End of Unit Question

There are always concerns about new technology. In your view, what are the possible benefits and problems attached to the Internet? 

You must include the following:

• An introduction

• Both sides of the argument

• At least three theorists or theories (e.g. Pareto's Law)

• Your opinion

There are many benefit and drawbacks with the internet, two sides of this extraordinary ability to connect through a global network of computers that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve several billion users worldwide. The Internet uses an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web, the ability to support email, and peer-to-peer networks. 


Adv: Info on every subject on internet (Castell - an applicatiopn that will usher in the information age - 1996) - regularly updated, news regularly updated, studying resources for children to post graduate and even higher levels of education, help for homework from wiki answers etc, search engines which are very effective, ways of communicating - far distances, forums- discussion (one to many, one to one, many to many), enables people to build relationships either love or friendship over the internet, sharing abilities, internationally accessible, entrepreneurship/innovation, freedom, helps promote democracy - Arab spring, user generated content active users and producers, (beyonce)

Dis: some information may not be reliable or correct on the internet - anyone can post anything not necessarily true(Paul Walkers daughter fake accounts), addicted to internet - effect social skills, predators such as paedophiles lurking on the internet, pornography accessible by children,  makes homework and essays easy for students as there are sites with previously handed in essays available, censorship, viruses, hackers


Pareto's Law: 80/20 80% of media is produced by 20% of producers - 80% of tweets on twitter from 20% of twitter users

Bobo Doll/ CopyCat: if they see it online - london riots; cause chaos - they will want to do it 

Andrew Keen: says that web pages and blogs to the activity of a million monkeys typing nonsense in his book 'The cult of the amateur - How today's Internet is killing out culture'- Dumbing down

Sherry Turkle: Alone together - taken over, more with internet than in person - snapchat friends while sitting next to them, selfies in funerals, 
(guardian article http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/may/05/rational-heroes-sherry-turkle-mit)

Briggs and Burke: The Most important medium of the 20th Century - 2005 - important because you can access global news - update instantly/regularly. news online before printed