a pinnacle role in the daily lives of the users. This is owing to the significant reason that people or individuals exchange valuable information through the medium of internet. Moreover, people transfer several important files as well as documents and send mails by exercising internet. In relation to determine that whether or not the internet plays a pinnacle role in the daily lives of almost every individual, it can be stated that the medium of internet delivers various useful services to its large number of users. The services include Geographic Information Service (GIS), Newsgroups, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and World Wide Web (WWW). Besides, the other helpful services include File Transfer, videoconferencing, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Remote Access and different multimedia applications. It has been viewed that the users or the general public have broadly embraced these effective services that are provided by internet at large. The various important tools that facilitate the internet to offer its effective services include ‘Ping’, ‘Icestorm NSLookup’, ‘Dig DNS Check’ and ‘logic Host Check’ among others (James, 2010). In this paper, the importance, advantages as well as disadvantages along with role of internet in this modernized world will be taken into concern. Moreover, the way in which the impact and abundant use of internet that has caused an ethical debate particularly with regard to information privacy of the users will also be discussed in the paper. Importance of Internet Internet is generally considered to be one of the most helpful as well as mounting communication technologies in this modern era. The introduction as well as the implementation of the medium of internet not only have changed the daily lives of the people or the users but also have led towards the advancements of their professional as well as private lives by a significant level. The significance of internet can be better understood by taking into concern its broad usage in different segments that include education, business and entertainment among others. In this similar context, it has been viewed that the medium of internet has imposed considerable impact upon the education sector. In relation to the education segment, the internet is extensively utilized by the students for the purpose of collecting valuable information in relation to different subject matters. Moreover, the teachers also use the medium of internet in order to develop their understandings and most importantly to raise their skills by a greater extent. Apart from the teachers as well as the students relating to education segment, the business professionals along with the other professionals such as the lawyers and the doctors among others also use internet with the intention of acquiring valuable information that would ultimately aid in developing their skills or competencies. With regard to the business segment, most of the organizations intend to introduce and develop their respective online channels or websites in order to raise their productivity, augment customer level and accomplish superior competitive position over their chief business market competitors. In relation to entertainment segment, it has been observed that the medium of internet has served the users or the general public in terms of preserving the contacts with their relatives along with friends who permanently reside abroad. Furthermore, the youth segment in this modern world greatly use internet for the motive of downloading and accessing music videos or songs by a considerable level (Luan & et. al., 2005). The increased usage of internet can better be understood with the help of the graphical illustration mentioned in Appendix 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet With regard to determining the advantages as well as the disadvantages of the medium of internet, it can broadly be affirmed that this important aspect i.e. internet is undoubtedly regarded as one of the imperative technologies in this present day context. It not only plays a pinnacle role in the daily lives of the users but also facilitates in their future advancements. One of the vital benefits of internet is that it has made global communication process much easier by having a lesser amount of information control on behalf of large business organizations, media as well as governments (Guardian News and Media Limited, 2013). Another key advantage of internet is regarding information database. In this regard, the medium of internet has led the generation of an ever-augmenting worldwide information database by availing different valuable information to its users (Buhalis & Laws, 2001). Apart from several advantages, there also exist certain crucial disadvantages of the medium of internet. In this connection, one of the critical demerits of internet is security threats. The aspect of safety with regard to the medium of internet cannot be assured owing to the significant reason of the introduction as well as the implementation of effectual hacking techniques along with theories. Additionally, the other disadvantages of internet encompass the scope of detection of the private information of the users, wastage of time especially by children as well as youth in terms of playing games or downloading any sort of music videos or songs and lack of reliability of certain information among others (Buchanan, 2002). Role of Internet in Modern Era It has been previously mentioned that the medium of internet plays a pinnacle role in the lives of the users or the general public on a daily basis. This assertion can be justified by focusing upon the role of internet that it plays in this contemporary world or era. It has been apparently observed that the modern world has become quite developed as well as advanced due to the launch of internet. In this regard, the users of internet can easily do shopping without visiting the supermarkets or stores with the help of e-commerce. Moreover, the users can simply access valuable news from diverse news channels and can broaden their knowledge by a considerable level. The medium of internet is recognized to impose significant impact upon the different business organizations at large. In this similar context, it has been viewed that most of the organizations use their own online websites in order to market their respective products to the customers effectively. In general, the organizations employ online websites for the purpose of attaining various important objectives. The objectives include raising productivity along with profitability, increasing market share, augmenting satisfaction level of the customers as well as business reputation and most importantly accomplishing superior competitive position over the chief business market contenders (Rattle, 2010). Thus, on the basis of the above discussion, it can broadly be stated that the medium of internet plays a pinnacle role in the daily lives of the users or the general public by a greater extent. Ethical Debate Caused by Internet In terms of Information Privacy of the Users In order to analyze the ethical debate caused by internet in terms of information privacy, it has been noted that the enhancement of computer crimes along with various affects concerning ethics and information privacy have drastically increased with greater use of internet. It is strongly believed that the aspect of information privacy relating to the medium of internet is regarded to be a major issue that is compelling the users to restrict in making transactions over the medium of internet. The major concern of internet particularly upon information privacy takes place due to electronic hacking, physical attacks and natural disasters. Though the medium of internet serves as the imperative life-blood of most of the business organizations, it is the business managers who have to remain much aware about the threats as well as the opportunities with the intention of lessening the perils associated with information privacy (Reynolds, 2007). The increased level of crime rates can better be understood with the help of the graphical presentation that has been depicted in Appendix 2. The impact of internet on information privacy generally comes into existence when a user provides his or her private information or details on the internet. It has been viewed that the execution of internet comprises the utilization of different social networking sites and email facilities. In this similar context, information privacy encompasses data privacy in relation to the evasion of the inappropriate revelation of the personal information of the users that are gathered as well as stored by different websites. The different factors such as trust, social norms and ethics greatly impact the information privacy of the users or the general public by a greater extent. In this regard, the trust of the users in community members and the information sharing customs of the community impose negative impact concerning information privacy. The increasing concern with regard to information privacy on the internet eventually leads the users to select more restrictive sort of information and decrease their sharing of personal information at large. This is owing to the reason that the various social networking sites do not provide sufficient information privacy protection to its users. This particular aspect can be considered as one of the critical demerits of the internet. Though the internet is playing a pinnacle role in the daily lives of the users, it still is affecting their lives in terms of offering vulnerable information privacy. It has been apparently observed that the users of the internet have risen considerably but are quite reluctant to deliver their personal information over the internet due to deficiency in trust particularly regarding e-commerce security (Goldberg & et. al., 2003). In relation to the ethical debate on information privacy due to the use of internet, it has been noted that both information security as well as information privacy have become the decisive challenging aspects that are broadly faced by the customers who intend to perform trade especially in the e-commerce settings. If a particular organization wishes to preserve the trust of the customers then it must require keeping their promises concerning information security along with privacy. As these two important factors i.e. information privacy and security are directly associated with trust, any violation of these aspects would ultimately result in losing the valuable customers by a considerable level. The impact of the medium of internet on information privacy can be better understood by taking into concern the e-commerce applications that are utilized by the banking sector. In this similar context, it has been apparently observed that the banking sector is quite reluctant while using valuable applications relating to e-commerce. This is owing to the reason that the banking sector has strongly realized with reference to the fact that the banking transactions which are conducted electronically are largely open to the hackers as well as possess a threat of virus attack. The significant concern of information privacy as well as security has been viewed to be the prime barriers of e-commerce expansion in most of the countries such as Malaysia. Moreover, the aforesaid issue has been viewed as a major feared problem on the medium of internet. Both the banks along with the customers’ deal with excessive risks while making transactions electronically. Though there exist several technological advancements like digital signature, firewalls, encryption and public key infrastructure (PKI) in order to resolve the problem of information privacy as well as security but it would take considerable amount of time for utilizing those technologies (Dixit & Datta, 2010). With regard to the ethical debate on information privacy due to the use of internet, it has been noted that there exist certain major dimensions concerning the issue of information privacy of the customers. In this regard, the dimensions include gathering of personal information, unlawful execution of personal data, errors as well as inappropriate access of personal information. One of the major disadvantages of internet which has been identified is regarding information security as well as privacy. As the usage of internet has risen considerably, the issue concerning information privacy has also gained momentum by a greater extent. It has been viewed that the electronic messages which are generally sent over the medium of internet can be simply tracked as well as snooped which drastically impose adverse impact upon information security as well as privacy. As people are surfing internet at an augmenting rate, the chances of information privacy and security getting affected have also been increased by a greater extent. While providing personal information over the medium of internet, the users should remain aware that the website is guarded with an effective security symbol. This particular practice of the users might protect them from getting affected with the issue of information privacy or security at large. Though accessing internet possesses numerous advantages, it has also proved to be much disadvantageous for the users in terms of affecting largely upon their information security as well as privacy (Dixit & Datta, 2010). Thus, on the basis of the above discussion, it can broadly be stated that though internet has provided numerous benefits to the users, it has adversely affected the information privacy of the users by a considerable level due to the increased possibilities of hacking and threats of viruses. Conclusion After acquiring a brief idea about the significance as well as the role of internet in this modern world, it can be stated that internet is viewed as an outstanding innovation particularly in the arena of information and communication technology (ICT). The medium of internet is regarded as a powerful instrument that comprises various effectual resources as well as services. The prime constituents of internet have been identified to be e-mails and World Wide Web (WWW) among others. Internet has played an imperative role in this contemporary era in terms of developing as well as advancing certain activities of the users such as shopping and accessing valuable information. One of the significant benefits of internet has been recognized to be the advancement in the global communication process. Conversely, threat in relation to information security as well as privacy of the users is normally regarded as a crucial disadvantage of internet. The broader execution of internet has eventually affected the information privacy of the users by a significant level. In this regard, it has been viewed that the rates of conducting computer crimes have been raised considerably with greater internet usage that ultimately have resulted in affecting the information privacy of the users. This particular problem generally appears when the users provide their personal data over the internet. Though there are certain technologies like encryption and firewalls among others through which the problem concerning information privacy can be minimized but the aforesaid technologies would require a fewer amount of time to act accordingly. References Buhalis, D. & Laws, E., 2001. Tourism Distribution Channels: Practices, Issues and Transformations. Cengage Learning EMEA. Brennan, S., 2012. Police-Reported Crime Statistics in Canada, 2011. Statistics Canada. Buchanan, W., 2002. The Complete Handbook of the Internet, Volume 1. Springer. Dixit, N. & Datta, S. K., 2010. Acceptance of E-banking among Adult Customers: An Empirical Investigation in India. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 1-17. Goldberg, I. & et. al., 2003. Trust, Ethics, and Privacy. Boston University Law Review, Vol. 81, pp. 101-116. Guardian News and Media Limited, 2013. How the Internet Is Altering Your Mind. Technology. [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/20/internet-altering-your-mind [Accessed January 17, 2013]. James, K. L., 2010. The Internet: A Users Guide. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Luan, W. S., 2005. Experienced and Inexperienced Internet Users among Pre-Service Teachers: Their Use and Attitudes toward the Internet. Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 90-103. Miniwatts Marketing Group., 2013. Usage and Population Statistics. Internet World Stats. Rattle, R., 2010. Computing Our Way to Paradise?: The Role of Internet and Communication Technologies in Sustainable Consumption and Globalization. Rowman & Littlefield. Reynolds, G., 2007. Ethics in Information Technology. Computer and Internet Crime. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/elective1/chapter-3-computer-crimes [Accessed January 17, 2013]. Appendices Appendix 1: Increased Usage of Internet Source: (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2013) Appendix 2: Increased Rate of Crime Rates Source: (Brenann, 2012) Read More