The Internet - Historical Viewpoint and Social Aspects - Essay Example

Running Head: The Internet The Internet- Historical Viewpoint and Social Aspects (Name) (Course) (University) Date of presentation: Lecturer: Project Members: 1. 2. 3. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Abstract The following paper reviews the historical development of the Internet and the implication of this technology in the society. The paper finds that although the Internet is a technologically young phenomenon, it has fundamentally changed life in different ways. Its use has dramatically shifted from military applications, for which it was originally developed, and today it has important applications in political, social and economic processes. Introduction Internet is a term that is commonly used to refer to a global system of interconnected computer systems and networks (Norris, 2008). This global system of interconnected components uses standardized protocols to serve millions of computers and users across the world. Although public use of the Internet is barely two decades old, its use has grown tremendously in the last few years and has penetrated all aspects of human life. This important technological innovation has greatly impacted on social, economic and political processes and fundamentally changed people’s ways of lives across nations and cultures. Historical Development of the Internet Development of the Internet was a result of intense researches into the potential values of allowing computers to share information in scientific and military fields. In particular, the origin of what could later be called the Internet can be traced to the successful launch of an artificial satellite into space by the USSR in 1957. Feeling technologically inferior to the USSR, the United States responded with the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). This project was established to assert US primacy in science and technology and it was on the threshold of ARPAS that the seed of the Internet was sowed. Researchers in the ARPA project envisioned a globally interconnected set of computer systems through which people could access data from any site and location (Norris, 2008). In 1962, the United States defense department was assigned the task of creating a super-resilient and galactic network of computers, which could allow the army to communicate and retain control over its strategic weapons in case of an attack. Researchers in the Defense Department came up with the idea of packet-switched network. The technology could involve breaking data into packets that could be sent from one computer to another. In mid 1960s, computers located in two different geographical locations were for the first time connected using a telephone line. A few years later, a physical network connecting four universities in the US was constructed by ARPANET. More researches in the filed saw the development of host-to-host communication protocols, named the Network Control Protocol. More researches led to invention of the email and this facilitated transfer of messages across computer networks. Invention of the email was an instant hit and in the same year, computer experts developed email management programs, which could read and respond to email messages. Shortly after, ARPA was renamed Defense Advance Research Project DARPA and had its first cross-border connection with the university of London. By 1974, a protocol for packed network connection had been developed and it was in this year that the word Internet first came into use. In 1975, satellite links connected computer systems in the US with those in the United Kingdom (Norris, 2008). The next fifteen years saw progressive developments and refinement of the Internet as more and more countries adopted the Internet. In 1994, the first online shopping malls were introduced. Search engines were also developed as were various forms of online business such as e-banking. Beginning from 2000, the influence and usage of the Internet increased dramatically and the phenomenon, which was originally developed for military purposes, has become a major aspect of people’s daily lives. As an example, internet use is thought to have grown at an average annual rate of 30-50% since 1990. This growth took a dramatic, skyrocketing turn in mid 2000s and currently, it is expected that about 2 billion people world wide use the Internet. The ratio of Internet users is higher in the developed countries (particularly in North America and Europe) than in the developing countries (more especially Africa and south East Asia) (Walters et al, 2009). Social and Economic Impact of the Internet There is a big influence of Internet technology on people’s daily life and as such, it its use is a social phenomenon that people, communities and nations will have to deal with for a long while. Putnam (2004) has explained in his article that the Internet is rapidly becoming important for everyone as it is the most forward-looking and newest medium of communication. Another notable advantage of the Internet is that it enables people to join and be part of the society in ways that could not be done easily without the Internet (Norris, 2008). Online communities and social sites have made it possible for people to create friendships with people outside real life. Today, it is possible for somebody in the scorching desserts of Saudi Arabia to chat with somebody in the frigid beaches of Chile interactively because there are no place limitations or geographic and political limitations. In Stanley (2006) view, one of the most important social impacts of the Internet is that it has made it easy, more flexible and convenient for people to access information. Accordingly, Internet use has been adopted in schools and colleges as an important medium of teaching. In fact, e-learning, though an emerging concept is an important aspect of today’s educational curricula. The Internet has made it cheaper for people to search for information than to buy books, magazines or newspapers. Moreover, information on the Internet is always up to date and easy to renew. Given the rapidly increasing use of the Internet for interpersonal communication, it is no surprise to find that greater use of the interne leads to increased social networks better relationships with online partners and strong social support as well as positive psychological support. However, people who routinely use the Internet have reported increased daily stress. A possible explanation for this is that the Internet introduces increased social obligations and activities into the users’ lives. In addition, the increased time pressure adds to slower paced life. Heavy use of the Internet has also been found to be associated with decline in people’s communication and interaction with their families (Grossman, 2006). Internet use has fundamentally impacted on the world’s economy in dimensions that could otherwise not have been envisioned a few decades ago (Putnam, 2004). In early 1990s, Internet was confronted with battles over commercialization of the web. Back then, some earlier Internet adopters condemned the practice of advertising over the web. The battles were however lost as consumers voted in favor of free information that could be facilitated by web advertising. Subsequently, advertising and commercialization of the web achieved the important goal of preserving the Internet as a medium for fee communication. Undeniably, the growth of the internet has had numerous economic benefits for people and nations. In the United States or instance, the Internet directly employs about two million people. These people work in such areas as building and developing the Internet infrastructure and conducting advertising and online commerce. It has been shown that each of these direct internet jobs support additional jobs in various sectors of the economy. Currently, the value of Internet market in the US is about 2% of the country’s GDP. Grossman (2006) has noted that the use of the Internet for commercial purposes helps countries to grow economically by fostering entrepreneurship, technological innovation and productivity of small and medium enterprises, which are the major drivers of employment. Impact of the Internet on Political Participation Since 2005, governments and political organizations have strongly moved to Internet application. In Australia, local, federal and state governments are using the Internet to provide citizens and clients with access to information and other online services. In 2010, the Australian government moved towards an expansion of Internet usage efforts by creating a centralized portal that is expected to facilitate federal agency service delivery. Castells, (2009) has documented that Internet use has painted a much more promising scenario in the political sphere of life. The technology has significantly altered the course of political and democratic campaigns in many countries across the globe. It is now easier for politicians and political organization to disseminate information that appeals to greater political participation. There are two important themes that characterize political adoption of the Internet and the use of blogs for self-expression. On one hand, it is argued that an increasing Internet use can actually contribute to increased democracy by providing unlimited access to information and uniting people from different walks of life and facilitating public participation in political discussions (Alterman, 2011). This was evidence in the Middle East and nor Africa during what has come to be known as the ‘Arab Spring’. In fact, the political transformations which took place in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt were facilitated by the Internet. On the other hand, the wide spread use of the Internet may provide easy choice for people to opt out of political processes. This can, for instance, be because of information pressures which encourage selective exposure to information that is not consistent with their interest. In general, the readiness to embrace of Internet technologies has demonstrated the ability of the technology to make government and political processes more responsive and efficient and in strengthening citizen participation in political processes. Negative Implications of Internet Usage and Growth Although the Internet is basically a virtual space, its flexibility, convenience and ease of use attracts more and more individuals from all walks of life. Concerns have been raised that uncontrolled use of the Internet impacts negatively on teenagers. In particular, the Internet is full of all kinds of information like violence and pornographic information, which are ideally hard for teenagers to resist (Walters et al, 2009). Considering that the Internet can be used by teenagers for educational purposes, it is the case that one of the inabilities of young teenagers is difficulties in keeping away from the Internet. With Internet enabled phones, teenagers can access pornographic information any time and this can be bad for their moral, physical and mental development (Castells, 2009). Security issues are an important negative implication of the Internet. It has been noted that communications over the Internet are not entirely secure as fraudsters can at times hack into computer systems and gain access to private or confidential information. Moreover, Internet has proven a good avenue for trafficking illicit drugs, as well as, legally and socially prohibited information. For instance, the United States has, in its war efforts against terrorism severally claimed that extremist use the Internet to train their accomplices on how to make bombs or carry out terrorist attacks (Alterman, 2011). Conclusion Although Internet is a relatively new technology, it is one of the most important advances in the field of computer technology and its use has had far-reaching implications on the society. In particular, the Internet has facilitated development of new forms of social activities, interactions and organizing, thanks to its widespread access and usability. The technology has significantly increased transmission of information in the world. Nevertheless, there are potential risks and drawbacks associated with the rapid growth of the Internet. The use of the internet has made it easier to transmit socially undesirable information such as how to manufacture deadly explosives or illicit drugs. Moreover, the Internet has made it possible for young people to gain unrestrained access to morally-ruining information such as phonographs. These issues need to be addressed in order for the Internet to develop into a fully-fruitful technology. Reference Alterman, J. B. (2011). The Middle East’s information revolution. Retrieved May 28, 201, from http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/me_information_revolution.pdf. Castells, M. (2009). The rise of the network society, 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers. Grossman, L. K. (2006). The Electronic Republic: Reshaping Democracy in the Information Age. New York, Viking. Norris, P. (2008). The Global Divide: Information Poverty and Internet Access Worldwide. International Political Science Association, Quebec City, Canada. Putnam, R. D. (2004). Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York, Simon and Schuster. Stanley, J. W. (2006). Participation, Democratic Deliberation, and the Internet: Lessons from a National Forum on Commercial Vehicle Safety. School of Policy, Planning and Development. Los Angeles, University of Southern California. Walters, L., et al. (2009). "Putting more public in policy analysis." Public Administration Review 60: 349-359. Read More