Internet is a powerful tool used most of the time for research. Internet helps people to find any kind of information anywhere at any time. Also, a big benefit of Internet is that research is very easy and fast. You can seek information about the most complicated topic with no need of go out to a library or specialized center. However, Internet could affect negatively aspects such as people`s education, interpersonal relationships and health.It is very common to hear students saying that they find everything on the Internet and that doing homework is as easy as “copying & pasting”. Many students do not try to think or create their own works. This is called “plagiarism”. A study of CQ Researcher (1) shows that a lot of students copy phrases or ideas from other authors to make their “own” creations in universities in US. It is not possible that students do not get worried for their responsibilities due to internet provides the work already done.
Internet reduces personal interaction. People spend (or waste) a lot of time “surfing” the net looking for unimportant things leaving apart their family, friends or their own normal life. People today “go shopping”, “talk”, “share their lives” just by doing “click”. People do not talk face to face anymore. In fact, many people do not know how to talk to someone if it is not by e-mail or in a chat room. Sometimes this is very helpful for people who are shy but at the end does not help with the improvement of interpersonal relationships.
Being on the net a lot of time around 20 hours at day in front of a computer, with hands and fingers just typing and doing “click”, is not a good habit for health. Being hooked on the net produces eye disease, bad posture, hurting hands and stress injuries. Many people cannot leave their seat when they are using internet. They do not sleep, eat or take a bath; they are like hypnotized by the net. It is incredible to think that internet affects our health, but it is a reality and we should be alert.
Because of the help of Internet to make fraud and the detrimental effects on people´s communication and health problems, Internet is considered a negative tool. Students are not making efforts in their classrooms; they believe Internet will do everything for them. Dependency of Internet is so dangerous that many people do not go out and try to meet people in a bar or in the park; they prefer just to get in to a chat room and make “Cyberfriends”. The worst thing is that doing that all, we are damaging our health postponing our basic human habits. When you consider using Internet to research something, please do not ignore the fact that Internet is just a tool, not a lifestyle.
